Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Hans Christian Hansen was born in Norway. He joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company B. The men of the company called themselves the “Wergeland Guards” in honor of Henrik Wergeland, the famous Norwegian writer and poet.

The army listed Hansen as living in La Crosse, La Crosse County, WI, age 24, a farmer, and unmarried. He had blue eyes, light hair, light complexion, and stood 5’6½”. He enlisted for three years on December 16, 1861 at La Crosse, and mustered on December 20, 1861 at Madison, WI as a Private (Menig). He was assigned as Quartermaster at Chattanooga, TN on November 28, 1863. He re-enlisted for three years as a Veteran on January 1, 1864 at Strawberry Plains, TN, and re-mustered on April 25, 1864 at McDonald’s Station, TN. He had a bounty of $400. He was to be given 30-days furlough in WI sometime before the end of his original term of service. He was given this re-enlistment leave on May 3, 1864. He was temporarily assigned to Company H of the 15th WI Infantry at Whiteside, TN on December 20, 1864. He was transferred to I Company of WI 13th Infantry. He mustered out on July 3, 1865 at Chattanooga.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-3,14; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol,20, p.16; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, compiled circa 1885, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.14; Det Femtende Regiment. Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett, Decorah, IA, 1894, p.353; Nordmændene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.252; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.292.