Wesley Chamberlain was born in Plattsburg, New York. He became a private in Company C on April 29, 1861. He was 21 years old and stood 5' 4 1/2" tall. He had a light complexion, grey eyes and dark hair. He was wounded at Antietam. Many men became disillusioned with the life of an infantryman as the South kept dealing defeat after defeat to the Union armies in the first two years of the war. In late 1862, the government allowed other barnchs of the service to enter the Infantry camps to revruit some veteransinto their new units thus helping their new recruits gain from the experience of soldiers who had seen battle. Several men from the First Minnesota chose to make that change. On October 24, 1862, Chamberlain chose to transfer to the US Cavalry. The 1910 roster of the veterans states that he had died by that time but no details are given. Sources: Roster of the First Minnesota Infantry, 1910. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
