Minnesota is the first state to offer troops at the outbreak of the Civil War. Governor Alexander Ramsey is in Washington, DC, when word of the attack on Fort Sumter arrives. He meets with Simon Cameron, the secretary of war, and offers one thousand Minnesota soldiers for the country's defense. He then telegraphs Lieutenant Governor Ignatius Donnelly, who summons volunteers from across the state. This group of men becomes the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment (see entry for July 2).