Norwegians who served in the Civil War and who had connections with
Winnebago County, Iowa


(includes a few Indian War & Spanish-American War vets)

-see below for a link to the sources

AASMUNDSEN, Louis
Residence: Winnebago County, Iowa. From Laardal, Norway. Civil War: Private. Sources: (Ulvestad p266)

BJOTVEDT, Engel Olsen
WI 32nd Inf. Born 11 Dec 1838 at Hardanger, Norway, a son of Ole and Herbjorg. Came to the US in 1860. Married in 1860 to Ingeborg Olsen; three children prior to his enlisting. Civil War: Enlisted 21 Sep 1864 at Ettrick, Wisconsin. Mustered the same day at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Private. Mustered out with his company on 12 Jun 1865 at Washington, D.C. Post war: Lived in Hegg, Wisconsin; later moved to Iowa, first to Radcliffe and then to a farm near Rake, Iowa. Died 19 Sep 1934. Sources: (Ulvestad p272) (Leonard Amundson, St. Ansgar, Iowa)

BRANES, Andrew R.
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p273)

BRANES, Peter R.
Civil War: Private. Lived at Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p273)

CHARLSON, Andrew
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p274)

CHARLSON, John C.
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p274)

ERICKSON, Tosten
WI 15th Inf Co K. Residence: Freeborn County, Minnesota. Wife Anna. Son Hans. Civil War: Age 29. Married. Enlisted for three years on 30 Nov 1861 in Freeborn County, Minnesota, and mustered at Madison, Wisconsin, 11 Feb 1862. Designated Sergeant on 1 Feb 1862. Became unfit for service and was discharged from the service for disease at Jacinto, Mississippi, 22 Jul 1862. Post war: In 1886, he was living in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 76-12; red book vol 20 p140) (Buslett p622) (Ager p317) (Meeker) (XSS Iowa p705) (Ulvestad p260)

GEORGE, Niels
IA 6th Cav Co D. Residence: Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 22. Enlisted 8 Oct 1862. Mustered 25 Oct 1862. Private. Mustered out 17 Oct 1865, Sioux City, Iowa. Post war: In 1885, Nils George was living in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (ISW-IV p1168) (XSS Iowa p202)

GROESLIE, Ole
From Christiania (now Oslo) Norway. Civil War: Enlisted as Private. Was in the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Promoted to Captain in 1864. Post war: Died in Forest City, Iowa, 1900. Sources: (Ulvestad p253)

GUNDERSON, Gunder
WI 15th Inf Co E. Residence: Primrose, Dane County, Wisconsin. Born 12 Feb 1839 in Sandnes Parish, Rogaland, Norway, son of Gunder Jacobsen and Delia Andersen. Civil War: Age 23. Unmarried. Enlisted for three years on 12 Nov 1861 in Dane County. Mustered 8 Dec 1861 at Madison, Wisconsin. Sergeant. Wounded and taken prisoner in Battle of Stone's River near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 30 Dec 1862. Paroled and sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, from Dec 1862 to Oct 1863. Reduced to ranks. Returned from parole camp 16 Jun 1863. Sent back to parole camp at St. Louis, Missouri, 22 Jun 1863; not having been exchanged. Returned from parole camp 16 Jun 1864. Sick 18 Jul 1864 into August. Promoted from Private to Sergeant on 1 Sep 1864. Mustered out with Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 20 Dec 1864. Post war: Gunder Gunderson married Dorthea Charleson, a widow with two children, on 29 May 1867 in Dane County, Wisconsin. They moved to Mt. Valley township, Winnebago County, Iowa. In 1886, Gunder Gunderson of Co C (sic) was living in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (WHS red book vol 20 p70) (XSS Iowa p705) (TAR) (Buslett p477) (Ager p275, photo; p303) (Ulvestad p259, p287) (Quiner p 621) (email to Dee Grimsrud from Mary Lawson, Edina, Minnesota) "Hanna, Gunder G.".

HALVORSEN, H.
Indian War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p286)

HANO (?), Peter
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p287)

HANSEN, Peder
From Hadeland, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p289)

IVERSEN
, Ole
From Telemarken, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Died in Scarville, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p294)

JARSHAW, Ole Johnson
From Hjertdals prestegjeld, Norway. Civil War: Private. Wounded. Post war: Lived at Rake, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p295) There was a man in Rake named Ambros Jarshaw; unknown if this is the same man.

JOHNSON, Claude Lewis
MN Inf. Residence: Hayfield, Minnesota. Private. Born in Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Suffered from rheumatism after the war and was confined to wheelchair. Buried in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ardith Halvorsen, Forest City, Iowa.) “Suby, Leiuf”

JOHNSON, John M.
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p298)

JOHNSON, Knud
From Telemarken, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p298)

JOHNSON, Peter H.
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p299)

KNUDSON, Hans
IA 2/3 Con Co C. Residence: Iowa. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 42. Drafted. Enrolled 29 Sep 1864 and mustered that day. Private. Mustered out 1 Jun 1865 at Washington DC. Post war: In 1885, H J Knudson was living in Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (ISW-I p483) (XSS Iowa IOWA p231)

KNUDSEN, H. J.
Private. From Toten, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Died in Winnebago County, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p302)

LANDRUE, Hiram K.
IA 32nd Inf Co B. Residence: Forest City, Iowa. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 25. Enlisted 9 Feb 1865. Mustered 9 Feb 1865. Private. Discharged from the service for disability 28 Jul 1865, Montgomery, Alabama. Post war: A veteran named Hiram K. Landru of Canby, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, in May 1880 was granted a pension of $4 because of an injury to his back resulting in disability of a kidney. Sources: (ISW-V p80) (Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883, living in Minnesota, publ. 1994, Park Genealogical Books, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota)

LARSON, Erick
IA 38th Inf Co E. Residence: Winnebago County, Iowa. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 30. Enlisted 15 Aug 1862. Mustered 24 Sep 1862. Private. Died of disease 16 Aug 1863, St. Louis, Missouri. Sources: (ISW-V p892) (DGA)

LARSEN, Jacob
Private. From Sigdal, Norway. He was son of Nils Larson from Presthaugen in Vardal, Norway. Came to America in 1853. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. He later became a sheriff in Freeborn County, and a Justice of Peace in Lake Mills. Sources: (Ulvestad p304) (Oudenstad)

LARSON, Jacob
MN 2nd Cav Co C. Residence: Freemen Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 20. Enrolled for three years on 16 Nov 1863. Mustered 28 Dec 1863 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Private. Served in Indian and Civil wars. His company was stationed at Fort Pierre, Dakota Territory, in 1864. Took part in battles near the Little Missouri River on 28 Jul 1864 and 8 Aug 1864. Sick in hospital at Fort Ridgeley, Minnesota, and Fort Wadsworth, Dakota Territory, for cough and bronchitis. Discharged from the service for disability 18 Jul 1865. Post war: Became Sheriff of Freeborn County. Died in Forest City, Iowa. Sources: (MINN p719) (MCIW p556) (FCHS - Albert Lea GAR)

LARSEN, William
From Kristiania (Oslo), Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p305)

LEE, Jacob J.
WI 15th Inf Co E. Residence: Perry, Dane County, Wisconsin. Came to America from Porsgrund, Norway. Civil War: Age 35. Unmarried. Enlisted 26 Nov 1861. Mustered 8 Dec 1861 at Madison, Wisconsin. Private. Seriously wounded and taken prisoner at Stone's River near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on 31 Dec 1862. Paroled in 1863 at Annapolis, Maryland; moved to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, as a prisoner on parole. Restored to duty. Left sick at Chattanooga, Tennessee, 28 Nov 1863. Later, sick at Nashville. Transferred to the Invalid Corps on 22 Apr 1864. Post war: Married 1 Jun 1865 at Perry Church to Margit Thorofsdatter, who had been born at Helleslia farm in Treungen, Telemark, in 1836, to Torav Olavsen Arak and Ase Svendsdatter. They moved to Winnebago County, Iowa, in 1866, where six children were born to them. In 1886, they were listed as living in Fertile, Iowa. Jacob died in 1898. He and Margit are buried in Grant township cemetery, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 76-7; red book vol 20 p76) (TAR) (Buslett p487) (Ulvestad p306) (Ager p304) (Quiner p 621) (Meeker) (XSS Iowa p705) (Ruth Holtan, Forest City, Iowa)

LUND, Knut
Residence: Winnebago County, Iowa. From Voss, Norway. Civil War: Private. Killed in the war. Sources: (Ulvestad p308)

MOE, John A.
MN 12th Inf Co I. Residence: Albert Lea, Minnesota. Spanish-American War: Age 23. Enrolled 29 Apr 1898 at Albert Lea. Mustered 6 May at Camp Ramsey. Private. Mustered out 5 Nov 1898 at New Ulm, Minnesota. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (MSAW p182) (Ulvestad p310)

MOEN, L.
From Sogn, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Died at Winnebago County, Iowa, (before 1907). Sources: (Ulvestad p310)

NELSON, Ole F.
Spanish-American War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p313)

NELSON, Oliver
From Holden, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p313) “Vibeto, Oliver”

OLSON, Engel
WI 32nd Inf Co E. Residence: Ettrick, Trempeauleau County, Wisconsin. Born “Engel Olsen Bjotvedt” on 11 Dec 1838 in Norway, a son of Ole and Herbjorg. Came to the US in 1860. Married in 1860 to Ingeborg Olsen, three children (prior to war service). Civil War: Age 26. Farmer. Married. Blue eyes, light hair, fair complexion, 5’6½”. Drafted. Enrolled for one year on 21 Sep 1864 at Ettrick, and mustered at La Crosse, Wisconsin, the same day. Private. “On all campaigns with Company since joining.” Post war: Returned to Wisconsin. Later moved to Jackson, Minnesota, and then to Rake, Iowa, where he bought land. Died 19 Sep 1934. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 148-13; red book vol 37) (Leonard Amundson, St. Ansgar, Iowa) “Oleson, Angel”

OLSON, Ole Brasve
WI 2nd Cav Co F. Residence: Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Born 11 Apr 1847 in Norway. Civil War: Age 16/17. Private. Post war: Married Gunhild Anderson, the daughter of Anders Halstensen, who served in this company. Five children. Moved to Lake Mills, Iowa, and bought a farm. Died 11 Sep 1894. Sources: (Letter from Robert Singlestad, Minnesota, who says neither the National Archives nor the State Historical Society of Wisconsin has been able to find any record for this soldier.)

OLSON, Villand Amund
WI 30th Inf Co D. Residence: Martell, Pierce County, Wisconsin. Born in Norway. Civil War: Clergyman. Age 30. Unmarried. Blue eyes, light hair, light complexion, 5’8”. Enlisted 21 Aug 1862 at Martell. Mustered 21 Oct 1862 at Madison, Wisconsin. Private. Mustered out with his regiment at Louisville, Kentucky, 20 Sep 1865. Post war: In 1896, he was serving a church in Forest City, Winnebago County, Iowa. Sources: (Larsen p57)

PEDERSEN, Hans
Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p321)

PETERSON, Henry
WI 11th Inf Co K. Residence: Winchester, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Born 28 Jan 1849 in Tuddal, Telemark, Norway, a son of Sven Peterson. Civil War: Farmer. Unmarried. Age 18 (He was actually 15, and may have been the youngest infantry rifleman in the war.) Blue eyes, light hair, fair complexion, 5’11”. Enlisted for three years on 22 Feb 1864 at Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mustered there the same day. Bounty $300. Volunteer recruit. Private. Took part with the WI 23rd Inf in General Banks’ Red River campaign in 1864. Took part in the siege and capture of Fort Blakely, Alabama, 9 Apr 1865. Suffered dysentery and chronic diarrhea April through June 1865. Discharged 4 Sep 1865. Post war: On 2 Jan 1869 he married Anne Twito (1849-1943). Lived in Minnesota for ten years, then in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado and eventually in Lake Mills, Winnebago County, Iowa. Granted pension, which eventually reached $50 per month. Died 16 Nov 1925 in Lake Mills. Buried at North Lutheran Cemetery, Lake Mills. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 52-13; red book vol 16 p204) (Discharge certificate, death certificate, pension drop certificate, and newspaper article all furnished by Hamlet A. Peterson, Rochester, Minnesota)

PETERSON, Nelson
IA 2/3 Con Inf Co C. Residence: Winnebago County, Iowa. Born in Norway. Civil War: Age 29. Enlisted 28 Sep 1864. Mustered 28 Sep 1864. Private. Mustered out 1 Jun 1865, Washington DC. Sources: (ISW-I p499)

ROGMYR, Hans Pedersen
From Vestlandet, Norway. Civil War: Private. Post war: Lived in Winnebago County, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p326)

STEEN, Martin T.
IA 38th Inf Co E. Residence: Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa. Born near Oslo, Norway, on 13 Feb 1834. One of the sons of Throne [1802-1865] and Ingeborg (Terptad) [1804-1888] Steen of Glenwood Township, east of Decorah, Iowa. Civil War: Age 28. Enlisted for three years on 14 Aug 1862. Mustered 4 Nov 1862 at Dubuque, Iowa. Private. Fought in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in July 1863. Took part in the assault on Fort Morgan in 1864. Promoted Sergeant 1 Jul 1864. Transferred to Iowa 34th & 38th Infantry Consolidated, Company K, on 1 Jan 1865. He also was in the battles of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and Fort Blakeley, Alabama. Wounded at Fort Blakeley. Took part in the capture of Mobile, Alabama, in Apr 1865. Mustered out 15 Aug 1865, at Houston, Texas. Post war: He went to Buena Vista County, Iowa. Married Martha Marie Blilie, daughter of Peder and Marie Blilie, on 19 Jun 1871 at Buena Vista. Ten children. In 1875, he moved to Lake Mills, Iowa. Farmed until retiring in 1907. Died 16 Jan 1918 in Frankville Township near Decorah, Iowa, of a stroke suffered four days earlier. Buried at Pontoppidan Lutheran Cemetery, Glenwood Township, near Decorah. Sources: (ISW-V p486,920) (“Steen Family History” by Orlando C. Scholl, publ. 1964) (Ulvestad p261) (DGA obituary) “Stein, Martin”

THOMPSON, Thomas C.
WI 15th Inf Co E. Residence: Preston, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Enlistment credited to La Crosse, Wisconsin. Civil War: Age 29. Unmarried. Enlisted for three years on 25 Nov 1861 at La Crosse. Mustered 20 Dec 1861 at Madison, Wisconsin. Sergeant. Left sick in Nashville, Tennessee, on 26 Nov 1862, and on 26 Dec 1862. Became unfit for service. Discharged from the service for disability at Nashville, Tennessee, 23 Mar 1863, by order of Major General Rosecrans. In 1886, he was living in Lake Mills, Iowa. Died there 1892. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 76-7; red book vol 20 p70) (TAR) (Buslett p494 photo) (Ager p257 photo; p306) (XSS Iowa p705) “Thompson, Thor C.”

THOMPSON, Tonnis
Residence: Lake Mills, Iowa. From Stavanger, Norway. Civil War: Sergeant. Sources: (Ulvestad p261)

TOBIASSEN, T. J.
Indian War: Private. Lived at Lake Mills, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p336)

VEIUM, Hans Thompson
From Telemarken, Norway. Civil War: Private. Lived in Winnebago County, Iowa. Sources: (Ulvestad p339)

 

- this information was extracted from Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum’s website by S. Ferrall for Winnebago County IAGenWeb, with the generous permission of Tova Brandt, Curator, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.

- a listing of the sources used by Vesterheim

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