Photo: "FamilySearch, Family Tree," (www.familysearch.org: accessed 29 October 2019), entry for Aaron George Sutton, PID: KNSS-9XB.
When the Civil War first started, Minnesota was a new state for three years. There were only enough people to volunteer to serve causing all regiments of Minnesota to be volunteers. In 1864, Minnesota supplied volunteer regiments who were foreign born to fight in the Civil War on the Union side. Aaron being a volunteer himself, born in England, joined the 3rd infantry of Minnesota ranked as a private. When it came to leadership, the volunteers had received the lower ranks of lieutenant and captain in the different regiments while the higher ranks went to the native born.
Although Aaron was not one of the first soldiers to sign up, Minnesota was the first state to offer up men for the defense of the Union side. Governor Ramsey pledged that Minnesota would not succeed from the Union. Minnesota was filled with people who were anti-slavery with abolitionist movements throughout the state. There was not an active military in Minnesota; the majority of the support came from the citizens. There were 147 officers and 200 privates who volunteered for the war.
While Aaron was serving away from home, his brother-in-law Henry William Applegarth (married to Nancy Jane Clark )and his father-in-law Justus Clark (Alzina's and Nancy's father) all served in the same regiment. (Next week's story will be about Henry William Applegarth)
After the war was over, Aaron came home to be with his family. In 1869, Aaron received 160 acres of land from the land office at St. Peter, Minnesota because of 1862 Homestead Act. At the time Aaron was granted his land, Ulysses S. Grant was the President of the United States. The neighbors who owned land by Aaron are: John B. Downer, Lars Larsen, Michael Lellig, Catharine Lurtey, Henry Mitchell, John Rettler, John Schwartz, Lucy Perkins, Pelatiah Perkins, and Valentine Schwirtz.Â
Aaron's land was located in Township 110 North Range 012 West in the SW1/4 NW ¼ of section 25. He also owned land in the same Township and Range in the SE1/4NE1/4 of section 26 and the E1/2 SE1/4 of section 26 on the 5th PM Meridian in Wabasha County, Minnesota.
