Henry Steen
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Name at Enlist | Henry Steen |
Birth Name | Henry Steen |
Lived | 20 Sep 1843 – 21 Mar 1938 |
Birth Place | Oslo |
Birth Country | Norway |
Resident of Muster-In | Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa |
Rank at Enlistment | Corporal |
Muster Date | 11 Feb 1864 |
Death Location | Soldiers Home in Retsil, Washington |
Burial Location | Old Soldiers Cemetery at Retsil, Washington |
Mother | Ingeborg (Terptad) Steen |
Father | Throne Steen |
Immigration | 1853 |
Spouse | Inger Admundson (Chilson?) |
Spouse Lived | ?-7 Jan 1882 |
Married On | 17 May 1866 |
Marriage Location | Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa |
2nd Spouse | Emma Lucille Sprauge |
2nd Marriage Date | 15 Sep 1885 |
2nd Marriage Location | Golden Spring, Nebraska |
Henry Steen was born September 20, 1843 near Oslo, Norway. He was one of the six Civil War sons of Throne and Ingeborg (Terptad) Steen of Glenwood Township, east of Decorah, Iowa. They came to America in 1853. He joined the IA 12th Infantry, Company G. The army listed him as living in Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa and age 18. He enlisted for three years on October 21, 1861 and mustered on November 5, 1861 at Dubuque, Iowa as a Private (Menig). The 12th Iowa was part of the 15th and 16th Army Corps of the Army of Tennessee. Steen took part in battles for Fort Henry and Fort Donelson on February 1862.
He was missing in battle of Shiloh, Tennessee on April 6, 1862 and captured by Rebel forces. He was sent to Libby prison in Richmond, Virginia, was paroled on May 28, and was back with his company by August 31, 1862. He took part in the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi in July 1863 and the capture of Jackson, Mississippi on August 1863.
On December 25, 1863, Steen re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer and re-mustered on January 5, 1864 and promoted to Corporal (Korporal) on February 11, 1864. He fought in the battles of Nashville, Tennessee on December 13-14, 1864; Spanish Fort, Alabama on April 12, 1865; Fort Blakeley, Alabama; and the capture of Mobile, Alabama. He mustered out on January 20, 1866, at Memphis, Tennessee.
After the war, he married Mrs. Inger Admundson (Chilson?) on May 17, 1866 at Decorah and had five children. Inger died January 7, 1882. Henry became a merchant in Oakland, Nebraska and he married Emma Lucille Sprauge on September 15, 1885 at Golden Spring, Nebraska. Together, they had two children. Later, he moved to Manassas, Virginia, where he worked as a guard at the Mannassas National Battlefield Park. From there, he moved to the state of Washington. In 1925, he entered the Soldier’s Home in Retsil, Washington. He died aged 94 on March 21, 1938 at Retsil. He buried in Old Soldiers Cemetery at Retsil.
Sources: ISW-II p.531; ”Steen Family History” by Orlando C. Scholl, publ. 1964; DGA obituaries; Winneshiek County Marriage Records.