BARNESVILLE, Minn. — Barnesville author Steven Hoffbeck is shedding light on the heroism of the First Minnesota Regiment at Gettysburg and its leader, Col. William Colvill, in his new book, "'Colvill Smiled.' The Legend of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Regiment at Gettysburg."

The regiment performed a devastating bayonet charge July 2, 1863, helping to hold the Union line during one of the bloodiest battles in American history. Hoffbeck said the soldiers “needed to buy five minutes time.”

“I wanted to use Colvill's own words to describe his wartime experiences,” Hoffbeck said.

Hoffbeck, a Minnesota native, recalls being inspired by a Life magazine anniversary piece on the Civil War and playing “Civil War” with his brothers.

Brotherhood is a major theme in the book. “The soldiers loved Co

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