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Chickamauga15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
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15th Wisconsin Monument, Chickamauga, Georgia
Captain John T. Rice of
Company C and his wife Helen
Photo Album 16.116, State Historical Society of
Wisconsin
This is the fourth portion of E.B. Quiner's history of the 15th Wisconsin, which fought in the Federal (Union) Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865). This portion covers the time period of May, 1863, through September, 1863. Information within brackets [ ] has been added to the original text by the webmaster to help modern readers understand what Mr. Quiner rightfully assumed mid-19th century readers would automatically know. Alternative spellings of 15th soldiers' names have also been added within brackets by the webmaster, using spelling from the 15th's official muster rolls. Finally, hot links have been added that will take you to on-line transcriptions of official documents and soldiers' letters, and to profiles of soldiers, which contain additional information about the 15th or its soldiers. Enjoy!
Source: Quiner, E. B., The Military History of Wisconsin: Civil and Military Patriotism of the State, in the War for the Union. Chicago, Illinois: Clarke & Company, Publishers, 1866. Chapter XXIII, pages 622-625.
"On the 1st of May, the regiment was transferred to the Third Brigade,
of which Colonel [Hans C.] Heg
had been placed in permanent command, by General Rosecrans. Adjutant Henry Hauff
was appointed Assistant Adjutant General, Captain
Albert Skofstadt,
Inspector, and Lieutenant O. R. [Ole
Rasmussen] Dahl, Topographical Engineer.
The death of
Lieutenant Colonel [David] McKee created a vacancy, and Major
Ole C. Johnson was
appointed Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain
George Wilson, Major.
Colonel Heg being in command of the brigade, the command of the regiment
devolved on Lieutenant Colonel Johnson.
The Fifteenth, with Heg's
brigade, accompanied the movement of General Rosecrans' forces, against General
Bragg, at Tullahoma, leaving the neighborhood of Murfreesboro on the 24th of
June, Heg's brigade being detailed as the rear guard of the Twentieth Corps,
under General McCook.
We have before described this march of the army,
and nothing occurred of much historical importance, in which the Fifteenth was
engaged. After driving Bragg out of Tennessee, General Davis' division went
into camp at Winchester, Tenn., on the 3d of July.
On the 17th of August, the onward march was commenced, and the division
crossed the Cumberland Mountains, to Stevenson, Ala. [Alabama], where they
remained until [August] the 28th, when they led the advance of Rosecrans' army
against the enemy, in the Chickamauga campaign. Proceeding by a circuitous
route, the brigade reached the Tennessee River near Caperton's Ferry, in the
neighborhood of Bridgeport, where they constructed a pontoon bridge, and the
Fifteenth Wisconsin was the first regiment to cross into the enemy's country,
south of the Tennessee River.
With the rest of McCook's corps, the
division of General Davis proceeded up Wills' Valley, to Winston's Gap, from
whence it was recalled, when General Rosecrans concentrated his troops prior to
the battle of Chickamauga. General McCook's command joined General [George]
Thomas' forces on the 18th of September, the night proceeding the great battle
of Chickamauga.
On the morning of the 19th of September, General Davis' division was ordered
to march at daylight, but it was 8 o'clock before they got in motion. The
engagement began on the extreme left, about 10 o'clock, and the cannon firing
increased as they advanced. About noon they passed General Rosecrans'
headquarters, at the widow Glenn's house, and were soon after seat forward at a
double quick, and thrown into line of battle, to fill a gap which existed in the
lines at that place, and of which the rebels were attempting to take advantage,
by throwing in a force, and thus cut the army in twain. Heg's brigade was
formed in two lines, the Thirty-fifth Illinois on the left, the Eighth Kansas in
the centre, and the Fifteenth Wisconsin on the right. The Twenty-fifth Illinois
was in the second line, as a reserve. Advancing in this manner, the enemy
skirmishers were driven in, and a heavy fire was received from his main line.
The brigade continued to advance, however, until the Eighth Kansas began to
waver and fall back. Being unsupported on the right, and the regiment on the
left thus faltering, compelled the Fifteenth also to fall back, which it did,
fighting, carrying off most of its wounded. Here Captain [John
M.] Johnson, of
Company A, was killed. Being reinforced, they regained the lost ground. Colonel
Heg was conspicuously active, and labored with the utmost bravery to make up by
personal valor, what he lacked in numbers. The forces in this part of the field
were, however, compelled to yield to superior numbers, and fell back across an
open field. The regiment was stationed in reserve a few moments, when the front
line was driven back. The regiment was lying down as the Thirty-fifth Illinois
passed over them, intending to form in the rear of the Fifteenth, but did not,
and passed through a column of reinforcements, which were just coming up. The
reinforcements, supposing the Thirty-fifth to be the last Union regiment in
their front, mistook the Fifteenth for a rebel regiment, and opened fire, while
the enemy began a heavy fire on the other side. Being thus placed under the
galling fire of both friend and foe, the regiment was compelled to break, and
each man looked out for himself. The regiment was no more together that day as
an organization, but the men attached themselves temporarily to the commands
they first encountered, and stayed with them till night. Another advance was
made, and the lost ground occupied until near sundown, when Lieutenant Colonel
Johnson proceeded to gather his scattered regiment. About this time, Colonel
Heg was wounded by a shot in the bowels, which proved fatal next day. Captain [John
M.] Johnson, of
Company A, and Captain [Henry] Hauff, of Company E, were killed;
Major [George] Wilson
and Captain Captain [Augustus] Gasman were
severely wounded, Captain [Hans]
Hanson,
of Company C, mortally wounded, and Second Lieutenant C. S. Tanberg [Christian E.
Tandberg], of Company D, was also wounded.
The
remnant of the Fifteenth was aroused at 3 o'clock next morning, and put in a
commanding position near the Chattanooga road, to the right and somewhat to the
rear of the rest of the army. About 10 o'clock the skirmishers became engaged
on the left, and the battle soon raged with great fury on that part of the
field. [General] Sheridan's and [General] Davis' divisions were soon ordered
forward to occupy the extreme right of the line. Davis' division consisted of
the Second Brigade, Colonel Carlin, and the Third, (late Heg's) now commanded by
Colonel Martin, of the Eighth Kansas. Carlin's brigade occupied the frontline,
his left joining General Wood's right, with the Third Brigade in his rear as
support. We have elsewhere related the great blunder at Chickamauga, whereby
General Wood's division was withdrawn, and the divisions of Sheridan and Davis
were allowed to be outflanked and slaughtered. A recapitulation here is
therefore unnecessary. After General Wood's departure, Colonel Heg's brigade
was ordered to fill the gap, with about 600 fighting men. The Third Brigade had
hardly time to get into line, before the rebels attacked them. Protected by a
slight barricade of logs and rails, they were warmly received, and repulsed with
great slaughter. A second charge was also bravely repulsed, soon after which,
the right and left flanks were turned, Sheridan's division not having come up on
the right of Carlin and a large gap still existed in the position vacated by
General Wood. Holding out to the last, in hopes reinforcements would come, the
regiment, when almost surrounded, broke, the last to leave their position, and
many were captured, among them, Lieutenant Colonel [Ole
C.] Johnson.
[To read the personal account of the battle by Lieutenant Colonel
Johnson, click
HERE]
An
effort was made to gather the scattered men near the Chattanooga road, but it
proved a failure, and the retreat was continued a mile south of the road, where
a good position was obtained, and here men were gathered from the division, and
from most of the regiments of the corps, who had got separated from their
commands. The whole force was consolidated, and the position held until 5
o'clock in the afternoon, when they were ordered three or four miles further to
the rear, where they camped for the night. Here the fragments of the regiment
were gathered. The day before, their [the 15th's] aggregate [strength] was 176
[officers and enlisted men], it was now reduced to 75.
The killed and
wounded [at Chickamauga], as officially reported, were:
KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS -- Field Officer -- Colonel Hans Heg. Company A -- Captain J. M. Johnson, Second Lieutenant Oliver Thompson. Company B -- Privates John Johnson and Gunder Olson. Company C -- Captain Hans Hanson, Private John Simondson [John Simonsen]. Company D -- Private Halvor Halvorson [Halvor Halvorsen]. Company E -- Captain Henry Hauff. Company H -- Private Knute Bjornson [Knud Bjornson]. Company K -- Corporal Ole M. Dorvnass [Ole N. Damness] -- 11 [total].
WOUNDED -- Field Officer -- Major George Wilson, severely. Company A -- Sergeant Amand Geterson [Omund Petersen], Privates Christian M. Johnson, Amund Olson and Hubbard Hammock. Company B -- Sergeant A. G. Urnaes [Anders J. Urness], Privates Nils Anderson, Osten Knudson, Hans Lageson, Jacob Jacobson and John Inglestad. Company C -- Sergeants Christian Hyer [Christian Heyer] and John Lansworth, Corporal James Overson [James Oversen], Privates Peter Anderson (Sr.), Torstun Hendrickson [Torsten Hendricksen], Basmus Jensen [Rasmus Jensen], Hans C. Sorenson [Hans C. Sorensen] and Carl Sobjornson [Carl Torbjornsen]. Company D -- Second Lieutenant C. E. Tanberg [Christian E. Tandberg], Sergeant Ole M. Bendixen [Ole M. Bendixon], Privates Thomas Thompson and Anders Amundson. Company E -- Privates John H. Stokke [Johannes H. Stokke], Anson Kjellevig [Anund Kjellesvig] and Nils Hanson [Nils Hansen]. Company F -- Sergeant Ole B. Johnson [taken prisoner], Privates Ole W. Vigen [Ole K. Vigen] and Torkeld Togerson [Torkild Torgersen]. Company H -- Corporal Nels J. Eide, Privates Ole L. Hangnoes [Ole S. Haugness] and Sam. Samson [Sams Sampson]. Company I -- Captain August Gasman, at the time, commanding Company D. Company K -- Sergeants Ellend Erickson [Lieutenant Ellend Errickson] and Lars A. Larson, Privates Haagen Geterson [Haagen Pederson], Ole Olson [Ole Aslison?], and Ole Johnson [Oemund Johnson]. -- 37 [total].
Forty-eight were missing, mostly taken prisoners. [To review a list
detailing the names and fate of the 15th's casualties (killed, wounded, and
Missing), click
HERE]
All the
field officers being disabled, Captain [Mons]
Grinager took
command of the regiment. [To read the 15th's official after action report
written by Captain Grinager, click
HERE] Soon after
breakfast, on the 21st, companies G and I, which had been stationed at Island
No. 10 since June 11th, 1862, joined the regiment. They numbered eighty men -
more than all the other companies put together. [To read the 3rd Brigade
official after action report by Colonel Martin, click
HERE.]
Rail
breastworks were thrown up, but the enemy made no attack, and the brigade was
ordered, at 10 P. M., to proceed to Chattanooga, where they arrived about
daybreak, and commenced throwing up breastworks. Here the regiment, with the
whole army, suffered severely for fuel, provisions and clothing, there being
only a single line of communications over the Cumberland Mountains, to
Stevenson, 180 miles, which was continually interrupted by the rebel cavalry.
Captain [John] Gordon, of Company G, joined the regiment on the 28th of September, and
being senior Captain, took command." [To read the official Chickamauga
report of General Davis, the 15th's Division Commander,
click
HERE.]
[To read excerpts from letters, diaries, and interviews of 15th soldiers about their experiences during the May through September, 1863, time period, click HERE]
This page Copyright by
Scott Cantwell Meeker of Deep
Vee Productions.
All Rights Reserved. Created January 24, 1999. Last updated June 10,
2000.