Brackett's Battalion: Minnesota Cavalry in the Civil War and Dakota War (review)

In Brackett's Battalion, Kurt Bergemann tells the story of his great-great-grandfather's Civil War unit. His intentions, to provide "a broad account" of Minnesota's Civil War involvement, examine the evolution of Union army cavalry into an effective force, and highlight the story of units that saw little combat with Rebels (pp. xi, xiii) were not realized. It is not clear how this version might differ from the one published in 1996 by Adeniram Publications.

Three Minnesota companies, "G," "I," and "K," were part of the 5th Iowa Cavalry (the "Curtis Horse"). Enlisted in 1861, the men were poorly trained, armed only with sabers, and the few mounts were an embarrassment to real cavalry horses. They first served in Missouri and later in the Fort Henry-Clarksville region with the Army of the Tennessee. Discipline in the 5th Iowa ranged from the tyrannical to Major Alfred Brackett's easy-going approach. In March of 1864 (the back cover says 1862), the independent battalion formed for service against the Indians.

The story builds upon the letters of Sergeant Major Eugene Marshall, as reprinted in Clark Reynolds's 1963 Duke University M.A. thesis. A number of collections of soldiers' letters and diaries, contemporary newspapers, and other sources fill out the story. The few notes are not very helpful, and the secondary sources are limited. Collections beyond Minnesota, and Iowa (for example the George D. Johnson memoirs at the U.S. Army Military History Institute) were not referenced. Material from sister units was not examined to see how other soldiers viewed this unit. The bibliography lacks Lieutenant Charles Nott's Sketches of the War on the 5th Iowa, and Isaac Botford's "Narrative of Brackett's Battalion of Cavalry" in Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars (vol. 1, pp. 572-84).

To his credit, Bergemann discusses several violations of discipline, unusual in regimental histories. Lieutenant Mortimer Neely of Company "C" was an unrepentant drunk. Though he was twice court-martialed, these court records (National Archives Record Group 153) and his Compiled Military Service Record (RG 94) were not listed. The CMSRs are a rich source for orders, courts, and so on, and it seems few were used. The National Archives holdings in RG 393 (Higher Commands for the Army of the Tennessee and for the Department of the Northwest) would add great depth and enhance this work. These are major limitations on the research.

The book is a decent regimental history of Brackett's Battalion. Limited in its range of primary sources, it does not achieve its more ambitious goals. Despite these limitations, this version of the story is worth reading. It is recommended to Minnesota libraries and for Minnesotans interested in their Civil War state units. It is also useful for those interested in the Indian Wars and in cavalry operations in the western theater.