This is section 3.
Rufus Horatio Jefferson was born in Naperville, Illinois, on March 6, 1840. When he was eight years old the family returned to their previous home in Darian, New York. In 1851 the family moved from Darian to settle in Minnesota. They began to farm some land near Fort Snelling. When President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion, Rufus was working as a trapper around Duluth. He heard that his brother Ernest had enlisted and walked 150 miles to Fort Snelling to be with his brother. He arrived just as the troops were leaving to go east. He jumped on the train carrying the regiment, though he had no uniform, training or gun. He was finally sworn in the night before the First Battle of Bull Run where he was wounded. In October of 1862, Rufus transferred to serve in company F, of the 6th US Cavalry. His cavalry unit fought at Gettysburg on July 3, 1962. It was on July 2, 1863 that the First Minnesota Regiment made their famous charge to save the day. The unit was decimated and Rufus' brother, Ernest, lost his leg, as amputation was the common way of treating wounds.
In 1874 Rufus was discharged and returned to Minnesota where he signed on to help lead a wagon train of supplies west to troops fighting Indians in Montana. Two companions on the trip became friends for life, as they met yearly to talk over old times. One was Lon Merritt of Duluth, who discovered iron ore on the Mesabi Range and the other was Chris O'Brien, who later became an attorney and the Mayor of St. Paul. The three were often referred to as The Three Musketeers.
Rufus returned to Minnesota again, married Ulla Widstrand in 1869, and began farming at St. Anthony, Minnesota. In 1879 he moved to Lakeside Township where he farmed until moving into Bingham Lake where he lived until he died on August 24, 1932. He and his wife had seven children. His unmarried daughters were teachers and continued to live in Bingham Lake.
Rufus was active in local and state politics. He served two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature, was active in the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), and was a trustee of the Minnesota Soldiers Home and an officer of the First Minnesota Veterans Association. He is buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Windom.
Written by Lowell Tjentland, local historian, with information from the web site: www.1stminnesota. net
Available courtesy of the Cottonwood County Historical Society