Gilbertson, Ole 1841 - 1919

GILBERTSON, MOEN, NERDALPLADSEN, FLATEN, OLSEN

Posted By: Bill Waters
Date: 3/26/2014 at 14:49:39

IA 12th Inf Co G. Residence: Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa. Born “Ole Gunbjørnsen Nerdalspladsen” on 6 Jan 1841 in Sigdal, Buskerud, Norway, son of Gunbjørn Olsen Moen and Helge Pedersdatter Nerdalpladsen. He came to America with his widowed mother, maternal grandmother, a sister and four brothers on the bark “Drafna”,which sailed from Drammen, Buskerud, and arrived in New York on 25 Jul 1849. They came to Rock County, Wisconsin, and later to Winneshiek County. Civil War: Age 20. Enlisted 14 Oct 1861. Mustered 5 Nov 1861. Private. Missing in battle 6 Apr 1862, Shiloh, Tennessee. Mustered out 20 Jan 1866, Memphis, Tennessee. Post war: Lived in Pope County, Minnesota, where he was county treasurer. He was married in 1872 to Liv Christoffersdatter Flaten. Seven children. He died 8 Oct 1919 in Ambrose, North Dakota. Sources: (ISW-II p463) (South Dakota Historical collections, vol XVI, publ 1932, p281) (Naeseth-Hedberg ’49-1829) “Gilbertson, Ole G.

Source: Veserheim's Norwegians in the Civil War,Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum Web site. See link below.

TRANSLATION OF THE SIGDALSLAG 1920

A veteran from the Civil War by Martin T. Braatelien Published in Buskeruds Blad, Drammen, Norway, December 31, 1918.

Now when one reads that so many Norwegians have taken part and fought and died over in Europe during the World War, it probably would interest the readers of Biuskeruds Blad to hear a little about a Norwegian, a Sigdaling , here in Ambrose, North Dakota, who took part in the whole Civil War and came out of it with all his members in good condition. He is Ole Gilbertson, who is from Nerddalskogen in Sigdal. His father, Gunbjorn Olsen, died in 1845 at a place at Sund. Gunbjorn's wife Helge Pedersdatter went to America in 1849 with their seven children, five boys and two girls. The girls and two boys were grown. Ole was eight years old. They left Drammen of the ship DRAFNA with Captain Ekeberg. It took nine weeks and three days to cross the Atlantic.

After living at Rock Prairie, Wisconsin, they moved to Decorah, Iowa. Ole enlisted in the Iowa 12th infantry. He was sent to St. Louis on Jan 1, 1862. He was among small guerilla troops. Later he went to Fort Henry in Tennessee. The first big battle which he took part in was at Fort Donaldson. It lasted three days. They took 14,000 captives. He was also in the battle at Pittsburg Landing. In all he was in 18 large battles and 8 skirmishes, but he was never wounded although he suffered many hardships, he says. At the end of the war, April 8 and 0, 1865, he was close to Mobile, in Alabama, under the command of General A. G. Smith, but he was not discharged until Jan 25, 1866. There were over 50% Norwegians in that regiment some Swedes and the rest Americans. "We got almost no training" says Ole Gilbertson, "except for what Fingar Reiersen gave us. He commanded in Norwegian and the Americans stood and watched us. Reiersen was an Eggedalling who had been a petty officer in Norway. He soon became sick and din't take part any longer. He went back to Decorah.

When the war was over, Ole Gilbertson lived near Decorah for a while, then went to Pope County, Minnesota. He took land and married Live Kristoffersdatter Flatin in 1872. She was from a place at Fraevold in Eggedal. She emigrated at the age of 27. When her parents followed a couple of years later, her father died at sea. Ole Gilbertson gets a pension of $30 a month.

When he was a soldier he got four and a half in gold, or thirteen dollars in paper money each month. He was of medium size. He always kept his blue veteran's clothing with a bronze button at the throat. A few years ago he moved to Ambrose from his son's farm. He died there October 8, 1919. In the report on his death, it states that he was once taken captive in the war. Also that he was County Treasurer in Pope County, MN for many years. His siblings were among the first pioneers west of Decorah, Iowa. Several of his relatives ae now living in Divide County, ND.

p, 150

Submitted by: Louisa Kjosa

Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum
 

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