Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Bjorn Thompson 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 WI county when they enlisted.

The army listed him as living in Chippewa, Chippewa County, WI, age 33, and unmarried. He enlisted for three years on November 5, 1861 at Bloomer, Chippewa County, WI and mustered at Madison, WI on December 20, 1861 as a Private (Menig). He was sick in Chattanooga, TN in September 1863. Thompson was with the provisions transport from Stevenson, AL in October 1863. He mustered out with Company I on February 10, 1865 at Chattanooga. After the war, he married Brynild Olsdatter in 1866 in Big Elk Creek Norsk Lutherske, Wheaton Twp, Chippewa, WI. He died in 1909.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, box 76-11; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.20, p.134; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers] by Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1894), p.609; Martin Ulvestad, Nordmaendene i Amerika, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.334; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.280, photo, p.316, e.51; “Notes of a Civil War Soldier“ by Bersven Nelson, pub. in Norwegian-American Studies, vol. 26, by NAHA, 1974; Civil War Pension Index, Roll #T288_470; Wisconsin Marriage Records, Batch#M53064-1, GS Film #1216585.