Organization and early service The 11th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was formed in response to
President Lincoln's last call for troops in late 1864. The regiment was mustered into Federal service at
Fort Snelling,
Minnesota, between August and September 1864. Its original term of service was for three-years.
Service in the Department of the Cumberland After training and equipping, the 11th received orders to report to the
Department of the Cumberland around the
Nashville, Tennessee area. Here, the regiment was tasked with protecting the Louisville-Nashville railroad; a thirty-mile stretch. Occasionally, the troops would engage in skirmishes with
Confederate guerillas and raiders. However, the 11th would not take part in any notable engagements, though some men are said to have heard or witnessed the
Battle of Nashville, which several other Minnesota regiments fought in.
End of service After serving in the Nashville area for the remainder of the war, the 11th Minnesota was finally sent home on June 26, 1865 and discharged at
St. Paul,
Minnesota, on July 11. The regiment was the last infantry unit to be raised by the state of Minnesota until the
Spanish-American War in 1898. ==Casualties==