13th Minnesota Infantry Regiment Scrapbook
Description of Contents
The collection consists of a scrapbook containing ribbons, buttons, and a copy of the program from the reception held to welcome the regiment home after serving in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. The reception was held on October 12, 1899, at the Minnesota State Capital in Saint Paul and was attended by thousands of people including the President of the United States, William McKinley, and his cabinet.
Dates
- Creation: 1899-10-12
Creator
Access
The collection is available for use in Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library at Minneapolis Central Library during the department's open hours.
History
The 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was a regiment formed to fight during the Spanish-American War. It was one of three Minnesota regiments mustered during the war (along with the 12th and the 14th), though it was the only Minnesota regiment to be deployed overseas and see combat during the war. The regiment consisted of 50 officers and 979 enlisted men.
The 13th Minnesota left Camp Ramsey, St. Paul, on May 16, 1898. It traveled by train to San Francisco for further training at Camp Merrit. On June 26, they set sail abroad the City of Para bound for Manila, landing on August 7.
On August 13, the regiment took part in the Battle of Manila, sustaining the heaviest casualties of any unit in the attack and helping American forces capture the city. Unbeknownst to the soldiers involved, a peace treaty had been signed between Spain and the United States the day prior. After the battle, the 13th served as a police unit in Manila, repelling an attack by Filipino revolutionary troops in February 1899. They would later campaign across the island of Luzon from March through May of 1899.
On August 10, the unit boarded the Sheridan for the journey home. In all, 74 men were wounded and 44 were killed during the regiment's time in service. On October 12, the unit arrived home to a reception at the Minnesota State Capital attended by thousands of well-wishers, family members, and even President William McKinley along with members of his cabinet.
Extent
0.33 Linear Feet (1 box-folder)
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- 13th Minnesota Infantry Regiment Scrapbook
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Nick Steffel
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Hennepin County Library Special Collections Repository
Minneapolis Central Library
300 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis MN 55401 U.S.A.
612-543-8200
specialcoll@hclib.org