Swedish American Genealogist Volume 32 | Number 3 Article 6 9-1-2012 Illinois Swedes at Shiloh John E. Norton Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag Part of the Genealogy Commons, and the Scandinavian Studies Commons Recommended Citation Norton, John E. (2012) "Illinois Swedes at Shiloh," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 32 : No. 3 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol32/iss3/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Illinois Swedes at Shiloh Civil War Sesquicentennial Reflections BY JOHN E. NORTON April 6th and 7th 2012 marked the immigrant agent for the Illinois Cen- somber 150th anniversary of one of the tral Railroad in Sweden as the war bloodiest battles of the Civil War, approached.3 Upon his return to Illi- fought at Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing, nois, Malmborg was appointed Swed- TN. It began as a surprise attack by ish-Norwegian vice-consul for Chi- Confederate soldiers to protect their cago in November 1861, but resigned vital rail communications center of to join as an officer in the 55th Illi- Corinth, MS, threatened by Gen. nois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Grant’s approaching Union army. His leadership played a key role in Nearly 67,000 Federal troops and the Federal success at the battle of 45,000 Confederates met at Shiloh in Shiloh. He was a controversial, but the costliest battle yet fought in that successful, officer, disliked by subor- war. It left some 13,000 Federal and dinates for his strict discipline, yet 10,700 Confederate casualties, in- appreciated by his superiors for his cluding nearly 3,500 dead. Among the unit’s battlefield performance.4 fallen were young Swedish immi- grant soldiers from the Bishop Hill/ Western Illinois Swedes Andover area. Senior officers wrote “big picture” at the battle of Shiloh after-battle reports, but they tell little Early Civil War units were recruited Oscar Malmborg (1820–1880), photo from of the private soldier. locally for three-year enlistments by 1874. Swedish War Archives, Portrait U.S. Grant, in his 1885 narrative organizers who often became their collection (SVAR). of the battle, reported: “…Shiloh was commanders. They thus reflected the most severe battle fought in the their leaders’ and regional popu- 20 June 1865, and Karl, as an en- West during the war, and but few in lations, including immigrant com- listed man in A and later, the Swe- rd the east equaled it for hard, deter- munities, whether German, Scotch, dish C Company, 43 Illinois Volun- mined fighting. I saw an open field in Irish, Norwegian, or Swedish. In teer Infantry, from 24 February 1864 our possession on the second day, over western Illinois, two predominantly to 30 November 1865. Karl’s Civil which the Confederates had made Swedish units were recruited from War British-made Tower musket repeated charges the day before, so the Quad Cities, Andover, Galesburg, remains a proud family possession, covered with dead that it would have and Bishop Hill areas. now in the care of descendant Jim been possible to walk across the clear- They are memorialized today by Norton of Green Valley, AZ. ing in any direction, stepping on dead post-Civil War statues in village and Of special interest to western Il- rd bodies, without a foot touching the city parks, as in Bishop Hill, or in linois are C Company, 43 Illinois ground.”1 But, a member of Swedish- Andover, by a large plaque outside Volunteer Infantry, and D Company, th born Col. Oscar Malmborg’s 55th Illi- the entrance of the Augustana Lu- 57 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, both nois Volunteer Infantry Regiment theran Church. Both my great- almost completely Swedish, and both described it from the soldier’s view- grandfather, Lars Nordin (Lewis Nor- serving in some of the earliest and point: “My chief memories are the ton), and his brother, Karl Nordin deadliest conflicts of the war, in- battlefield horrors – mangled human- (Charles Norton), are recognized cluding the battle at Pittsburg Lan- ity, dead horses, deep mud, horrible there. Lars served as a sergeant in ding, or Shiloh, in April, 1862. It is stenches, and insufficient food.”2 H Company, 112th Illinois Volunteer said that more American soldiers Oscar Malmborg was acting as an Infantry, from 15 August 1862 until were killed during that single en- 8 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:3 gagement than in all previous wars Moline, Nekoma, Princeton, Wataga, 1862, describing the everyday prob- fought by the United States. Its Victoria, Iowa City, and Swede Point, lems of the soldier.8 costly losses, about 23,746 killed, IA. Lt. Eric Johnson’s published jour- wounded, or missing, brought the While still at Camp Bureau in nal details conditions under which horrors of modern warfare home to training with the 56th Volunteer the unit fought at Shiloh. The day both the military and civilian popu- Infantry, they were talked into at- before the battle, Lt. Johnson sent lations, north and south. It also tempting to join a sharpshooter unit $1,278 in funds from unit members’ brought an end to hopes of a short downriver, probably Birge’s Western first partial pay of 4 April, back to war, and a realization on the part of Sharpshooters.6 On 27 October 1861, families and friends in Bishop Hill, U.S. Grant that he would have to put the Swedes and others simply went which was delivered to Olof Johnson relentless military pressure on the AWOL, secretly boarding the steam- for distribution, in anticipation of the entire Confederate war machine to er Musselman, only to be stopped pending battle. be successful in defeating the insur- near Alton when Federal artillery Enlisted soldier Charles Valentine rection. The war’s ultimate cost was fired across its bow. After brief arrest, reported in his letter published in great, measured just in loss of hu- D company and the 56th were freed, Hemlandet 8 June 1862 that Olof man life. About 10% of all young and consolidated into the Illinois 57th Johnson responded from Bishop Hill northern males, and 30% of southern Volunteer Infantry. The incident by sending the unit “… half a barrel young men, are thought to have died never appeared in official records, but of pickled whitefish, along with other during the war.5 was reported later by a unit member, necessities of life. That pleased us Federal counterattack, supported Capt. Eric Johnson, in his history of well, and even we who did not belong by heavy reinforcements, yielded a the unit.7 Unit member Eric Berg- to the Colony, nor came from there, costly victory. The regiment of 500 lund also told that story in his Civil also got a lick of the spoon…” Valen- experienced 206 casualties, including War daybook, detailing efforts in tine noted that “…The majority of our 49 dead. They continued to the suc- Springfield of their Captain and Pe- soldiers are at present rather sick- cessful siege of nearby Corinth. ter Wikström to get them released for looking and pale, and not because of active duty, after their apprehension any wasted living….because the no- D Company, Illinois 57th for what appeared to be desertion. good sutlers are often not at all a- On 26 March 1862, they were or- shamed to demand all of 25 cents for Infantry Regiment at dered upriver to Pittsburg Landing, a cup of beer, and for butter they Shiloh. attached to Col. T.W. Sweeny’s 3rd usually charge 40 cents per pound, This unique unit, known as the Brigade, in Brig. Gen. W.H.L. Wal- and everything else in proportion at nd “Swedish Union Guard,” was organ- lace’s 2 Division. The 57th assem- such unheard-of prices, so living here ized before the war, in the summer of bled on 6 March in response to dis- in the forest is no paradise...Our 1860, at Bishop Hill, as a home guard tant firing, and marched into battle provisions have been rather meager drill unit, by Eric Forsse, a 12-year along the Corinth Road. They moved for some time, so for such a long time veteran of the Swedish Army. It was that afternoon to their left, closer to now we have not had anything but first made up almost completely of the Tennessee River, in support of rather disgusting and inferior bacon, Bishop Hill Swedes. Gen. Hurlbut’s division, but were a kind of smoked pork sides; and we To fill remaining vacancies after forced to retire under fire. They en- have been forced to eat only such mobilization, Capt. Forsse recruited dured a night of miserable rain, then inferior pork, fried and boiled, in the in the 16 October 1861 issue of the participated in the victory of the severe heat, with bad crackers, until Swedish-language newspaper Hem- second day, thanks largely to re- we just recently at least put into ope- landet of Chicago, in a lengthy article, inforcements from Maj. Gen. Buell’s ration an oven and a person rea- written from their training site at fresh forces arriving from the north. sonably skilled in the art of baking, Camp Bureau, near Princeton, IL. Those simple facts hide many stories, who furnishes us with bread, so at The appeal was simple: “Countrymen told best by the soldiers themselves. least we do not just plain starve to and brothers! You, who feel your obli- death. The money we had previously gation to both our adopted country Soldier’s tales received in pay we have had to spend and the Scandinavian name in this Lt.