The drummer boy of the Second Minnesota, William Bircher, pictured here in the front row at far right, kept a daily account of distances the regiment traveled. He noted that by the end of 1862, they had marched 1,493 miles. Bircher joined the Second as a drummer boy when he was not quite 15, and remained with the regiment until 1865. His father, Ulrich Bircher, also served in the 2nd.