William J. Sturgis

Name: William J. Sturgis Company: B Veteran; enlisted in Company B; promoted Corporal; promoted Sergeant Major February 18, 1865.
Birth Date: about 1835 Place: Unknown	Mustered In Date: January 17, 1862 Rank: Private Age: 27
Death Date: February 1909 Place: Rocky Mountain region	Mustered Out Date: August 7, 1865 Rank: Sergeant Major Age: about 30 Residence following military service: Rocky Mountain region Vocation following military service: farmer

William J. Sturgis Biography and Civil War Narrative

Courier Sturgis, after an all-night ride over a dreary road, reached St. Peter at dawn on the morning: of August 19th, with his message announcing the dire straits of the Fort and the upper frontier. Here he overtook Lieutenant Culver, Sergeant McGrew and five other men, all of Co. B, together with Indian Agent Galbraith and James Gorman, the latter in command of the Renville Rangers, all on their way to Fort Snelling. St. Peter was stirred to its foundations with excitement when the contents of the message of Lieutenant Gere and the verbal report of Sturgis spread with almost electric swiftness throughout the town, confirming what up to this time had been a rumor, but one that did not, in the public mind, portend a general uprising.

In this day no railroad had penetrated the valley of the Minnesota river; nor was there any telegraphic communication between St. Paul and this
upper country.

Men were never more prompt in responding to a call than were the brave fellows above named and the Renville Rangers, the latter newly-recruited, not even mustered into the service, and unarmed. Under the inspiration of this call to duty, great vigor attended every detail of preparation for the return to the Fort. St. Peter was fired with excitement and activity as never before, and rendered promptly every requirement for the out-fitting of the men. At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 19th the expedition set out, and without a break in the rhythmic step, the noble fellows covered in a forced march the distance of forty miles by evening, entering the Fort amid wild shouts of joy and welcome, for at last the garrison considered itself on a "war footing," not only equal to self-defense, but strong enough to stay the bloody hand raised against the Minnesota valley.

Before leaving St. Peter a sufficient number of old Harper's Ferry muskets were secured to arm the Renville Rangers, each man receiving a beggarly three rounds of ammunition. [Recollections of the Sioux Massacre, Oscar G. Wall, pp. 80-82]