Camp Randall Memories

"On November 8, O.R. Dahl came to the house. He was a sergeant from Norway who had been in this country for a time. So he could speak tolerably good English. Hans C. Heg had got in touch with him and had asked his help in organizing a Scandinavian regiment. From the governor, Heg had already received his appointment as colonel of this projected military force. After we had talked about the war for a short while, Dahl told us that a battle had been fought at Fort Henry [Tennessee], an engagement that the Northern forces had won. Prospects, therefore, were that the war would not last very long. Furthermore, a bounty of $100 was offered for enlisting plus $13 per month in salary as well as free food and clothes. These terms struck me as rather good. And, on top of it all, I would have an opportunity to travel and see a great deal. My father said I could do as I wished. So I enlisted for three years or the duration of the war."

--Private Ben Nilson (Bersven Nelson) of Co. I
from his post-war Civil War Notes

--Captain Mons Grinager of Company K
May 24, 1862, letter to his family

"Monday the 6th [of January] was a festive day. The new state administration was sworn in. It was the opportunity of those regiments in Camp Randall which had received their weapons, namely the 15th and 16th Regiments, to have a parade in front of the Capitol building with a show of finery. Officials were sworn in by the Chief Justice up on the balcony. We, the 15th Regiment, performed for the new Governor. We also held a review at 2 oclock in the afternoon when he came to camp and had dinner."

--Private Rollin Olson of Company E
January 7, 1862, letter from Camp Randall

--1st Lieutenant Andrew A. Brown of Company H
January 25, 1862, letter to his brother from Camp Randall

"I am well and getting along first rate, the men are doing well, and they all seem to think a great deal of their Col. We have not many sick...We have in all 810 privates and about 40 officers, our regiment is now full to the 850 men and I shall probably be mustered into United states service...[Lieutenant Colonel Kiler K.] Jones will have to go by the board I think. All the officers of the Regiment have sent a petition to the Governor asking him to muster him out of the service. It will be done -- he has gone home now."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
February 11, 1862, letter from Camp Randall

"I wish to tell a little about conditions at Camp Randall. Both the sleeping quarters and the dining hall were built of plain boards, with walls of only a single thickness. We had a large stove, but it was of little avail against the severe cold wich beset us. The dining hall was structure containing ten tables, each large enough to accommodate a hundred men. There were no chairs, and so we had to stand while we ate. The kitchen was at one end of the hall. The food was not the best, but it was no use to complain. We had to eat what was served or else starve."

--Private Ben Nilson (Bersven Nelson) of Co. I
in his post-war Civil War Notes

"Just as we were going to breakfast there was a shriek of FIRE from one of the barracks in which was lodged the Company from Chippewa Valley guard of the 16th Regiment. Every one near gave himself to carrying water and it was quickly put out."

--Private Rollin Olson of Co. E
February 2, 1862, letter from Camp Randall

"As long as the Regiment remained in Camp Randall, the men were exposed to the worst kinds of temptations. There were, in fact, several other regiments in the camp at the same time; discipline was very poor and many of the soldiers got permission to roam about town. Under such circumstances one cannot be surprised that some members of the Scandinavian Regiment also went astray, went to drinking houses, got drunk, etc., but this was certainly the exception; most of the Regiment's men were respectable and sober. After the Regiment left Camp Randall, and especially after some of the less-sober among the officers were forced to leave, its condition in this regard became significantly better and could now equal, if not exceed, any other regiment in the service."

--Chaplain Claus L. Clausen of Field & Staff
from his article The Regiment's Religious and Moral Condition

"We were paid in full from the day we enlisted until March 1st. At 8:00 o'clock in the morning, we left Camp Randall in a blinding snow storm and marched to the station where we took the train. A large number of Norwegians were gathered at the station to say farewell to husbands, sons, brothers, and sweethearts. When the train left, there was waving of hats and handkerchiefs -- as well can be understood. The locomotive had not gone very far before it got stuck in the snow. An extra engine had to be brought up to help pull us out. In the evening we arrived at Chicago; it was raining and the streets were ful of mud. We marched to the courthouse, and there we were met by Chicago Norwegians who presented us with a beautiful silk flag [the Society Nora "For Gud og vort land" flag]. We already had two, regimental colors and a battle [United States national] flag; now we had three. After these ceremonies, we marched back to the train, and there the local Norwegians treated us to coffee, for which we were very thankful."

--Private Ben Nilson (Bersven Nelson) of Co. I
in his post-war Civil War Notes

"We had to work hard to keep the boys together in Chicago. Many of them got awfull drunk, but I soon ordered all the whiskey poured out."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
March 7, 1862, letter from Bird's Point, Missouri

"We left Chicago 12 oclock at night. We arrived at Alton [Illinois] on Monday evening after dark and immediately went on board the steamboat City of Alton. We stayed in Alton at night but left as soon as it was light for St. Louis [Missouri] where we arrived 10 AM and went ashore immediately and arranged in formation with full equipment. In the mean time we had received orders from General Halleck to get on board a steamboat again, the Continental, and went to Bird's Point (here) which is opposite Cairo [Illinois] and we arrived here today...Much of the trip was bad because cold weather came in. Nevertheless we stood it well and the 'boyes' are in very good spirits as well."

--Private Rollin Olson of Company E
 March 6, 1862, letter from Bird's Point, Missouri

"I was out with two companies yesterday afternoon, when the Cannon Balls flew around some. Some of them falling near enough to some of the boys to spatter mud and water over them."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
March 9, 1862, letter from Bird's Point, Missouri
about the 15th's first brush with Rebel troops

"Our first skirmish gave us courage. If the Southern soldiers were all as scared as these fellows, the war would soon be over!"

--Private Ben Nilson (Bersven Nelson) of Co. I
about the 15th's first brush with Confederate troops
in his post-war Civil War Notes

--Captain Mons Grinager of Company K
May 24, 1862, letter to his family
about seeing slaves on plantations near Bird's Point, Missouri