15th Wisconsin Infantry

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Niels was born 28th November 1835 on the farm Handemyre in Vestre Slidre, Valdres, Oppland County, Norway, to Halvor Pederson Hande and Barbro Nilsdatter Høyne. . . . Niels' father purchased the farm Handemyre (No. 48) in 1830. On that farm, Niels, the third born, and his brothers and sisters, Tosten, Peder, Halvor, Guri, Ole and Ingeborg were born. . . . Heeding the call of 'free' land in the Americas, Niels emigrated in 1857 to the United States (the time at sea being about seven weeks) and travelled by various means to the Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, area.* Niels was followed in 1866 by his brothers Tosten and Peder, together with their wives and children. They were recorded as passengers on board the ship 'Frederik Pettersen', with port of entry Quebec, Canada.+ Peder and Niels made their way to settle near Holmes City, Douglas County, Minnesota. . . . Records indicate that Niels, on 23 October 1861, 'joined for duty and enrolled at Manitowoc, period 3 years' as 'Nils Halvorson, Pvt., Capt. Gustaveson's Co., 15th Wis. Inf. [subsequently became Company F, 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry]' at 'age 26.' He served with Company F in the Army of the Ohio, later Army of the Cumberland, until 27 November 1862. He then served with Company D, 2nd Battalion, Pioneer Brigade, Army of the Cumberland, until July 1864, when he returned to his original Company. The Pioneer Brigade, an Engineer duty unit, was organized by details of twenty men each from all Infantry regiments of the Army of the Cumberland, in November 1862. It was broken up in July 1864. Men having more than one year left to serve were transferred to 1st Regiment, U.S. Veteran Engineers, while the remaining men were sent back to their respective regiments. During this time Niels would likely have seen action with the 15th Wisconsin at the Battle of Perryville on 8 October 1862, and with the Pioneer Brigade at the Battles of Stone's River, 31 December 1862-3rd January 1863, and Chattanooga, 23-25 November 1863. Chattanooga is considered to be a decisive victory for the Union, marking the virtual loss of the War in the West for the Confederacy.§ Following his mustering out on 13 January 1865 at Chattanooga, Tennessee, Niels made the long 1000 mile trek home in his army issue uniform, carrying his bedroll and other meager possessions, and his rifle. (This rifle, now owned by descendants of his brother Ole in Minnesota, has four notches on the stock, indicating it was used to shoot four soldiers.) Niels settled in Douglas County, Minnesota, where warranty deeds were executed in 1876 granting him NE section 20 and NE of NE section 33 in Moe Township; another on 25 May 1891 granted him more land. On 25 May 1891 and again on 18 May 1894, Niels sold part of this land. In the census of 1900 it is seen in Douglas County, 'Moe Township #33, Hande, Nils H., White, Male, born Nov. 1838, age 61, single, born in Norway, emigrated to U. S. A. in 1857, 43 years in U.S. , naturalized, Farmer, can read, write and speak English, owns home free of mortgage . . . .' In the Douglas County Register of Deaths is found 'Nils H. Hande, Male, White, Single. Date of Birth - Dec. 1835. Date of Death - 11/26/14. Age 79 years? Occupation - Farmer. Cause of death - Sepsis from inflammation of urinary bladder; chrome prestatitis. Birth place -Norway. Parents - Halvor Pederson and Barbara Nelson. Attending physician - C. W. Meekstroth. Undertaker - C. V. Anderson. Registrar - Lauritz Severson, Garfield, 12-5-14. Place - Moe Township.' Niels died intestate, leaving real and personal property in the value of about $12,000, which was disbursed in accordance with Douglas County Probate Court, dated 30 January 1917. So ended the life of this courageous and hardy Norwegian immigrant, pioneer settler, Civil War veteran, and farmer. Niels Halvorson Hande now lies in peace in the West Moe Lutheran cemetery, near Alexandria, Douglas County, Minnesota. His obituary from the Fosston Thirteen Towns newspaper of 1st January 1915 reads: A Minnesota Pioneer and Civil War Veteran Nels Halvorson, one of the pioneer settlers of Moe died at his home on Thanks giving evening. He was born in Norway and came to Minnesota when twenty-six years old. He settled in Kandiyohi county and served three years in the Civil War. Then he came to Douglas county and bought the farm he now owned. He was a single man and somewhat eccentric in his ways. The last few years he at times objected to having people call on him and being old it was felt that he was not receiving the care he should. The neighbors and others, though, did every thing they could under the circumstances. He was always strong and healthy and it was reported that he was ailing only a couple of days before death. He was saving and careful in all his transactions and it is supposed that he was in possession of considerable cash but he mistrusted banks and neighbors, did not confide any of his financial affairs to anyone. It is generally supposed that there is considerable money hid around the premises. The farm and about $1,000 in cash is all that has been located so far. This is valued at $13,000. A brother, Ole Halvor son of Kandiyohi county was here and took charge of the affairs. He is the only brother living. Also [among others] three nephews, Nels and Robert Handy of Fosston [Minn.], and Ole Handy of Mohall [N. D.] were here, to attend the funeral which took place from West Moe church, Rev. Magelson officiating. ---------------------------- This item written by Donald A. Quickstad and published in The Hande Newsletter, No. 2, October 1989. ---------------------------- * A search of the 1860 U. S. Census of Manitowoc County, however, revealed no reference to Niels. + A son of Peder, by the name of Nils Pederson Hande, is the grandfather of Alair Quickstad, wife of the writer of this article. Nils Pederson was born on the 'Frederik Pettersen' off the shore of Canada. on 30th May 1866. § Bruce Catton, The Civil War (New York, 1980), pp. 198-199.

KNUDSEN TROND (Great-grand-uncle) 15th Wis. Vol. Inf. Company F Union Army Enlisted as private 10/21/61 Manitowoc County History-Discharged due to disablility 01/21/63. At the time of his enlistment, KNUDSEN was age 33 and single.

Entered service 1862, Town of Moscow, Iowa County M.O. 1865 Served with Pioneer Div. for a time.

WI 15th Inf Co H. Residence: Leeds, Columbia County, Wisconsin. Born in Sogn, Norway. Civil War: Age 28. Unmarried. Enlisted for three years on 2 Oct 1861 at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered there on 13 Feb 1862. Private. Drummer. Wounded at Chickamauga, Georgia, 19 Sep 1863, and sent to hospital. On 9 Feb 1865, he was sent north to Harvey hospital in Madison. Discharged from the service from there for his wounds on 9 Jan 1865. Post war: Lived at Bue, North Dakota. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 76-10; red book vol 20 p118) (Buslett p572) (Ager p310) (Ulvestad p327) (Hedberg) “Samson, Samuel” I have more details at my sisters. Samuel 'Sams' was shot in the leg and captured. Confederates were using a slaughterhouse as a prison, and abandoned it when a counter-attack came. By that time Samson's leg had become seriously infected and gangrenous, and the surgeon wanted to amputate the leg (fairly common). Samuel told him that without his leg he couldn't live and refused. After a long coalescence he eventually was able to heal, and after a few years was able to walk without crutches. He moved to North Dakota, where, if you lived on land for one year, and planted one tree, you could claim 100 acres. He did so, and at the same time met my great-grandmother, who was claiming her own property. The two were combined when they married.

Peter Lund was born in Lunedet, Karlskoga, Orbro, Sweden in 1833 and emigragted with the original group of 200 from Sweden to form Stockholm, Wisconsin in 1854. He enlisted in the Union Army for three years. Peter was wounded at Kennesaw Mountain, GA. He died in Stockholm,Pepin County, Wisconsin in 1905. He had five children: Anna (Friberg), Hulda (Greene), Felix Lund, Levi Lund, and Hilda (Swanson). Interested in hearing from relatives whose ancestors were from Stockholm, Wisconsin or were in Company I.