The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first regiment to sign up for the Union army and arrived at Gettysburg with less than 300 survivors. Many more would sacrifice their lives there as the men of the 1st Minnesota were twice at the center of a battle that decided America's future. This program follows their journey from 1861 to 1865, through the milestones of the Civil War into the deciding battles of the historic conflict, and asks:...

History is personal, but not more so than in this collection of letters. The heartfelt words from forgotten patriots, both men and women, Union and Confederate, that are preserved here were written just before the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in 1861 and extend through the end of the hostilities. They speak of love, homesickness, primal fear, and incredible painches These intimate thoughts are expressed by people who lived and died during a era...