Born circa 1839, at __________________________________________
Parents
were _______________ (1___-18__) and ________________ (1___-18__)
Immigrated to America, 18__
Married
? on _________, 18__, to _________________ at ___________________
Died on
_________, 1___, of
________________ at ________________________
Buried at
________________________________________________
Christian Olson enlisted in Company I of the 15th Wisconsin on December 9, 1861, at the Town of Scandinavia, Waupaca County, State of Wisconsin, for a 3 year term of service. The men of Company I called themselves the "Scandinavian Mountaineers." They were also known as the "Waupaca Company" because some of them were residents of that Wisconsin county.
Christian was mustered into Federal service at the rank of 2nd Sergeant of Company I on December 20, 1861, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin. At the time he was listed by the Army as being 22 years old, not married, and residing in the Town of Mount Morris, Waushara County, Wisconsin.
On January 14, 1862, the men of the 15th Wisconsin were issued Belgian rifled muskets. After several months at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Sergeant Olson left there on March 2, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war. Starting March 14, 1862, he was listed as "Absent left sick at Bird's Point" on the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri. From shortly thereafter until September, 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.
Starting June 11, 1862, Sergeant Olson was detached from Company I "on daily duty in charge of a working party building batteries" [artillery emplacements] at Island No. 10. That same day 8 companies of the regiment departed the Island No. 10 area under the command of Colonel Hans C. Heg. Companies I and G remained behind on extended guard duty. These 2 companies would not rejoin the other 8 companies for some 15 months. During that time the 8 companies participated in several campaigns, as well as the battles at Perryville (Chaplin Hills) in the State of Kentucky, at Stone River (Murfreesboro), Tennessee, and at Chickamauga, in the State of Georgia.
Initially Companies I and G were camped across the Mississippi River from Island No. 10 on the Tennessee side at what was called New Madrid Bend. There they were engaged in capturing Confederate soldiers who had escaped when the island was captured, and hunting down, sometimes on horseback, local groups of rebel guerrillas who were resisting the Union occupation. The area around Island No. 10 was considered to be unhealthy and many of the 15th soldiers there became ill, with several dying of disease. For a period during September and October, 1862, Sergeant Olson was listed as "Absent sick in Hospital." In early October, 1862, the 15th's camp, which consisted of 150 men, was attacked just before dawn by about 300 Confederate Cavalry. The attack was badly managed and quickly repulsed with virtually no loss, but afterwards the Union camp was moved over to Island No. 10. There the 15th soldiers were safe from attack behind the Confederate-built fortifications with their 80 cannons.
From November, 1862, through August, 1863, Sergeant Olson was listed as "Present" at Island No. 10. In November, 1862, Sergeant Olson was commissioned by the Governor of Wisconsin to be the 2nd Lieutenant of Company I. The commission was dated November 17, 1862, with his rank to be effective November 3, 1862. He filled the vacancy created when Lieutenant Martin Russell resigned on that date.
In December, 1862, a curious incident threatened their safety and caused the 15th's soldiers to repeatedly refuse orders. Union General Thomas E. Davis sent an order to Island No. 10 ordering the soldiers there to spike the cannons and throw their ammunition into the Mississippi River to keep it from being captured by the Confederates. In reality there were no Confederate troops anywhere nearby and the 15th soldiers were safe from attack on the island, so they repeatedly refused to obey the orders. Finally the General sent an officer to the island who forced the men to obey. On the sly the 15th soldiers managed to save a great deal of the ammunition and to 'destroy' the cannons in such a way that they could still be repaired, though for 3 days afterward the island was almost completely defenseless. After the officer departed, the 15th soldiers fired on a passing Union steamboat, forcing it to stop. They explained the situation to an officer on board, who carried the news down river to Union General U. S. Grant down near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Once General Grant heard of these strange orders he immediately relieved General Davies of command and life returned to normal at the island.
From May 30th through August, 1863, Lieutenant Olson was the "acting Post Adjutant" for the Union troops at Island No. 10. A drawing of the 15th's camp on the island can be viewed by clicking HERE [use the Back button on your browser to return to this page].
On August 19, 1863, Companies G and I exchanged their old Belgian weapons for new British Enfield .58 caliber rifled muskets. On September 2, 1863, the 2 companies were ordered to rejoin the rest of the 15th. After a 3 week trip by steamboat, railroad train, and on foot they were reunited with the remnants of the regiment at the Town of Chattanooga in the State of Tennessee, on the day after the September 19-20, 1863, fighting at Chickamauga, Georgia -- the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Some 63% of the 15th's soldiers who were at Chickamauga were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.
Lieutenant Olson then served with the regiment during the Confederate siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which began right after the battle. The siege caused severe shortages of food, medicine, and firewood which, together with cold, wet weather, caused much sickness, suffering, and death. Starting September 25, 1863, Lieutenant Olson was "Absent on duty in Command of guard with supply [wagon] train." Starting October 13, 1863, Lieutenant Olson was again absent, this time with the Army supply wagon train from Chattanooga, over the mountains to the Federal depot at the Town of Stevenson, Alabama. This was by all accounts a physically challenging and dangerous trip.
Lieutenant Olson returned to the 15th at Chattanooga in early November, 1863, and was then "Present" with the regiment until September, 1864. On November 12, 1863, at Chattanooga 2nd Lieutenant Olson was finally officially mustered out of the Army as a 2nd Sergeant and back in again at the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. On November 25, 1863, the Confederate siege was finally broken by the Union Army's victorious charge up Mission Ridge, 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 December 31, 1863, to February 29, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was temporarily placed in command of Company H while its Captain, Andrew Brown, was absent sick and its Lieutenant, Cornelius Williams was on detached duty with the Pioneer Corps.
In March, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was once again back with Company I. From April 23rd until May 1, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was "Detached to command" Company E while it waited for Adjutant Henry Hauff to be commissioned as its Captain.
Starting in May, 1864, the 15th participated in the famous campaign to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia, which was led by U.S. Major General William T. Sherman. This campaign was marked by almost daily marching and/or combat for 4 months straight. The 15th's part in it included 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 50% casualties.
Starting in June, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was placed in temporary command of Company F after its then commander, 1st Lieutenant Thor Simonson, was captured at Pickett's Mill. On June 23, 1864, the 15th fought at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia. During July, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was also temporarily placed in command of Company A when its then commander, 1st Lieutenant Henry Siegel, became sick and was sent to the regimental hospital on June 25, 1864.
On July 22, 1864, the 15th fought before Atlanta, Georgia. On September 1, 1864, the 15th fought at Jonesboro, Georgia, and at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, on September 4, 1864. As a result of these battles the Confederates abandoned Atlanta a few days later. The 15th then spent the next few weeks camped just outside of Atlanta, resting and refitting.
Lieutenant Olson finally rejoined Company I at the beginning of October, 1864, after Captain Charles Gustafson of Company F escaped from a Confederate prison and returned to the 15th to resume command. At that point the 15th was briefly assigned to Provost (police) duty in Chattanooga.
The regiment then spent several months guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, near Chattanooga. Some of the 15th's soldiers felt that this was the easiest duty of their war service. In November, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was temporarily detached to Company B. This may have been due to that company's Captain Joseph Mathiesen being absent on detached duty.
In November and December, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was listed as "On daily duty in command of unassigned recruits" [men who had recently enlisted in the 15th, but had not yet been assigned to a specific company]. In December, 1864, Lieutenant Olson was "on special duty in command of Block House at Lookout Creek."
In January, 1865, Lieutenant Olson was once again "Present" at Whitesides, Tennessee, with Company I. On February 8, 1865, the company handed in its weapons. At 4:00 AM on February 10th the company started by railroad train to Chattanooga, where at 9 AM that morning Lieutenant Olson and most of the other surviving members of the company were mustered out of Federal service upon the end of their 3 year term of service. They then departed by railroad train to Nashville, Tennessee, where they arrived the next day at 11 AM and departed there the same day at 3 PM by train for Louisville, Kentucky. They arrived there at 3 PM on the 13th and were sent across the Ohio River to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where they were paid off and sent by train to Indianapolis, Indiana that afternoon. They reached Chicago, Illinois, the next day and were finally back in Wisconsin on February 15, 1865, where the men were released to return to their homes.
Ager's 1916 history of the 15th includes the following remembrance by Private Ben Nilson of Company I about Lieutenant Olson.
| "We presented him with a beautiful watch and chain. He was well liked by everybody." |
Sources: Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); Oberst Heg og hans gutter [Colonel Heg and His Boys] by Waldemar Ager (Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1916); 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 November 18, 2000. Last updated
December 21, 2001.