Perryville Memories

"On June 11th, eight companies from our regiment went up the Mississippi [River]. Their destination was unknown to us; Companies G and I remained behind [at Island No. 10], for how long we do not know. We really wished to go with the rest of the regiment because this is a very unhealthful place."

--Private Ben Nilson (Bersven Nelson) of Company I
in his post-war Civil War Notes
about when the 15th was split up for 15 months

"We are on march here among Tennessee's thick and dark forests. For the past week we have seen some of Uncle Sam's strengths. There are those who advance the thought that on this route along the Mobile and Ohio railroad there is a strength of about 100,000 in 3 brigades including all weapons of Artillery, Cavalry and Infantry. For 8 days now it has been almost like an endless wide stream of transportation trains and troops on this route...Our 'Forte' when we are on the march includes hard crackers, raw smoked hams and shoulders, and tea or coffee two times each day but if it rains, that is uncertain."

--Corporal Rollin Olson of Company E
June 24, 1862, letter from Trenton, Tennessee
about the U.S. Army of the Mississippi on campaign

"We have a plenty of honey, mutton, chicken, apple sass, sweet potatoes and other garden sass. Gen. Mitchell [their brigade commander] of course will pay for all no matter how big a traitor the owner is and that makes us mad so we jayhawk [steal] all we can and entice away all the negroes we can. I believe, and the government shall find it out some day, though it may be years first, that the only way to put down this rebellion is to hurt the instigators and the abettors of it. Slavery must be cleaned out...The real warfare that we shall carry on for the present will be between Gen. Mitchell and the materials composing his brigade. Col. Heg is quite conservative and wants to please the General; while Lt. Col. McKee, tho' formerly a Democrat, is as radical as John Brown and does all he can to spite him. We shall have a lively time."

--Surgeon Stephen O. Himoe of Field & Staff
June 26, 1862, letter from Humbolt, Tennessee
about brigade politics over slavery and how to win the war

"Our regiment stands very high in the estimation of the General officers in command at present. I am next in command to Gen. Mitchell, and in his absence I am the commander of the Brigade. He is very unpopular with most of the Regiments, and will have a good deal of trouble with some of them. Mitchell is pro-slavery, and wants to see niggers returned to their masters, as much as possible."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
June 27, 1862, letter from Humbolt, Tennessee

--Sergeant Iver Torkelson of Company H
June 28, 1862, letter from Humboldt, Tennessee

"How long we will be here we do not know. We have received no pay and we don't know when we get it either. Things look pretty grim, but as soon as it comes, I will send some home to you, as I know you are waiting for money from me. It is over four months since we were paid."

--Private Lars O. Dokken of Company H
July 3, 1862, letter from Humboldt, Tennessee

--1st Lieutenant Andrew A. Brown of Company H
August 11, 1862, letter from Camp Erickson at Jacinto, Mississippi, to his Brother

"I must tell you about an order that was announced at dress parade one day. We should scout around the countryside and round up all the Negroes we could find and we could then place one Negro for every eight men to cook and wash for us and to do clean-up duty around the camp. We have not found any yet. But our regiment has quite a few who are cooks for the officers, and there are some in other companies. We also go around the country gathering corn and apples, as much as we can use every day, and also chickens and other things that the soldiers like to eat. Many farmers have deserted the land. They are in a sad state in many places, because when the soldiers find that the owner is a Rebel, they take all he has. Also he loses his Negroes, who are set free. They now work for the regiments at a salary of $8 to $10 a month."

--Private Lars O. Dokken of Company H
August 18, 1862, letter from Iuka, Mississippi
a month before the Emancipation Proclamation was announced

"We have been on the march almost without break since the 21st of August when we left Iuka Spring, Mississippi, crossed over the Tennessee River at Eastport and marched to Florence in Alabama...We are completely exhausted..."

--Corporal Rollin Olson of Company E
September 2, 1862, letter from Murfreesboro, Tennessee
near the mid-point of the 400 mile forced march retreat

"Since we left camp Erickson [near Jacinto, Mississippi], we have marched 200 miles at forced marches -- and it has put the boys right through. We have marched about 20 miles a day -- but they have stood it well, and are healthier to day than when they left."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
September 5, 1862, letter from Nashville, Tennessee
about halfway through the retreat

"We are still cut off and have lived on half rations since we were in Murfreesboro and have marched all day and often most of the night. We came here yesterday afternoon, completely exhausted from marching and shall probably march from here this afternoon."

--Corporal Rollin Olson of Company E
September 16, 1862, letter from Bowling Green, Kentucky
nearing the end of the grueling 400 mile retreat

"We marched through the city to day, as dusty and ragged as any one could be -- but the cheers and hurrahs they gave us showed that we were not thought any less of for being dirty. The girls came out and distributed water, cakes and other articles to the boys all along the streets. My Regiment went through, singing Norwegian Songs, and attracted more attention than any other Regt. that passed...I am as fine as a fiddle, but very tired."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
September 26, 1862, letter from Louisville, Kentucky
about their arrival at the end of the retreat

"On top of a hill we formed in line. From here I could see the whole Battle field at a time when it was raging the hardest. It was a sight I shall never forget. During the time we were waiting there, the enemy were having the advantage, and were gaining ground on our men. The smoke and dust filed the air a great deal -- and a constant rattle of cannon and muskets, and now and then came a ball whistling by me so near that I would sometimes bow my head down without hardly knowing it..."

--Colonel Hans C. Heg of Field & Staff
October 13, 1862, letter from Danville, Kentucky
about the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky

--1st Lieutenant Andrew A. Brown of Company H
October 17, 1862, letter from Crab Orchard, Kentucky
About the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky

"...when we first went into the field the rebles was redy for us in line of battle. we fearlesly started towards them but at the first site of us they started on the retreat we followd them and chased them more than a mile and took from them a lot of wagons and some prisoners...the next morning the rebles had left leaving the field to us but the sight that met my gase next morning when going through the field was tremendious. the shatterd legs and arms and thickly strued bodys of the falen soldiers made the sight terrible."

--Private George Branstad (Brunsted) of Company A
November 3, 1862, letter from Bowling Green, Kentucky
to his sister in Canada, about the Battle of Perryville

"There are many Rebel wounded and dead. Today, October 10, our men are burying the Rebel dead. Many are lying in the nearby woods and it is a gruesome sight to see. We have not heard exactly how many are dead and wounded on our side, but they say many have fallen on both sides. Our regiment escaped unscathed. We must thank God whose hand was over us and protected us from the bullets. It is terrible to see so many dead and wounded."

--Private Lars O. Dokken of Company H
letter written 2 days after the Battle of Perryville

--Surgeon Stephen O. Himoe of Field & Staff
October 10, 1862, letter to his wife
about the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky

"It seems to be a common opinion that the war will come to an end and I heartily wish to God that it will."

--Corporal Rollin Olson of Company E
October 10, 1862, letter from near Perryville

"I do wish I could be home, if only for a short while. Now it is beginning to get colder and colder at night, and to lie under the open sky can be pretty rough. We have had no tents to sleep in since we left Iuka [2 months earlier], and we have had a lot of rain and cold weather on our marches. Neither do we have any more clothing than that we are wearing and one wool blanket, which we carry with us. Our other clothes and knapsacks were to be sent to Louisville, but we don't know when they will reach us."

--Private Lars O. Dokken of Company H
October 19, 1862, letter from Crab Orchard, Kentucky

"In over 2 months I have not changed shirts more than once and had it washed. But there are many who have not changed anything in that time and it follows that little thot is given and it happens that way in this entire Army...The night of 26th October snow fell to a depth of 3 inches and it was very cold. And it stayed a couple days. We were on the march from Crab Orchard to near Lebanon [Kentucky]. It is now somewhat warmer."

--Corporal Rollin Olson of Company E
November 2, 1862, letter from Bowling Green, Kentucky

--1st Lieutenant Andrew A. Brown of Company H
November 14, 1862, letter to his mother from Edgefield Junction
near Nashville, Tennessee