Gettysburg decided the fate of a Nation. If we would be divided by a bunch of traitors who fought because their states wanted the right to keep slaves or if we would be unified under one nation.
The Union's victory at Gettysburg depended on one group of men, these men sustained extraordinarily high casualty rates, the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, to preserve the Union a full 82 percent of the 1st Minnesota were killed or wounded at Gettysburg in their charge.
The Second day of Gettysburg
during the 2nd day of Gettysburg the Union was barely holding Cemetery Ridge, they were spread thin and the Confederate forces were preparing to assault. The Union WOULD have lost Cemetery Ridge and probably the whole damn battle if the union didn't have time to regroup.
Enter the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
Union General Winfield Scott Hancock knew that he needed time. So he ordered the 1st Minnesota to charge a much bigger Confederate Force. Take these Colors he said to the Colonel of the 1st. The survivors of the 1st Minnesota later interviewed often said that they expected that the whole unit would be killed, however they knew that to save the union they had to Charge. So they charged, expecting it to be literal suicide.
In five minutes 215 of the 262 men of the 1st minnesota were either dead or wounded.
However their charge achieved what it needed to. The Union had time to regroup at Cemetery Ridge and due to the charge of the 1st Minnesota the Union would win the battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War.
This Country owes a debt to the men of the 1st Minnesota. So this Memorial day spare a moment to think of the men of the 1st Minnesota who gave their lives so this country could exist.
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