Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Gahr Anunsen was born at Hagebustad, Norway. He came to America with his parents, his brother, his wife and two children. He joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company A. The men of the company called themselves the “St. Olaf’s Rifles.” They were also known as the “Sailor Company” because of the large number of seamen in its ranks, and as the “Chicago Company” because so many of its members were residents of that city.

The army listed Annunsen as living in Madison, Dane County, WI, and married. He enlisted for three years on October 29, 1861 at Madison, and mustered there on November 15, 1861 as a Private (Menig). He was wounded severely in the battle of Stones River, TN on December 31, 1862, and sent to hospital in Nashville, TN. He was sick in Stevenson, AL from August 27, 1863. He transferred to the Invalid Corps (name changed to Veterans Reserve Corps) on September 1, 1863 per orders from Major General Rosecrans. After the war, he was married to Tobine Dybvig (?).

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-3; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.14; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillage [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett, Decorah, IA, 1895, p.344; Nordmændene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.269; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Publ. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.290; The Military History of Wisconsin in the War for the Union, Edwin B. Quiner, 1866, Clarke & Co., Chicago, p.621; Dolores Pederson, North Branch, MN. She has photos.