Company D Roster
Battle of Chickamauga

15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
The Scandinavian Regiment

The Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19-20, 1863, was the second bloodiest battle of the American Civil War (1861-1865).  It was also a huge Federal defeat.  According to official records, the 15th Wisconsin took 176 officers and enlisted men into the battle and suffered 111 killed, wounded, or missing (presumed to be prisoners) -- a staggering 63% casualty rate!

Considerable efforts have been made to confirm, to the extent that records permit, where each 15th soldier was, and what happened to him, at Chickamauga.  This was one of the efforts made to provide a detailed historical background for the Civil War reenactors who portrayed the Scandinavian Regiment at the Chickamauga reenactment, which took place September 17-19, 1999, in northern Georgia near the site of the original fighting.  It is hoped that this information will also prove of value to descendants of 15th soldiers. 

This file contains what is believed to be a nearly complete list of all the soldiers who were still members of Company D as the time of Chickamauga. The men of Company D called themselves the "Norway Wolf Hunters." but they were also known as the "Waupun Company" because many of them were from that Wisconsin town.  Even before the battle Company D was much reduced from its muster-in strength of early 1862.  This was primarily due to deaths and discharges from the Army as a result of battles and disease, but also from a lack of recruits (replacements).  After 2 hellish days at Chickamauga it was reduced by approximately half.  

The table below contains the names and fates of soldiers who are either known or believed to have been with Company D during the fighting.  After the table is a list of the soldiers who are either known or believed to have been away from the company during the battle.  Clicking on a soldier's name that is underlined and in color will bring up a detailed profile of him, some with photographs.  To see a list of definitions for the abbreviations and terms used, click HERE.

Based on a careful review of the sources cited below, it seems virtually certain that Company D went into the Battle of Chickamauga with 2 of its 3 Commissioned Officers, 9 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO's), and at least 15 Privates.  A review of the same sources suggests that 1 other Private was also in the company's ranks at the start of the battle (he is noted with a question mark after his name).  Further review of the sources may yield evidence on his whereabouts, and may well result in other changes to the information below.

Sources: Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 by Office of Adjutant General State of Wisconsin, (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885); Return of Company "D" of 15th Wis. Vol. for Month of August '63 by Capt. A. Gasman (Sand Mountain, Ala., Aug. 31, '63); Return of Company "D" of 15th Wis. Vol. for Month of September '63 (Chattanooga, Tenn., Sept. 30, '63); Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing in Action in the 15th Regt. Wis. Vol. Inf. at Chickamauga, Ga. on the 19th & 20th of September 1863; Report of Missing From the 15th Regt. Wisconsin Vols. (Chattanooga, Tennessee, October 16, 1863); and RETURN of the 15th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, Army of the United States, for the month of September 1863 by Adjutant Lewis G. Nelson (Chattanooga, Tennessee, October 12, 1863).

The following members of "D" are either known or believed not to have been in its ranks during the battle.

Captain Albert Skofstad absent on duty as 3rd Brigade Inspector from May 2, '63, till Oct. 22, '63. Survived battle, apparently unhurt. On leave starting Sept. 21, '63, to escort Colonel Heg's body back to Wisconsin for burial. Res. Mar. 2, '64.
1st Lieutenant Lewis G. Nelson serving as 15th's Regimental Adjutant. Wounded Sept. 19th near Viniard's Farm. Wounded severely Sept. 20th during Longstreet's Breakthrough. Survived wounds. M.O. Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Sergeant Iver A. Brandt absent at Camp Denison, Oh., recovering from being wounded at Stone River, Tenn., December 30 or 31, '62. M.O. with "D" Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Daniel Andersen absent sick since Jun. 23, '63, Murfreesboro, Tenn. M.O. Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Andrew J. Dutton absent sick since Aug. 8, '63, Nashville, Tenn. Died Apr. 19, '64, Nashville.
Private Hans Halvorsen on duty as 15th Regimental Teamster. Survived battle, apparently unhurt. Captured May 27, '64, Pickett's Mill, Ga., and held at Andersonville Prison. M.O. Mar. 25, '65, term exp.
Private Isaac Isaacson absent sick since Dec. 26, '62, in a convalescent camp, Nashville, Tenn.. Trans. Feb. 15, '64, to V.R.C.
Private Knud Kittilsen absent recovering from wounds received at Stone River, Tenn. Trans. Oct. 14, '63, to V.R.C. .
Private Andrew Mikkelsen absent since June 19, '63, on duty with 3rd Brigade Provost Guard . Survived battle, apparently unhurt. M.O. Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Halvor Museus on duty as Nurse in 15th's Regimental Hospital. Survived battle, apparently unhurt. M.O. Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Knud Olsen absent since May 26, '62, in Pioneer Corps. Died Feb. 1, '64, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Private Thomas Olsen absent since May 26, '62, in Pioneer Corps. M.O. with "D" Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Torger Petersen absent sick since July 2, '63, Murfreesboro, Tenn. M.O. with "D" Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private Svend Torgerson on duty as Orderly at 15th Regimental Head Quarters. Survived battle, apparently unhurt. M.O. Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.
Private John Warp absent since July 2, '63, as a Paroled Prisoner of War awaiting exchange at St. Louis, Mo. M.O. with "D" Feb. 13, '65, Chattanooga, Tenn., term exp.

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created January 24, 1999. Last updated August 22, 2001.

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