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John (Johannes) M. JohnsonCaptain of Company A
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Believed to have been taken circa 1861/1862
Photo Collection PH2361,
State Historical Society
of Wisconsin
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Born on ___________ in Bergen, Kingdom of
Norway
Parents were Johannes Johannesen (1___-18__) and __________________ (1___-18__)
Immigrated
to America, 1855
Married on _____________ to _______________ (18__-1___0 at __________________
Killed in action September 19, 1863, Chickamauga, State of Georgia
Believed
buried in an unmarked grave on the Chickamauga battlefield
At the recommendation of Colonel (Oberst) Hans C. Heg, the 15th's commander, John M. Johnson was commissioned by the Governor of Wisconsin as the 2nd Lieutenant (third in command) of Company E, with rank from December 9, 1861. The men of Company E called themselves "Odin's Rifles." 2nd Lieutenant Johnson was mustered into the Federal Army at that rank on December 20, 1861, at Camp Randall near the City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin. At the time he was married and either 29 or 35 years old. His residence was listed as Madison, Wisconsin, where he had been working as a foreman in B. W. Suckow's Book Bindery. He had previously lived in the City of Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois. The other officers of Company E included its commander, Captain John Ingmundsen and its second-in-command, 1st Lieutenant Iver W. Tjentland.
After nearly 3 months at Camp Randall learning to be an officer, Lieutenant Johnson left there in early March, 1862, with Company E and the regiment to join the war. From then until September, 1863, he was listed as "Present" with the 15th. As such he would have participated in the successful siege of Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River in the State of Tennessee, and the surprise raid on Union City, Tennessee, in March and April, 1862. That summer he would have been with the 15th on campaign through Tennessee and the States of Mississippi and Alabama. In August and September he would have participated in the grueling 400 mile retreat with General Buell up to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky, with the last 2 weeks being on half rations and short of water.
On September 2, 1862, 1st Lieutenant Tjentland resigned his commission and left the Army, leaving Company E with only 2 officers. Lieutenant Johnson would have been present at the October 8, 1862, Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, which is also called the Battle of Chaplin Hills. While this was the 15th's first big battle, it emerged without any fatalities.
At the recommendation of Colonel Heg, the Governor of Wisconsin commissioned Lieutenant Johnson as the new Captain (Kaptein) of Company A on November 8, 1862, to rank from October 20, 1862. He replaced Captain Andrew Torkildson, who resigned his commission on October 19, 1862. The men of Company A called themselves the "St. Olaf's Rifles." They were also known as the "Sailor Company" because of the large number of seamen in its ranks, and as the "Chicago Company" because so many of its members were residents of that city. At the time the only other officer in Company A was 2nd Lieutenant Oliver Thompson.
On December 26, 1862, Captain Johnson led Company A in the 15th's desperate charge upon a Confederate artillery battery at Knob Gap, Tennessee, just south of the City of Nashville. There the 15th captured a brass cannon. He also led the company during the long, cold, wet, and bloody Battle of Stone River, Tennessee, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, on December 30-31, 1862. It is there that the 15th first suffered serious battle casualties, and was cited for bravery. In his after action report Colonel Heg wrote that Captain Johnson in particular "deserved to be remembered" for his actions during the battle. The following is from Buslett's 1895 history of the 15th Wisconsin.
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"After the battle General Rosecrans issued an order to the various regiments' commanders to submit to headquarters a list of one sergeant, two corporals and four or five privates in each company (altogether no more than six from each company), who had shown the greatest courage and ability during the battle. These would be entered on the Roll of Honor." |
Captain Johnson's was subsequently entered on the Roll of Honor for the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps for his actions in the battle.
The 15th camped in the Murfreesboro area for the next 6 months, except for 2 weeks in February when it was sent to the Town of Franklin, Tennessee. On May 7, 1863, at the Town of Murfreesboro, State of Tennessee, Captain Johnson was finally mustered into the Federal Army at the rank of Captain, with his rank to date from November 10, 1862. Starting June 23, 1863, the regiment took part in General Rosecrans' Tullahoma campaign. On July 3, 1863, it camped at the Town of Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee.
On August 17, 1863, the 15th left Winchester to participate in General Rosecran's Chickamauga campaign. Captain Johnson is believed to have been present at the daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led. On September 19, 1863, Captain Johnson led Company A into the fighting at Chickamauga, Georgia -- the second bloodiest battle of the war. Some 63% of the 15th's soldiers who were at Chickamauga were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Early on the afternoon of the 19th, Captain Johnson was killed in action amidst the fierce fighting near Viniard's Farm. He was said to have been "hit with a bullet through the heart." His body fell into the hands of the Confederate Army, which controlled the battlefield for several months afterwards. After his death, command of Company A fell to Lieutenant Thompson. He was killed in action the next morning, leaving the company in command of 1st Sergeant Arnoldus Schlambusch.
In the 15th's after action report on the battle, Captain Johnson was cited as an officer "....who showed more than ordinary courage and bravery during the battle." Buslett's 1895 history of the 15th Wisconsin says this about him.
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"He was a conscientious and beloved officer who was concerned for his subordinates' well-being and, when he received an order from a superior, he did not stop to consider it but executed it immediately. There was great sorrow when word came of his death; a friend and a brave soldier had fallen." |
Sources: Report to the Governor on the 15th Wisconsin at the Battle of Stone River by Colonel Hans C. Heg (Murfreesboro, TN, January 9, 1863); The Battle of Chickamauga by Captain Mons Grinager (Chattanooga, TN, September 29, 1863); Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 by the Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885); and Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Volume 1 by the Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1886).
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All Rights Reserved. Created February 11, 1999. Last updated July 22, 2001.