Rollef (Rolleiv) Tykeson Rolfe Thykesson Private in Company K 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry The Scandinavian Regiment

Believed to have been taken February, 1862, at Madison, Wisconsin
Image shows him holding his Belgium rifle musket, also known as a Dresden musket
Photograph courtesy of Rollef's Great, Great Grandson Craig Sigurdson
Picture shown above has been electronically enhanced by Deep Vee Productions

Born February 27, 1837, at Ytterbų farm, Lunde, Bų Parish, Telemark county, Kingdom of Norway
Father was Tyge (Tyke) Sveinungsen Ytterbų (1790-1841)
Mother was Gunhild Rolleivsdatter Svenseid (1794-18__)
Immigrated to America, 1852, with his older brother Gunne
Married _________, 1866, to Ina (Anna) Ellingson (18__-1___), at ______________________
Died November 5, 1916, Manchester Township, Freeborn County, State of Minnesota
Buried West Freeborn Lutheran Cemetery, Freeborn County, Minnesota

Rolfe Thykesson was enlisted on January 20, 1862, under the name Rollef Tykeson by 1st Lieutenant Ole Peterson for 3 years service in Company K of the 15th Wisconsin.  The men of Company K called themselves "Clausen's Guards" in honor of the 15th's first Chaplain, Claus L. Clausen. 

Rollef was mustered into Federal service at the rank of Private on February 11, 1862, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin.  Army records note that at the time he was 25 years old and not married.  His residence was listed as Manchester Township, Freeborn County, State of Minnesota.

After only a few weeks at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Private Tykeson left there on March 2, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war.  From then until 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 the surprise raid on Union City, Tennessee, in March and April, 1862.  

Starting June 11, 1862, Private Tykeson left Island No. 10 with his and 7 other companies of the 15th 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 led by U.S. Major General Don Carlos Buell from Alabama up to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky, with the last 2 weeks being on half rations and short of water. 

Private Tykeson would have then 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.  Starting November 26, 1862, he was then listed as " absent" from the 15th on " detached duty" with the Pioneer Corps.  They were the field engineers of the Army, building roads, bridges, and fortifications.  

Private Tykeson returned to the 15th before April 1, 1863, when the regiment recorded that he was "left sick" at the Town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  It is not know if he ever returned to the regiment.  On September 1, 1863, he was transferred from the 15th to the Veterans Reserve Corps (VRC)  at the Town of Stevenson, State of Alabama.  The VRC, also known as the Invalid Corps, was a part of the Army where men who were too disabled for field service, but who were still physically able to do useful work, served out the rest of the terms of service.  Rollef is said to have served for a time at Camp Douglas, near Chicago, State of Illinois, which was a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers.  It is said that Rollef was mustered out of the Army in 1865.

After the war Rollef returned to Manchester Township, resumed farming, got married, and had 14 children.  He was elected as a Town Supervisor, joined the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and served as President of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company.  He was 76 years old when he passed away.

Sources: Genealogical data provided by his Great, Great Grandson Craig Sigurdson, and by Tove D. Johansen; Lunde herad med Flaabygd by Olav Stranna (1921); 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 by Franklyn Curtis-Wedge (Chicago, Illinois, 1911); 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); Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 by the Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885); and, Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Volume 1 by the 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 January 24, 1999. Last updated January 29, 2002.

Back to 15 Profiles Page

Back to 15th Home Page