Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Jens Larsen was enlisted under the name James Larson in the 15th Wisconsin by Captain Mons Grinager on January 25, 1862, for a 3 year term of service. That same day James was appointed to the rank of regimental Commissary Sergeant on the 15th Field & Staff. James was mustered into Federal service at the rank of Commissary Sergeant on February 28, 1862, at Camp Randall, near the City of Madison, Dane County, State of Wisconsin. At the time he was 27 years old, married, and the father of 2 children: Mary S., born June, 1859; and Elina B., born 1861. His residence was listed as the Town of Perry, Dane County, Wisconsin.

After only a few days at Camp Randall learning to be a soldier, Commissary Sergeant Larson left there on March 2, 1862, with the regiment to join the war. From then until September, 1862 he was listed as "present" with the 15th. As such he would have participated in the successful siege of Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River in the State of Tennessee, and the surprise raid on Union City, Tennessee, in March and April, 1862. Starting June 11, 1862, he would have left Island No. 10 with the 15th to go on campaign though Tennessee and the States of Mississippi and Alabama that summer.

At the recommendation of Colonel Hans C. Heg, commander of the 15th, the Governor of Wisconsin commissioned Commissary Sergeant Larson as the 2nd Lieutenant of Company C on July 6, 1862, with rank from July 9, 1862. He replaced 2nd Lieutenant John T. Rice who had been promoted to be the 1st Lieutenant of Company C. The men of Company C called themselves the "Norway Bear Hunters," but it was also known as the regimental Color (flag) Company.

In August and September, 1862, Lieutenant Larson would have participated in the grueling 400 mile forced march retreat from Iuka, Mississippi up to the City of Louisville, State of Kentucky. The latter half of the retreat was led by U.S. Major General Don Carlos Buell and the 15th’ds soldiers suffered through on half rations and very little drinking water. Starting September 6, 1862, Lieutenant Larson was listed as "absent as brigade commissary."

Lieutenant Larson returned to the 15th from duty as brigade commissary sometime in January or February, 1863. During the intervening months the 15th participated in the October 8, 1862, fighting at the Village of Perryville, Boyle County, Kentucky, and the cold, wet, and bloody fighting at Stone River, Tennessee (also known as the battle of Murfreesboro) in late December 1862 into early January 1863. It is there that the 15th first suffered serious battle casualties, and was cited for bravery.

The 15th camped in the Murfreesboro area for the next 6 months, except for 2 weeks in February when it was sent to the Town of Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee. By the order of Colonel Heg, Lieutenant Larson was again absent as brigade commissary (3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 20th Corps, Army of the Cumberland), beginning May 1, 1863. The 15th was part of the 3rd Brigade, which was commanded by Col. Heg. Starting June 23, 1863, the regiment took part with the brigade in the Tullahoma campaign led by U.S. Major General William S. Rosecrans. On July 3, 1863, the 15th and the brigade went into camp for 6 weeks at the Town of Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee.

Lieutenant Larson was next listed as " present" with the 15th starting sometime in July or August, 1863. On August 17, 1863, Lieutenant Larson left Winchester with the 15th to participate in General Rosecran’s Chickamauga campaign. Lieutenant Larson is believed to have been present at the daring early morning crossing of the Tennessee River on August 28th, which the 15th led.

On September 1, 1863, Lieutenant Larson was detached from the regiment and sent to take "charge of the supply train" of the 1st Division by order of Brigadier GeneralJefferson C. Davis. Lieutenant Larson was present at the September 19-20, 1863, fighting at Chickamauga in the State of Georgia — the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War. In his after action report on the battle, General Davis stated that there were no casualties suffered by the Division supply train, so it is believed that Lieutenant Larson was never near the actual fighting. Some 63% of the 15th’s soldiers who fought at Chickamauga were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.

Right after the battle Lieutenant Larson would have retreated with the defeated Federal army to the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which the Confederates then laid siege to. The siege resulted in severe shortages of medicine, food, and firewood which, together with cold, wet weather, caused much suffering, sickness, and death. Starting October 13, 1863, most of the 15th was assigned as guards with an Army supply wagon train from Chattanooga, over the mountains to the Federal depot at the Town of Stevenson, Alabama. This was by all accounts a physically challenging and dangerous trip. The 15th’s men were once again back in Chattanooga in early November, 1863. Sometime in November or December Lieutenant Larson became ill and was listed as "absent sick" at Chattanooga.

The Confederate siege was finally broken by the Union Army’s victorious charge up nearby Mission Ridge on November 25, 1863, which the 15th took part in. Starting right after that the 15th was engaged in almost non-stop marching and counter-marching all over Eastern Tennessee throughout the winter of 1863/1864. By many original accounts, this was the worst period of the regiment’s 3 year term of service. Poor rations, inadequate clothing and shelter, and unseasonably cold weather made these months nearly unbearable.

Lieutenant Larson was again "present" with the 15th starting sometime in January or February, 1864. For a time he was the temporary commander of Company A. The men of Company A called themselves the "St. Olaf’s Rifles," but were also known as the "Sailor Company" because many of them were mariners, and as the "Chicago Company" because many were residents of that city.

In March, 1864, Lieutenant Larson served as "acting post commander" of the Federal Army garrison at Strawberry Plains, Jefferson County, Tennessee, just east of Knoxville. This post protected an important railroad bridge there. In April, 1864, Lieutenant Larson was detached from the 15th on "service at brigade headquarters" as"ambulance director." In this assignment he was responsible for the men and wagons that transported the brigade’s wounded to field hospitals for treatment.

Starting in May, 1864, the 15th took part with its brigade in the famous campaign led by U.S. Major General William T. Sherman to capture the City of Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta Campaign was marked by almost daily marching and/or combat for 4 months, and much use of the ambulance service that Lieutenant Larson was responsible for. The 15th and its brigade took part in the fighting at Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia, in early May, at the bloody Battle of Resaca, Georgia, on May 14-15, and at the disastrous Battle of Pickett’s Mill (often called Dallas or New Hope Church), Georgia, on May 27, 1864. There the 15th suffered 50% casualties.

The 15th and its brigade also took part in the fighting at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, on June 23, before Atlanta on July 22, at Jonesboro, Georgia, on September 1, and at Lovejoy Station, Georgia, on September 4, 1864. After the capture of Atlanta in early September, 1864, Lieutenant Larson was granted 20 days of medical leave in Wisconsin to recover from what A.F. St. Lindsfelt, Chief Surgeon of 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, described as "scobutic eruption and chronic diarrhea."

Starting in early October, 1864, the 15th was briefly assigned to Provost (police) duty in Chattanooga. This was followed by several months spent guarding a railroad bridge at Whitesides, Tennessee, near Chattanooga. Some of the 15th’s soldiers felt that this was the easiest duty of their entire war service.

Lieutenant Larson returned to the 15th at Whitesides sometime in October, 1864. At the recommendation of the 15th’s then commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ole C. Johnson, the Governor of Wisconsin commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Larson as the 1st Lieutenant of Company C on October 19, 1864. However, Larson was never mustered into the Federal Army at the higher rank.

Lieutenant Larson was mustered out of Federal service along with most of the other surviving members of Company C on January 1, 1865, at Chattanooga, upon the end of his 3 year term of service. The men of Company C were then sent back by railroad train to Madison, Wisconsin, paid off, and released back to civilian life.

After returning home to his family, James and his wife had 8 more children: William Ludwig, born September, 1865; Henrietta, born 1867; Theodore, born 1869; John T., born 1870; Stella, born 1871 (all in Wisconsin); Albert, born 1874; Laura C., born August, 1876; and Martha, born 1878 (all in the State of Iowa).

At some point James worked in the newspaper business and edited a Norwegian language newspaper for many years. And at some point after the war he began using Lee as his last name, as described in the following from an 1885 pension affidavit by his friend Ole A. Anderson.

"I knew him in 1856 & 1857. We were on board of a sail vessel as sailors on the lakes for several months in 1856 and up to December of that year, then were together out in the country through the winter following. At that time he went by the name James Larson which signifies in the Norwegian custom James the son of Lars and he informed me that the name of the farm his father lived on in Norway was called "Lee" and since I have known him here in Iowa he has added that farm name to the James Larson. We are both Norwegians and it is quite a common custom with Norwegians to add the farm name for their last name."

From 1892 to 1908 James and his family homesteaded in what later became the State of Montana. Starting in 1909 James and his wife lived in Wenatchee, Washington. His wife passed away there in 1912, and he followed her a year later at age 78. According to his obituary he died of "a complication of pneumonia and Bright’s Disease."

Sources: Genealogical data by Jen’s Great Grandson William M. Lee; Civil War Compiled Military Service Records by Office of Adjutant General of the United States (Washington, DC); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1895); Regimental Descriptive Rolls, Volume 20 Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1885); Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Volume I Office of the Adjutant General State of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, 1886).