Andrew Mikkelsen (Michelson) Andreas Mikkelson Andrew Mickelson Private in Company D 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry The Scandinavian Regiment

Rare painted tintype photo believed taken circa January, 1862, at Madison, Wisconsin
Image courtesy of his Great Grandsons Dennis Gronfor and Gary Gronfor
Picture shown above has been enhanced electronically by Deep Vee Productions
To view a larger, un-retouched version of the complete image, click HERE

Born May 7, 1835, in Heskestad, Rogaland, Kingdom of Norway
Parents were Mikkel Anderson (1795-1859) and Gunhild Marie Tonnesdtr-Moen (1811-1882)
Immigrated in 1857 to America with his parents and several siblings
Married December 22, 1868, to Anna Olson (Olsdtr) (1847-1906) at Goodhue County, State of Minnesota
Died August 15, 1904, Town of Frost, Faribault County, Minnesota 
Buried at Shelton (now South Blue Earth) Lutheran Church, Frost, Minnesota 

Andreas Mikkelson was enlisted as Andrew Mikkelsen in Company D of the 15th Wisconsin by Captain Charles Campbell at the Town of Portage, Columbia County, State of Wisconsin, on November 28, 1861, for a 3 year term of service.  The men of Company D called themselves the "Norway Wolf Hunters," but were also called the "Waupun Company" because so many of them were from the Town of Waupun in Dodge County, Wisconsin.  

Andrew was mustered into Federal service at the rank of "Private" on December 8, 1861, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.  At the time he was listed as being 25 years old and not married.  His residence was recorded as being the Town of Lewiston, Columbia County, Wisconsin.  The Army (as opposed to the State of Wisconsin) spelled his last name as Michelson.

On January 14, 1862, the men of the 15th Wisconsin were issued Belgian rifled muskets.  On February 12, 1862, Private Mikkelsen was appointed as the Wagoner (wagon driver) of Company D.  After 3 months at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Wagoner Mikkelsen left there on March 2, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war.  From then until December, 1862, 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.  On April 7, 1862, the Confederate forces on Island No. 10 surrendered and the 15th spend the next 2 months there on guard duty.

Starting June 11, 1862, Wagoner Mikkelsen would have left Island No. 10 with 8 of the 15th's 10 companies to take part in a summer 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 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.  Wagoner Mikkelsen would then have been present at the October 8, 1862, fighting at the Town of Perryville, Boyle County, Kentucky, which is 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, the 15th noted that Wagoner Mikkelsen was "left with the baggage train at Nashville" Tennessee.  While he was with the baggage wagon train, the 15th made a 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.   The 15th then 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 regiment first suffered serious battle casualties, and was cited for bravery.

Wagoner Mikkelsen returned to the 15th sometime in January or February, 1863, and was recorded as being "present" with the regiment until June, 1863.  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, Williamson County, Tennessee.  On June 20, 1863, Mikkelson was place on "detached service" as a "provost guard" (military policeman), at the rank of Private, by order of his brigade commander, Colonel Hans C. Heg.  Starting June 23, 1863, the regiment took part in the Tullahoma campaign led by U.S. Major General William S. Rosecrans.  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 as part of Colonel Heg's Brigade to participate in General Rosecran's Chickamauga campaign.  Private Mikkelsen was still listed by the 15th as being on "Detached service" as of August 31, 1863.  It is not known what part he may have played in the brigade's daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led.  It is also not know what role he played at the September 19-20, 1863, fighting at Chickamauga, Georgia -- the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War.  What is known is that he survived the fighting apparently unhurt.  Some 63% of the 15th's soldiers who were at Chickamauga were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. 

In all likelihood, Private Mikkelsen would have served with the regiment during at least the latter part of the Confederate siege of near-by Chattanooga, Tennessee, which began right after the Battle of Chickamauga.  The siege resulted in severe shortages of medicine, food, and firewood which, together with cold, wet weather, caused much suffering, sickness, and death.  The Confederate siege was finally broken by the Union Army's victorious charge up Mission Ridge on November 25, 1863, which the 15th took part in.  Three days later Private Mikkelsen was listed by the 15th as "Left sick in Chattanooga..."  

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.  Private Mikkelsen experienced at least some part of this because he returned to the regiment sometime in January or February, 1864, and was then listed as "present" until February, 1865.

Starting in May, 1864, Private Mikkelsen and the 15th participated in the famous campaign to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia, led by U.S. Major General William T. Sherman.  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) on May 27, 1864.  There the 15th suffered 50% casualties, including 29 soldiers captured (many of whom later died in the infamous Andersonville Prison Camp).  

The 15th also fought at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on June 23, before Atlanta 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, 1864, the 15th was briefly assigned to Provost (police) duty in Chattanooga in early October.  This was followed by several months spent guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, near Chattanooga.  Some of the 15th's soldiers felt their time there was the easiest duty of their entire war service.  

Private Mikkelson was mustered out of Federal service along with most of the other surviving members of Company D on February 13, 1865, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, upon the end of their 3 year terms of service.  His official discharge certificate was signed by the 15th's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson and by Company D's commander, Captain Lewis G. Nelson.  The certificate noted that "Andrew Michelson" was born in "Norway" and stood "5 feet 4 1/2 inches high," and had a "Light complexion, Brown eyes, [and] Dark hair".  At muster out the Army recorded that Andrew had drawn $74.67 worth of clothing since June 30, 1863, and was due $100 in bounty money for his original enlistment.  

After being mustered out, the men of Company D were sent back to Wisconsin, paid off, and released to their homes.  Andrew returned to his family in Lewiston, Wisconsin.  Shortly thereafter he and his family moved to Goodhue County, Minnesota for several years.  There he married and then moved to Faribault County, Minnesota, settling on a farm near what later became the Town of Frost.  Andrew and his wife had 7 children: Gunhild Marie, born May 17, 1869; Martha Olava, born January 20, 1872; Kristina (Christina), born January 31, 1874; Emma, born May 20, 1876; Jonas (John) Michael, born August 10, 1879; Lizabeth (Lizzie), born November 3, 1881; and Antonette (Nettie), born September 11, 1888.  At one point Andrew and his family moved to the Town of Rake, Winnebago County, State of Iowa, where they ran a restaurant for a year before returning to their farm near Frost.

In 1890 Andrew applied for an invalid's pension based on his being "Partially unable to earn support by reason of...Chronic Diarhoea, Rehuamatic affections."  At the time of his death 14 years later at age 69 he was recorded as receiving a pension of $6 a month.  The following is from Andrew Mikkelson's obituary in the Rake, Iowa, newspaper.

Sources: Genealogical data from Andrew Mikkelson's Great Grandsons Dennis Gronfor and Gary Gronfor, and from Arden Rau Torkelson, the wife of Andrew Mikkelson's Great Grandson Andre Garman Torkelson; Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Civil War Compiled Veteran Pension Records, by Pension Office, Dept. of the Interior (Washington, DC); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); and, Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Volume I Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1886).

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created June 10, 2001. Last updated April 12, 2002.

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