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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| The Original Minnesota Black Lives Matter Movement |
| 2020-06-14 |
| Since Minnesota has been much in the news lately: I was rereading Allen Guelzo's great account of Gettysburg, and was reminded of these guys. 85% casualties on a suicide mission they knew was a suicide mission. An exaggeration to say that they saved the Union, but not by a whole lot. Then again, I'm sure that if one of our soy boys looked hard enough he could find an example of Private Swenson using a bad word before fixing his bayonet. [Gettysburg.StoneSentinals] The 1st Minnesota Infantry performed one of the most critical actions of the battle during Longstreet’s Assault of July 2nd. Sickles’ Corps was falling back in disarray. Longstreet’s men were advancing to penetrate the center of the Union line, which had been dangerously thinned to prop up other sectors. General Hancock rode up to the 1st Minnesota, the only organized Union troops at hand, pointed at the advancing Confederates, and ordered them to "Take those colors!" Their sacrificial charge against overwhelming odds halted the Confederate advance. It bought desperately needed time for the center of the Union line to reform. the result was that Lee was forced into one last desperate gamble the next day with Pickett’s Charge. |
| Posted by:Matt |