In Memory of Hercules Pierre LaChapelle

            Hercules was a French and Dakota man who joined the army in the Civil War. He was living in Wabasha, Minnesota at the date of his enlistment in early 1862. 

He served in the 5th Minnesota Infantry company G. Survived 3.5 years in one of Minnesota's fightingest units. He was quite ill with tuberculosis when he was mustered out. He died at the home of his sister Domatille Montour only 6 weeks after his return.

Photographed at French Catholic Cemetery (St. Louis Cemetery)
Wheatland Minnesota
Friday June 23rd, 2023

Here is some more information I can find on Corporal LaChapelle

Hercules LaChapelle was 30 years old when the Civil War started. Like many married men with children, he didn’t immediately join the army to put down the rebellion. After less than a year he did take the plunge and join with quite a few other men from Wabasha. On February 15th, 1862 Hercules was mustered in to company G of the 5th Minnesota Infantry. Roughly 50 men from in and around Wabasha joined up together. The men of company G were a diverse lot. 16 of the hundred or so men were of Native ancestry. Hercules was listed as being a raftsman, 5’2 with hazel eyes, black hair and dark complexion.

Within a few months Hercules went South and was part of his first battle at Corinth, Mississippi on May 28th 1862. As a new recruit Hercules was given a rank of 5th Corporal.  His regiment, the 5th Minnesota, was one of the “fightenest” units of the Union army. According to an article written in the Wabasha paper Hercules participated in 22 battles in his 3 and a half years of service. An equal number to the much vaunted First Minnesota.

His time in the army was interesting in that while he never appeared to have missed a battle(or payday) he would appear as absent without leave on occasion. They must have known he was coming back as in all of his pay rolls he was paid for the time he was gone. Perhaps he was on secret scouting missions or sick but not in the hospital. I prefer to think he was out on a walkabout enjoying the sights! It didn’t seem to affect his ability to move up in rank either. There were six levels of corporals in the Civil War and he was promoted to 3rd and then 1st corporal by wars end. Hercules made it through the war without injury a feat considering of the roughly 1100 men in his over 400 were casualties or died of disease.

The 5th Minnesota also had the most Native men of any regiment from Minnesota. Roughly 5% of the men who served in the 5thwere Native ancestry. Hercules served his 3 years plus as he had signed on to do another three, a process called becoming a veteran. Months after the wars end the Hercules and his regiment was at last sent home and mustered out of the army in September of 1865. 

On the final mustering out rolls he received a bounty for singing up as a veteran of $190. While that doesn’t sound like much you have to remember that his monthly pay was in the neighborhood of $15. In addition he received his last pay of $24.46 after a deduction of $6 as he had decided to keep his rifle. When Hercules left the army he was quite sick and for whatever reason decided to go to his sisters home in Wheatland rather than back to Wabasha and his family.

Taken in: United States / Minnesota / Wheatland Township / Wheatland (show map)

Taken on: June 23, 2023

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Camera: Apple iPhone 13 Pro, f/1.5, 1/8696 sec, 5.7mm, ISO 50 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Aperture:	f/1.5
Exposure Time:	1/8696 sec
Focal Length:	5.7mm
ISO:	50
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	16.5
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