A issue, printed under two titles by two publishers...

The First Minnesota was sent along with an entire brigade to Berryville, Virgina in March 10, 1862, to re-open the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Harper’s Ferry. Upon the brigade’s arrival, the Confederate forces left town, fleeing with them the owner of the Berryville Conservator, the town’s secessionist newspaper. Filled with writers, editors, and assorted other newspapermen, the First Minnesota’s “Typographical Fraternity” couldn’t resist, issuing the first edition on March 11, 1862.

Sgt. William Lochren probably described best what transpired before the brigade awoke the next day: “During the night the printers of the regiment took possession of the office of the Berryville Conservator, and in the morning following issued a large edition of The First Minnesota, a small paper of four pages, which sold readily, not only in the regiment but in all the surrounding camps. It was filled with a rollicking mixture of humor and patriotism, jibes upon the runaway editor of the Conservator, and the fleeing ‘secesh,’ and good advice to the inhabitants, which they were unlikely to profit by.”

The chief rascal was Pvt. Thomas Presnell, who was not in the charge at Gettysburg July 2. His Company C was detached for provost duty that day, rejoining the regiment July 3rd for the defense of Cemetery Ridge against Pickett’s Charge. Presnell was actually present at the death of Confederate General Lew Armistead.

Prsenell had been in the newspaper business since a child, fully equipped to set type, pull presses, and manage writers. Newspapers of the era were a manual labor operation, so the men put quite a bit of work into producing even one issue. The paper only lasted a few days, but sold like hotcakes among the First Minnesota’s brigade, from 5 cents a copy to a dollar a piece...".

As is explained on the front page, "...Our only apology for making our appearance in 'secesh' copy is, that the employees of Mr. Gregg [publisher of the Berryville Conservator] hearing, doubtless, that we Vandal Yankees had crossed the Potomac and were on their way to the pleasant little village of Berryville, were kind enough to 'set up' and 'work off' the first side of the paper...".
So as is seen in the photos, the front page is as set by the First Minnesota soldiers, while page 2 is page 4 of the Conservator, page 3 is the front page of the Conservator, and page 4 is page 2 of the Conservator. The only page not set up by the fleeing printers was page 3 of their issue, which was set up by the Minnesota soldiers and became the new page 1 of the issue.
A four page issue but as described above, 12 by 17 inches, mild wear at margins & the fold, archival strengthening at the spine with some discrete archival mends at margins. Generally in good condition.