Albert Emmonson (Emmonsen) Brevet Captain in Company C 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry The Scandinavian Regiment

Photo believed taken January, 1862, City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin
Shows him as a Private; pistol and knife were probably photographer's props 
Image WHi (X3) 30057, State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Picture shown above has been electronically enhanced by Deep Vee Productions
To view the original, un-retouched image, click HERE

Born circa 1843, at __________________________________________________________
Parents were ____________________ (1___-18__) and ____________________ (1___-18__)
Immigrated to America, 18__
Married ? on ________, 18__, to _________________ (18__-1___) at __________________
Died on ___________, 1___, of _________________ at _____________________________
Buried at __________________________________________________________________

Albert Emmonson was enlisted by Captain Frederick R. Berg into Company C of the 15th Wisconsin on October 11, 1861 at the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, State of Wisconsin.  Company C was the regimental Color Company, but its members called themselves the "Norway Bear Hunters." 

Albert was mustered into the Federal Army at the rank of Corporal for a 3 year term of service on December 2, 1861, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.  At the time the Army listed him as being an 18 year old unmarried resident of Norway Township, Racine County, Wisconsin.   A possible relative, Thomas Emmonson, age 21 and single, also joined the same Company C from Norway Township.

On January 14, 1862, the men of the 15th were issued Belgian rifle muskets.  After about 3 months at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Corporal Emmonson left there on March 2, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war.  From then until December, 1864, 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.  

Starting June 11, 1862, Corporal Emmonson would have left Island No. 10 with his company to go on campaign with the 15th through Tennessee and the States of Mississippi and Alabama.  In August and September he would have participated in the grueling 400 mile retreat led by U.S. Major General Don Carlos Buell up to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky, with the last 2 weeks being on half rations and short of water. 

Corporal Emmonson would also have been present at the October 8, 1862, fighting at the Town of Perryville, Boyle County, Kentucky, which was also called the Battle of Chaplin Hills.  While this was the 15th's first big battle, it emerged without any fatalities.  

On December 26, 1862, Corporal Emmonson would have participated 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. Corporal Emmonson would have also fought at 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.

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.  Starting June 23, 1863, the regiment took part in U.S. Major General William S. Rosecrans' Tullahoma campaign.  On July 3, 1863, the 15th went into camp at the Town of Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, for 6 weeks. 

On August 17, 1863, the 15th left Winchester to participate in General Rosecran's Chickamauga campaign.  Corporal Emmonson is believed to have been present at the daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led.  He was present at the September 19-20, 1863, fighting at Chickamauga, Georgia -- the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War.  He survived the vicious fighting around Viniard's Farm on the first afternoon, as well as the near capture of the regiment around midday on the 20th during Longstreet's Breakthrough.  Some 63% of the 15th's soldiers who were at Chickamauga were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.  Ager's 1916 history of the 15th tells this about what happened to Company C on the first afternoon of the battle.

Corporal Emmonson then served with the regiment during the Confederate siege of the Town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which began right after the battle. The siege resulted in severe shortages of medicine, food, and firewood which, together with cold, wet weather, caused much suffering, sickness, and death.  Starting October 13, 1863, Corporal Emmonson was absent serving as a guard with a wagon train to the Union supply base at the Town of Stevenson, State of Alabama.  By all accounts the trip out and back was dangerous and physically challenging trip, being made over terrible mountain roads in bad weather and attacks by Confederate Cavalry.  Corporal Emmonson was once again with the 15th in early November, 1863.  The siege was finally broken by the Union Army's victorious charge up nearby Mission Ridge on November 25, 1863, which the 15th took part in.

Starting right after Mission Ridge the 15th was engaged in almost non-stop marching and counter-marching all over Eastern Tennessee throughout the Winter of 1863/1864.  By many original accounts, this was the worst period of the regiment's 3 year term of service.  Poor rations, inadequate clothing and shelter, and unseasonably cold weather made these months nearly unbearable.  From March, 1864, through August, 1864, Corporal Emmonson served as the 15th's acting Hospital Steward. 

Starting in May, 1864, the 15th participated in the famous campaign led by U.S. Major General William T. Sherman to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia.  This campaign was marked by almost daily marching and/or combat for 4 months.  The 15th took part in the fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, in early May, at the bloody Battle of Resaca, Georgia, on May 14-15, and at the disastrous Battle of Pickett's Mill (often called Dallas or New Hope Church), Georgia, on May 27, 1864.  There the 15th suffered fearful casualties, including 25 men who were captured (most ended up in the dreaded Andersonville Prison Camp, many permanently).  During the campaign the 15th also fought, at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on June 23, before Atlanta, Georgia, on July 22, at Jonesboro, Georgia, on September 1, and at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, on September 4, 1864.  

After a rest following the capture of Atlanta in early September, the 15th was briefly assigned to Provost (police) duty in Chattanooga at the beginning of October, 1864.  This was followed by several months of guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, just outside of Chattanooga.  Some of the 15th's soldiers felt was the easiest duty of their entire war service.  On November 7, 1864, Corporal Emmonson was promoted to Sergeant.

Sergeant Emmonson was mustered out of Federal service along with most of the other surviving members of his company on December 20, 1864, at Chattanooga, upon the end of his 3 year term of service.  At muster out the Army noted that he was due $100 in bounty money.  The men of Company C were then sent to Madison, Wisconsin, paid off, and the company disbanded.

After the war Albert Emmonson was formally recognized for his actions at Chickamauga.  On August 20, 1867, Wisconsin Governor Lucius Fairchild, himself a distinguished Civil War veteran, honored Albert with a promotion to Brevet Captain effective from September 20, 1863.  The award citation read:

Sources: Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Oberst Heg og hans gutter [Colonel Heg and His Boys] by Waldemar Ager (Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1916);Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); Register of Commissions by Brevet 1864-1870 (Madison, Wisconsin); 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, 1885).

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker, Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created March 24, 1999. Last updated December 28, 2001.

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