The Tale of Some Gallant Union Troops

Every now and then, I see a family band come up on my Pandora stations.  Be it Boyce Avenue, the sisters in the Waifs, the Cowsills, or the Timmins siblings.  The band I'm highlighting tonight is a bluegrass family from southern Illinois.  Phil and Dorene had been playing to music together for a long time, and as their three daughters (Melissa, Emily, and Alysha) grew up in that house, the kids learned how to sing and develop harmonies.  A son-in-law, Kyle, eventually joined (bringing the banjo and other talents).  Recently, Dorene has stepped back from the stage show.

Along with some covers of songs such as "Shine" by Collective Soul and "Cups" by the Carter Family & Luisa Gerstein.  The also write tons of original material.  Tonight's featured track is "First Minnesota" from their 2013 album Looking Forward.

In this song, the Bankesters teach us about a regiment from the American Civil War that I don't think that many of us learn of in school.  The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, lost massive numbers of casualties at the battles of First Bull Run and Antietam.  It came to a head at Gettysburg when Major General Winfield Hancock ordered the First Minnesota to hold back Wilcox's Confederate troops while Union reserves arrived.  The 1st Minnesota was already outmanned and didn't know if they'd survive.  Nonetheless, for the sake of the Union, they bravely ran in to battle.  Of the 262 present in the charge, only 47 survived.  The survivors did battle again the next day during Pickett's Charge.  Losing to captains, the Minnesotans did capture the colors of the 28th Virginia Infantry.

Although there are ongoing battles over the confederate flag, I honestly  can't think of any other modern musicians who've recorded songs about Civil War battles.  They tend to be about more recent wars (and in ABBA's case, the 1815 Battle of Waterloo).  I'm glad to have come across this track, and will most likely write some more about the Bankesters' recordings in the future.