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Thomas A. Sanvig

15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
The Scandinavian Regiment

Database Record Change Request

Name at Enlist

Thomas A. Sanvig

Birth Name
Other Names

Sandvig

Lived

ca. 1840 – ca. 1878

Birth Place

Lyster

Birth Country

Norway

Resident of Muster-In

Rising Sun, Crawford County, WI

Company at Enlistment

H

Rank at Enlistment

Private

Muster Date

13 Feb 1862

Death Location

Vernon County, WI

Spouse

Betsey

Spouse Lived

12 Jun 1843- 17 Sep 1919

Thomas A. Sanvig joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company H. The men of the company called themselves “Heg’s Rifles” in honor of the 15th commander, Colonel Hans C. Heg. They were also known as the “Voss Company” because of a large number of them who were from the Voss region of Norway.

The army listed him as living in Rising Sun, Crawford County, WI, born in Lyster, Norway, age 21, and unmarried. He enlisted for three years on January 25, 1862 at Vernon, WI, and mustered at Madison, WI on February 13, 1862 as a Private (Menig). Sanvig left sick in Mississippi River Island No. 10, on June 11, 1862. On December 31, 1862, he was seriously wounded at Stones River, TN and sent to hospital in Nashville, TN, and from there to a convalescent center. He was sick in Chattanooga, TN on November 28, 1863. Sanvig mustered out with Company H on February 15, 1865 at Chattanooga.

After the war, he married Betsey. She filed for a Civil War Pension in Thomas’ name as his widow in 1878. He died in Vernon County, WI.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-10; Regimental muster and descriptive rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin; Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.118; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1894), p.573; Nordmaendene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.327; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.311; Blaine Hedberg, NAGC&NL; Civil War Pension Index, Roll #T288_412; findagrave.com.