Born circa 1841, at
__________________________________________________________
Parents were ______________________________ and
_____________________________
Immigrated to America, 18__
Married on ________, 18__,
to _________________ at
_____________________________
Died on ___________, 1___, of _________________ at _____________________________
Buried
at __________________________________________________________________
Ole Evenson was enlisted in Company K of the 15th Wisconsin by 1st Lieutenant Ole Peterson on January 18, 1862, for a 3 year term of service. The men of Company K called themselves the "Clausen's Guards" after the 15th's first Chaplain, Claus L. Clauson, a Dane. Ole was mustered into Federal service as a Private on February 11, 1862, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin. At the time he was recorded as being 20 years old and not married. His residence was listed as Freeborn County, State of Minnesota.
After only a few weeks at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Private Evenson left there in early March, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war. From then until June, 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 on the surprise raid on Union City, Tennessee, in March and April, 1862. That summer he would have been with the 15th on the campaign though Tennessee and the States of Mississippi and Alabama. Starting June 20, 1862, Private Evenson was listed as "sick in Quarters" in the 15th's camp at Union City, Tennessee. Starting June 24, 1862, Private Evenson was temporarily absent from the 15th while "guarding commissary stores."
Private Evenson returned to the 15th sometime in July or August, 1862, and then served "extra duty as Teamster" (driver of a horse or mule drawn wagon) beginning August 20, 1862. In August and September he participated in the grueling 400 mile retreat with General Buell up to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky, with the last 2 weeks being on half rations and short of water. He would have been present at the October 8, 1862, Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, which is also called the Battle of Chaplin Hills.
In December, 1862, Private Evenson became ill and, on December 26, 1863, was sent to recover at an army hospital in the City of Nashville, State of Tennessee. It is virtually certain that he thus missed fighting in the long, cold, wet, and bloody Battle of Stone River, Tennessee, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, at the very end of December, 1862. It is there that the 15th first suffered serious battle casualties, and was cited for bravery.
Beginning sometime in April, 1863, Private Evenson was again back with the 15th, which was camped near the Town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. beginning April, 1863. He was then listed as "present" with the regiment until October, 1863. Starting June 23, 1863, the 15th took part in General Rosecrans' Tullahoma campaign. On July 3, 1863, it went into camp at the Town of Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, for 6 weeks.
On August 17, 1863, the 15th left Winchester to participate in General Rosecran's Chickamauga campaign. Private Evenson is believed to have been present at the daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led. He is also believed to have present at the September 19-20, 1863, fighting at Chickamauga, Georgia -- the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. There 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.
Private Evenson 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, Private Evenson was assigned as a Guard 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.
Private Evenson was again listed as "present" with the 15th starting November, 1863, until May, 1864. 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. 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, Private Evenson participated with the 15th in General William T. Sherman's famous campaign to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia. This campaign was marked by almost daily marching and/or combat for 4 months. The 15th took part in fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, in early May, and at the bloody Battle of Resaca on May 14-15, 1864. There on the first day Private Evenson was wounded "slightly in left hand". He was then "absent sick" from the 15th recovering from his wound until sometime in September or October, 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. Some of the 15th's soldiers felt that this was the easiest duty of their entire war service.
On February 10, 1865, Private Evenson was mustered out of Federal service at Chattanooga, along with most of the other surviving members of Company K, upon the end of his 3 year term of service.
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); Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885); 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 13, 1999. Last updated January 8,
2001.