Winter 2013 - Norwegian-American Historical Association - St. Olaf ...

Page 8Andrew Lockrem, Sharpshooter, First MinnesotaAndrew LockremAndrew Lockrem was born inNorway on Dec. 22, 1838, andmoved to America with his familyin 1848. His family homesteadedsix miles south of Northfield,Minnesota in an area known asValley Grove.On January 20, 1861, Andrewanswered a recruiting broadside inthe “Northfield Telegraph” for allsuperior marksmen to try out foran elite group of sharpshooters,the First Regiment of United StatesSharpshooters, under ColonelHiram Berdan.Hiram Berdan was nationallyfamous for being one of the bestmarksmen in the country. Hepetitioned President Lincoln andCongress to develop a regimentof sharpshooters from all over theUnited States. Each company ofabout 100 soldiers would be froma different state making this wasone of the first national regiments.Berdan wanted his regiment to beunique. He designed a uniform thathinted at an attempt at camouflage.The first uniforms were light bluetrousers with hunter green frockcoats and caps. The buttons weremade of a hard rubber and didnot shine like brass buttons. Laterversions of this uniform addedgreen trousers and brown leatherleggings.Captain William Russell sent aNorthfield native, Corporal C.R. Eldridge, to test many men inthe area to see if they could passthe exacting test of hitting 10consecutive shots in a red target of20 inches in diameter placed at twohundred yards. Lockrem passedthis test of marksmanship alongwith his two friends and neighborsHalvor Quie and Fingal Fingalson.They all enlisted on January 20,1862. Lockrem was 25 years old.He stood 5’ 10” tall. He had a lightcomplexion, brown eyes and lightcolored hair. Halvor Quie was27 and Fingal Fingalson was theyoungest at 19. One hundred menand three commissioned officersformed “Company L” or “TheSecond Company of MinnesotaSharpshooters”. All but five werefrom Minnesota. Their captain wasCaptain William Russell.The men of “Company L” gatheredat Fort Snelling, Minnesota forsome basic training. In April, 1862,they traveled by train to WashingtonD.C. On May 3, 1862, they leftWashington for Virginia to hook upwith the First Regiment of UnitedStates Sharpshooters who werealready engaged in a Union offensivecalled “The Peninsular Campaign”.The men of “Company L” reportedfor duty to Colonel Berdan on May7, 1862, at his headquarters at CampWinfield Scott.On the afternoon of May 8, 1862,the company received their arms,the Sharps 54 caliber breechloadingrifle. This rifle enabled asoldier to load the rifle from thebreech instead of down the muzzle.A soldier could load the weaponlying down or on the move. TheSharps gave a soldier a greater rateof fire than most muzzle loadingrifles or muskets. On May 12, 1862,they received their first lessonsin company movements and inskirmishing from Captain EdwardDrew of Wisconsin’s Company G.Skirmishing means to go out well infront of the main body of troops toengage the enemy, scout the enemypositions, and test their strength.The sharpshooters would also beused as snipers to harass artillerypositions and enemy pickets, or toslow the enemy’s advance.The goal of the Peninsular Campaignwas to capture Richmond, Virginia,the capital city of the ConfederateStates of America. Andrew sawmuch action during this campaignin a series of battles and Unionretreats known as the “Seven Days’Battle” or the “Seven Days’ Retreat”.While in Virginia he participated inthe Battles of Hanover Courthouse,