Swedish American Genealogist

Volume 32 | Number 3 Article 6

9-1-2012 Illinois Swedes at Shiloh John E. Norton

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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

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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. Eric Johnson recorded his ex- on articles of food, because it has been important hour, come and unite with perience of the battle, published as completely impossible to live off the us, and let us march off, side by side, “Lieut. E. Johnson’s Journal” in the food we received as rations.” in this most proper of all wars, to win Henry County Chronicle, 29 April On a more positive note, Valentine th renewed honor for the noble Scandi- 1862, Cambridge, IL. Another en- wrote: “On the 19 of this month our navian name.” The unit thus enter- listed member, Charles Valentine, whole regiment was in full parade ed the war with recruits from Altona, wrote home to Sweden about his formation. They had to do their drills Andover, Berlin, Bishop Hill, Galva, experiences in a letter published by for a rather grand flag, which would Galesburg, Geneseo, Gillson, Henry, Hemlandet, Chicago, IL, 6 August be presented to the company in the regiment most skilled in war games.

Swedish American Genealogist 2012:3 9 ses, the pounding sounds more dis- tinctly, making it evident the enemy was gaining ground, and by 8:00 a.m. the sound of musketry became dis- tinct….never, through the whole day, from daybreak until dark was there one moment’s rest or cessation of hos- tilities, rather a continuous roar that cannot be described by the pen. But, we heard that, all around, the enemy was gaining on us by their superior numbers, though we disputed every inch of ground, and about 5:00 p.m. things began to look very bad, the enemy had taken most of our bat- teries and almost had possession of our (Pittsburg) landing. A kind of Bull Run (defeatist) spirit had taken hold of some of our troops, and if it had not been for the Tennessee Riv- er, it would have become a second Bull Run (panic). “But, thank God, there was no way to get across, and at just the oppor- tune time, Gen. Buell came and saved us, for had he not come, we would now have been prisoners…nobly did the 57th do its duty, standing on its ground for a long time, unaided, against three times their number. The first position they occupied was in defense of one of our batteries. Here, they lay flat on the ground (took cover), and here, the bullets flew like hail, and shells passed overhead by the thousands. Here, Corporal Warner was wounded. From here they moved a little further and took cover, but because the enemy was trying to flank them on the left, they were ordered on, and advanced nobly, crossing gullies and ravines, engaging the enemy and forcing their

SALE! Swedish Passenger Arrivals in U.S. Ports And the great honor of being the math deserves special attention, 1820–1850 winner there, and taking that prize, showing skills which later served him well as a writer and newspaper By Nils William Olsson went to our company.…For that, we and Erik Wikén (1995). had our Major (Forsse) to thank, who publisher in Swedish-America. He had made it his highest priority that writes of Sunday morning 6 April: “To 628 pages of Swedes, we should be the most outstanding Arms! To Arms! Fall In! sounds from comments, and indexes. in the drills.” mouth to mouth, and the distant roar $35 + $5 S&H Lt. Eric Johnson’s own narrative of heavy, rapid cannonading pro- claims that the enemy has attacked Contact Jill Seaholm at of the two-day battle and its after- our defenses. As each moment pas-

10 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:3 retreat, but as our regiment ad- their friends or relatives stood, nobly vanced, they were flanked on three fighting for their liberties – and sides by three different enemy regi- where they met a hero’s death and ments, and they became exposed to grave. All this is glory for a soldier, terrible crossfire, but they still stood and what we must be prepared for their ground until they received or- every minute.” ders to fall back. Lt. Johnson closed his report with “It was here that Chas. M. Green some simple soldiers’ thoughts fell. He was brave among the brave, ...“Cheer up friends! Not as bad, after and fell nobly, an honor to his an- all, as it might have been. We ex- cestry, his adopted country, and his pected to go through all this and numerous friends. Major (Norman expect still more similar scenes. But, B.) Page (Adjutant, 57th) also fell then, look at the blessings we are here, cheering on the men while handing down to prosperity. Say, shooting away at the enemy with his then, is it not worth dying for?... An- revolver…when our prospects were other big fight, and then another, and darkest, Gen. Buell came to our aid so on, until the rebellion is crushed. with what little he could get cross the Then, if we live, we will come home Olof Krans. Selfportrait. From Bishop river. Then we drove the enemy back to enjoy the fruits of our labor. If not, Hill, by Olov Isaksson & Sören Hallgren a short distance, after a most terri- then you must go on without us.” (1969). ble fight, when night came and put a The “Swedish Union Guard” con- most were kept and treasured. His stop to the bloody work of the day, tinued to the siege of Corinth 29 April work was recognized in a jointly- 9 both sides glad for the rest. But our - 30 May, where they lost others, released commemorative stamp by gunboats shelled the enemy the then to fighting later at Vicksburg. both Sweden and the United States whole night, wreaking terrible havoc At the end of their three-year enlist- among them. ment, they were rewarded with 30 “Monday, April 7th. Immediately at days’ reenlistment leave, and were daybreak, the battle commenced welcomed home to a grand reception again in earnest. During the night, in Galva’s Norton Hall on 29 January Gen. Buell had crossed (the Tennes- 1864. They then returned as “veter- see River) with his forces. The troops ans” to participate in Sherman’s in 1988. A documentary video on were now fresh, and the enemy began devastatingly effective “march to the Krans was produced by Athenafilm to yield ground, but fighting with sea,” and, finally, in the Grand Re- of Sweden in 1996. A major book on great perseverance, disputing every view before President Johnson and Krans is now being prepared by Illi- foot. But at last, after seven hours of his generals in Washington on 27 nois folkart historian Merle Glick, the hardest fighting ever witnessed May 1865. They mustered out at jointly with the Lakeview Museum by mortal eyes, they were forced to Camp Douglas, IL, on 7 July 1865. of Peoria. retreat, and the flight became gener- Krans’s paintings are now recog- al, our forces pursuing…though Olof Krans nized as some of America’s best victory crowns our efforts and strug- Among members of D Company was primitive art. Many are housed in gles, and the air is rent with our cries a truly unique sergeant, Olof (Ers- their own museum at the Bishop Hill of rejoicing, we cannot shut our eyes son) Krans, whose family emigrated State Historic Site. They give a view to the sad sight that meets our vi- from Västmanland, Sweden, in 1850. not only of pioneering life on the sion – the misery and pain of the He became an ox boy in Bishop Hill, prairies around Bishop Hill, but of wounded. Here ought to be hundreds joined Company D, but was released Swedes in the Civil War. They depict of surgeons where there is but one. from Civil War duty in June 1862 Krans himself in bivouac with D th “Monday, April 8 . Today has been because of poor health. He returned Company, and later as a proud veter- the saddest one for me. War is a ter- to the Bishop Hill area where he an in the Grand Army of the Re- rible thing. But nothing is worse than became a photographer, house- and public. He also painted Capt. Eric to walk over the battlefield after the sign painter, and portrait artist in Johnson in civilian attire, plus a uni- fighting. Today, I went out with the Galva. For the Bishop Hill Colony’s formed portrait of Maj. Eric Forsse, party detailed to bury the dead. We 50th anniversary in 1896, he was who in 1869 led a group of 50 settlers buried all of the regiment together, commissioned to do a series of paint- to found the town of Falun, Kansas. right where our flag stood during the ings, depicting Bishop Hill life and The exhibit contains photographs of fight. The slaughter on both sides is colonists as they began their Ameri- Maj. Erik Berglund (Eric Bergland), terrible...The place is marked so it can adventure. His subjects either who had the distinction of becoming can be easily found by those who in loved or hated those paintings, but the first Swede to graduate from the the future may wish to see where

Swedish American Genealogist 2012:3 11 U.S. Military Academy, after Civil Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 1887. p. we are to go to Chicago to fill up the war service as a staff officer in the 116. regiment, and after that to go to St. 57th. He later returned to the Acad- 3) Paul W. Gates, The Campaign of the Louis…” emy as instructor, then continued a Illinois Central Railroad for Nor- 7) Eric Johnson & C. F. Peterson, Svensk- wegian and Swedish Immigrants, distinguished military career as an arne i Illinois. Chicago 1880, pp. 55- Norwegian-American Historical As- 58. engineer officer.10 sociation, vol. VI, Northfield, MN. 8) Illinois Historic Preservation Agency A special Civil war display is part 4) Lucien B. Crooker, The Story of the 55th historian Mark Johnson, Springfield, of that museum. It shows not only Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry in IL, has provided translated copies of weapons and musical instruments the Civil War 1861-1865, 1887, con- the Eric Forsse recruiting letters, the used by D Company, but a collection tains a frank appraisal of Malmborg, published journal of Lt. Eric Johnson, of translated Civil War letters writ- including dismissed court martial and letter of Charles Valentine. ten by members of the unit. charges brought against him as com- 9) D Company deaths at Shiloh were only th In 1967, researchers at Bishop Hill mander of the 55 . His unit’s service Charles Green (Myrtengren) of Bishop at Shiloh on 6 April 1862 was vital to from Sweden’s Museum of National Hill and Adolf Johnson of Princeton, Grant’s successful defense of his but over the next several months at Antiquities [Nordiska Muséet] re- threatened lines on the first day. Corinth, deaths were Andrew Ander- covered and re-recorded Edison wax Malmborg’s regiment, using the Eu- son 4 October, Otto Peal(sic) 3 October, cylinder recordings of its fife and ropean “hollow square” formation, Jonas Westhund(sic) 9 July, and Olof drummer playing “Yankee Doodle,” a held the Federals’ vital left wing near Wixtrum(sic) of Bishop Hill 7 October, Bishop Hill quartette singing “Dixie,” Pittsburg Landing, despite being Eric Hedberg of Galva 10 July, Jonas and a Swedish-language adaptation nearly surrounded. They participated Moberg of Andover 24 August, and of Henry Clay Work’s 1865 classic, in the second day’s successful coun- George Rodeen, 7 August 1863. “Marching through Georgia,” (Ox- terattack. The 55th suffered 1 officer 10) The Major Eric Bergland Collection and 51 enlisted killed, and 9 officers pojkarnas sång).11 They add impact (Hayes-30), Rutherford B. Hayes and 190 enlisted wounded, with an- Presidential Center, Fremont, Ohio, to the museum’s collection and its in- other 26 captured, out of a total unit contains copies of his Civil War diaries terpretation of that terrible war. strength of 512 men. and letters, and researcher Phillip 5) John Huddleston, Killing Ground: Stoneberg’s interview about Berg- For more reading: Photographs of the Civil War and the land’s memories of life in Bishop Hill. Changing American Landscape. 2002, Barnickel, Linda A. We Enlisted As 11) Sweden’s Royal Library, (Kungliga Johns Hopkins University Press. Biblioteket), in Stockholm, holds a Patriots: The Civil War Record of 6) Birge’s Western Sharpshooters were nd database of those Bishop Hill record- Battery G, 2 Illinois Light Artillery. training at Benton Barracks, MO. Its ings, titled “Svensk mediedatabas Heritage Books, 1998. C and F companies were already being Bishop Hill: Edison 6”. A listing of Daniel, Larry. Shiloh: The Battle recruited largely from western Illinois recordings may be accessed at website: That Changed the Civil War, 1997. and eastern Iowa. It later became the http://smdb.kb.se/catalog/id/ Hannings, Bud. Every Day of the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regi- 001540642 Civil War, Chronological Ency- ment. Eric Bergland’s diary for 27 clopedia. 2010. October notes: “The Captain got orders to march at daybreak today and made Kvist, Roger. The Swedish Union ready. Accordingly at 4 o’clock in the Guards of Bishop Hill During the morning (we) marched out to town and Civil War, Swedish American Genea- from there to Trenton, a distance of logist (SAG), Vol XVI, No. 3, Septem- about 12 miles, where we got on a boat ber 1996. and steamed down the river for St. Nelson, Nels. Swedish-American Louis.” On 29 October he wrote: “We Boys in Blue. Prärieblomman 1907, arrived at Alton about 11:00 o’clock pp. 170-187, Rock Island, IL. (C Com- and we were stopped there by a can- pany, Illinois 43rd Volunteer Infantry non ball which struck the boat in the bow and made us make for the shore, Regiment). where we were taken prisoners…to Olson, E.W. & Engberg, Martin J. the old penitentiary at Alton till night, History of the Swedes of Illinois, Part when we went on the train to Camp 1, Chicago, IL 1908. Butler.” On 7 November he wrote: “The officers came back at about 9:00 Endnotes: last night with a petition to the Governor to let us go to St. Louis right 1) U.S. Grant, ”The Battle of Shiloh,” The away, which the boys signed, after Century Magazine, vol. XXIX, Feb. which the officers went back to Spring- 1885. field again. They are gone today, hard 2) Lucien B. Crooker, Henry Stedman at work at Springfield.” On Friday, 8 Norse, and a committee of the regi- November he noted: “The Captain ment, The Story of the 55th Regiment, returned tonight with the news that A Union soldier on guard duty. Illustrerad Tidning, Sweden, 1862 Apr. 26. 12 Swedish American Genealogist 2012:3