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Iver Torkelson

15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
The Scandinavian Regiment
Iver  Torkelson Profile Image
Wisconsin Historical Society, Iconography, ID 88461

Database Record Change Request

Name at Enlist

Iver Torkelson

Birth Name
Lived

Nov 1839 – 13 Dec 1901

Birth Place

Ulvik, Hardanger

Birth Country

Norway

Resident of Muster-In

Melrose, Jackson County, WI

Company at Enlistment

H

Rank at Enlistment

Sergeant

Muster Date

16 Jan 1862

Death Location

Black River Falls, WI

Immigration

1854

Spouse

Martina

Spouse Lived

1844-

Married On

1865

Iver Torkelson was born in November 1839 at Ulvik, Hardanger, Norway. He 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 Melrose, Jackson County, WI, age 23, and unmarried. He enlisted for three years on December 4, 1861 at La Crosse, WI and mustered at Madison, WI on February 13, 1862. He was designated Sergeant (Sersjant) on January 16, 1862. On July 28, 1862, he was sent to hospital in Farmington, MS. He was assigned to the Pioneer Corps on November 26, 1862 and then transferred to the Veterans Reserve Corps at Strawberry Plains, VA on March 25, 1864. He was discharged from the service at Chicago, IL on December 19, 1864, his term having expired.

After the war, he married Martina in 1865. Their children were Josephine (1866), Ida (3/1870), Julia (1872), Theodor (1874), Martin (10/1878), and Francis (11/1886). They lived in Franklin, then Black River Falls, WI. He was Registrar of Deeds for seven years. He was appointed postmaster for four years in Black River Falls, WI beginning on October 16, 1889. He died on December 31, 1901.

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.112; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.281, photo; p.311; Ole A. Buslett, Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] (Decorah, Iowa, 1894), p.577; Martin Ulvestad, Nordmændene i Amerika, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.261; Lars Gjertveit, Bodo, Norway; 1880 Census, Roll: 1429; Family History Film: 1255429; Page: 314C; Enumeration District: 076; 1900 Census, Roll: 1792, Page: 7B, Enumeration District: 0044, FHL microfilm: 1241792; U.S., Civil War Pension Index, Roll # T288_476; Appointments of U.S. Postmasters, 1832-1971; WI Deaths 1820-1907, Vol. #54, p.720.