Ellend Errickson (Erickson) Erick Holstad Trytten 2nd Lieutenant of Company K 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry The Scandinavian Regiment

Image WHi (X3) 30008, State Historical Society of Wisconsin
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Born October 7, 1835, Vik parish, Hordaland, Kingdom of Norway
Parents were Erik Ellendson Holstad (1___-18__) and Anna Oldsdott Honse (1___-18__)
Immigrated to America, 1854 or 1857
Married March 27, 1860, to Betsey Jacobson at ____________________________________
Died June 25, 1912, Town of Albert Lea, Freeborn County, State of Minnesota
Buried Lakewood Cemetery, Albert Lea, Minnesota

Ellend Errickson was born Erick Holstad and later gained the farm name of Trytten when he lived on the Tryti farm with his mother and step-father.  When he came to America he dropped the Trytten name and adopted his birth-father's first name as his last name, adding the word "son" and his father's middle name, minus the "son" reference, as his new first name.

Ellend Errickson was a farmer and former lumberman when he was enlisted by Captain Mons Grinager as a Private in Company K of the 15th Wisconsin on November 22, 1861, for a 3 year term of service.  It is said that Ellend was the first man to enlist in Company K.  The men of the company called themselves "Clausen's Guards" in honor of the 15th's first Chaplain, Claus L. Clausen.  Ellend was appointed as a Corporal on February 1, 1862.  Corporal Errickson was mustered into Federal service at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin.  At the time he was 26 years old and married.  His residence was in Bath Township, Freeborn County, Minnesota.

After a period of training at Camp Randall, the 15th left for the war on March 2, 1862.  That spring Corporal Errickson 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.  Corporal Errickson was appointed as the 3rd Sergeant of Company K on May 1, 1862.  

On June 11, 1862, Company K and 7 of the 15th's 10 companies departed Island No. 10, never to return.  Beginning June 12, 1862, Sergeant Errickson was listed as "sick" at Island No. 10, but was back with Company K sometime in July, 1862.  He participated U.S. Major General Don Carlos Buell's 400 mile forced march retreat from the State of Alabama to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky, in August and September, 1862, with the last 2 weeks being conducted on half rations and short of water.  

On October 8, 1862, Sergeant Errickson took part in the 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, Sergeant Errickson 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.  He 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 15th first suffered serious battle casualties, and was cited for bravery.  The following is from Buslett's 1895 history of the 15th Wisconsin.

The 15th's commander, Colonel Hans C. Heg, submitted Sergeant Errickson's name to headquarters and he was entered on the Roll of Honor for the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Army Corps for his actions at the Battle of Stone River.  

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.  On June 3, 1863, at the recommendation of Colonel Heg, Sergeant Errickson was commissioned by the Governor of Wisconsin as the new Second Lieutenant (third-in-command) of Company K, with rank from May 27, 1863.  He filled the vacancy created when 2nd Lieutenant John P. Strömer was tricked into resigning his commission.  At the time Company K was commanded by Captain Mons Grinager and had 1st Lieutenant Andrew Clement as its second-in-command.

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 there to participate in General Rosecran's Chickamauga campaign.  Lieutenant Errickson is believed to have been present at the daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led.  Lieutenant Errickson was with Company K during 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. 

Lieutenant Errickson would have 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, Lieutenant Errickson was assigned to help Guard a vital 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 Errickson was once again back with the 15th in early November, 1863.

2nd Lieutenant Errickson was finally mustered into the Federal Army at that rank in Chattanooga, on November 16, 1863, with his rank to officially date from June 9, 1863.  Beginning November 21, 1863, 2nd Lieutenant Errickson took temporary command of Company K due to Captain Grinager being on leave and 1st Lieutenant Andrew Clement having been captured.  2nd Lieutenant Errickson commanded the company at the famous assault up Mission Ridge on November 25, 1863, which broke the siege of Chattanooga and sent the Confederate army into headlong retreat.

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.  

Starting in May, 1864, the 15th participated in the famous Atlanta campaign 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, and at the bloody Battle of Resaca, Georgia, on May 14-15, 1864.  On May 27, 1864, the 15th fought in the disastrous Battle of Pickett's Mill (often called Dallas or New Hope Church), Georgia.  There the regiment suffered 50% casualties, including Lieutenant Errickson who was one of the 29 soldiers of the 15th who were captured there (most of whom died of malnutrition-related disease in the infamous Confederate Prison Camp at Andersonville, Georgia).   The story of Lieutenant Errickson's capture was recounted in Ager's 1916 history of the 15th Wisconsin by Sergeant Otto Steen of Company K. 

Lieutenant Errickson was subsequently held in Confederate officer prisons at both the Town of Macon and the City of Savannah, Georgia, and at the City of Charleston in the State of South Carolina.  On September 28, 1864, he was released by the Confederates at the Town of Rough and Ready, Georgia.  This was about 3 weeks after the Union capture of Atlanta, and some 4 months after he had been captured.

At the recommendation of Lieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson, then the 15th's commander, 2nd Lieutenant Errickson was commissioned by the Governor of Wisconsin as the 1st Lieutenant (second-in-command) of Company K on November 10, 1864.  He filled the vacancy created when 1st Lieutenant Andrew Clement died of disease in September, 1864.  In early November A.F. St. Sure Lindsfeldt, then the 15th's Surgeon, wrote that Errickson was unfit for duty due to a "chronic inflamation of the spine."  Lieutenant Errickson was granted sick leave starting November 11, 1864, to recuperate at home. 

Lieutenant Errickson was next listed as "present" with the 15th in January, 1865.  The regiment was then guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, near Chattanooga.  Some of the 15th's soldiers felt this was the easiest duty of their entire war service.  During this period the 15th was being mustered out of existence company by company.  On February 10, 1865, Lieutenant Errickson was mustered out of the Army at the end of his 3 year term of service.  He was never mustered into the Federal Army as a 1st Lieutenant.

After the war Errickson returned to his wife and farm in Bath Township.  They had 10 children and improved and expanded the farm to 360 acres.  He joined Robson Post No. 5, Grand Army of the Republic (the GAR, which was the Union veterans organization).  He served on the local town board for 20 years, of which 9 years were as board chairman.  In 1878 he served as an alderman in the first city council in Albert Lee, Minnesota.  From 1889-1892 he served as a Republican in the Assembly of the Minnesota Legislature.  Ellend Errickson is described thus in Buslett's book.

Sources: Genealogical data by Dean Trytten; Veterans of the Civil War who served from Freeborn County, lived in Freeborn County after the War, are buried in Freeborn County compiled by Jean R. Legried (Oakland, Minnesota, 1990) from an index started by L.W. Spicer; History of Freeborn County Minnesota compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge (Chicago, Illinois, 1911); Oberst Heg og hans gutter [Colonel Heg and His Boys] by Waldemar Ager (Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1916); History of the Scandinavians and Successful Scandinavians in the United States by O.N. Nelson (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1900); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); and Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 by the Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885).

This page Copyright by Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created February 6, 1999.  Last updated August 12, 2001.

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