Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Toger Peterson was born “Torger Pedersen Lillelien” on December 25, 1834 in Gausdal, Oppland, Norway, son of Peder Torgersen Lillelien and Anne Johannesdatter Solberg. He came to America with his parents and siblings, leaving Østre Gausdal April 18, 1848, coming to the town of Lebanon, Dodge County, WI, and moved later to the town of  St. Lawrence, Waupaca County. The Wesley surname apparently came form the Vesterlie subfarm on the Lillelien farm. He and his brother, Ole, joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company I. The men of the company called themselves the “Scandinavian Mountaineers” but were also known as the “Waupaca Company” because so many of them were living in that Wisconsin county when they enlisted.

The army listed him as living in Scandinavia, Waupaca County, WI, age 26. and unmarried. He enlisted for three years on October 30, 1861 at Scandinavia and mustered at Madison, WI on December 20, 1861 as a Corporal (Korporal). On June 3, 1862, he is listed as having been sick in Mound City, IL since April 6, 1862. He was absent without leave on October 13, 1862 and absent without leave in Waupaca, WI on October 30, 1862. He transferred to WI 15th Infantry, Company D on April, 21 1863 on orders from Colonel Heg. He was sick in Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO, and sent from there to the hospital in Nashville on June 28, 1863; sick at Manchester; sick at Murfreesboro on July 2, 1863; and sick at Keokuk, IA. Peterson mustered out at Madison, WI on February 13, 1865. His bounty of $100 was still due him. After the war, he married Anne Severine Christiansdatter (1828-1914) and lived in Garfield, WI. He died in 1905 and buried in South New Hope Cemetery, Iola, WI.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, boxes 76-11, 79-2; Regimental muster and descriptive rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.62,126; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1894), p.455; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.302; Nordmaendene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.340; Norwegian Immigrants to the United States. A Biographical Directory, 1825-1850. Volume 3. 1847-1848,  Gerhard B. Naeseth, edited by Blaine Hedberg, 2000, Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, IA, p. 229, ID 1817; Blaine Hedberg, NAGC&NL;  Gausdal parish register #6, born and baptised, p. 58, #7, out-migrated, p. 285, digitalarkivet.no; Liste over gårder i Gausdal, Wikipedia.