The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment of the US Army that was active from 29 April 1861 to 28 April 1864. The regiment was recruited in St. Paul, Stillwater, Minneapolis, St. Anthony, Red Wing, Faribault, Hastings, Wabasha, and Winona, with a company of sharpshooters being recruited in Rice and Steele counties. Commanded by Colonel William J. Colvill, the regiment was known for its high casualty rates at Bull Run (20%), Antietam (28%), and Gettysburg (82%), suffering catastrophic losses while defending Cemetery Ridge during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The regiment belonged to Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and Hancock expected for every member of the regiment to be killed or wounded while delaying the Confederate forces, which outnumbered the regiment five-to-one. In April 1864, it completed its enlistment, and it was mustered out of service on 28 April 1864.
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