Bracketts Battalion: Minnesota Cavalry in the Civil War and Dakota War [Paperback]

Kurt Bergemann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2004

Amidst the chaos of a two-front war--one against the Confederacy and the other against the Dakota Indians--Brackett's Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry transformed from raw recruits into seasoned and battle-hardened troops and served longer than any other Minnesota unit in the Civil War. After two years in the Southern theater of the Civil War, Brackett's Battalion became part of the Northwestern Indian Expedition of 1864 and rode into Dakota Territory to seek out and engage the Indians in response to the attacks on settlers in Minnesota. On July 28, 1864, during a decisive battle against a large Dakota contingent at Killdeer Mountain, Brackett's men conducted a remarkable three-mile-long saber charge that resulted in vicious hand-to-hand combat and eventually turned the tide of the battle. Told through the extant journals, diaries, and letters of the troopers themselves, Brackett's Battalion brings to light a long neglected aspect of Minnesota's role in the Civil War and reveals a side of the conflict rarely portrayed in the war's literature.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kurt D. Bergemann has long been a student of the Civil War. This book is a result of his research on his great-great-grandfather, who served in Brackett's Battalion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press; 1 edition (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873514777
• ISBN-13: 978-0873514774
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #882,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brackett's Battalion - Excellent, December 8, 2007

By 

J. Spengler (Eden, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bracketts Battalion: Minnesota Cavalry in the Civil War and Dakota War (Paperback)

Finally a comprehensive review of the journeys of Brackett's Minnesota Ballation Cavalry Volunteers. I was able to track the travels of one of my ancestors from his enlistment to untimely death in the Dakota Territory. Well written, informative and entertaining. A must for anyone looking for more information about this segment of Civil War activity.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My great grandfather's unit, August 21, 2010

By 

Doug Stoltzman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bracketts Battalion: Minnesota Cavalry in the Civil War and Dakota War (Paperback)

My name is Doug Stoltzman and my great grandfather Florence Garen served with Brackett's Battalion thru the entire Civil War. Kurt Bergemann was tireless in his research for this book and did, I feel, an excellant job of recording the battalion's history, people, and characters. It is both factual and personal. One not only gets the history but also the human side of the unit. A very good read.