Born November 28, 1835, Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Kingdom of Norway
Parents were
Halvor Pederson Hande (1___-18__) and Barbro Nilsdatter Hoyne (1___-18__)
Immigrated to America,
18__, on sailing ship ________
Never married
Died November 26, 1914, Moe Township,
Douglas County, State of Minnesota
Buried at
__________________________________________________________________
Nils Halvorson Hande was enlisted under the name Niels Halvorsen in Company F of the 15th Wisconsin by Captain Charles Gustafson on October 23, 1861. He joined up at the Town of Manitowoc, Manitowoc County, State of Wisconsin, for a 3 year term of service. The men of Company F called themselves "K.K.'s Protectors" in honor of the 15th's first Lieutenant Colonel, Kiler K. Jones. They were also known as the "Valdres Company" because a large number of them, including Niels, were from that area in Norway.
Niels was mustered into Federal service at the rank of Private on December 12, 1861, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin. At the time he was 26 years old and not married. He was recorded as having blue eyes, light colored hair and complexion, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, and by occupation a Farmer. His residence was listed as the Town of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
On January 14, 1862, the men of Company F were issued Belgian rifle muskets. On March 2, 1862, after nearly 3 months at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Private Halvorsen left there with his company and regiment to join the war. From then till November, 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 for the surprise raid on Union City, Tennessee, in March and April, 1862. That summer Private Halvorsen would have been with the 15th on the campaign though Tennessee and the States of Mississippi and Alabama.
In August and September, 1862, Private Halvorsen 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. Private Halvorsen would also 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 did not suffer any fatalities there.
Starting November 26, 1862, Private Halvorsen was listed by the 15th as being absent on detached duty with the "Pioneer Corps." This was the Army's field engineering organization. They constructed roads, bridges, and fortifications. It was generally hard, strenuous work, which was sometimes conducted under enemy fire.
Private Halvorsen did not rejoined the 15th until until July, 1864, some 20 months later. This was about half way through U.S. Major General William T. Sherman's famous campaign to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia. After Private Halvorsen rejoined the 15th it fought 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 at the beginning of October, 1864. This was followed by several months of guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, near Chattanooga. A number of the 15th's soldiers felt that this was the easiest duty of their war service.
Private Halvorsen was mustered out of Federal service along with most of the other surviving members of Company F on January 13, 1865, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, upon the expiration of their 3 year terms of service. At muster out the Army noted that he was due $100 in bounty money. The men of Company F were then paid off, sent back to Wisconsin, and released to their homes.
At some point after returning from the Army, Niels moved to Douglas County, Minnesota, where he was recorded as living in Moe Township in 1890, and where he passed away some 24 years later just 2 days before his 79th birthday.
Sources: Genealogical data provided by D'Arcy Hande; Schedule of Veterans U.S. Census (Washington, DC, 1890); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); and, Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885).
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