Civil War Soldiers Record Database

In December 1862, Knud J. Sime was actively recruiting many of the men who served in Company H in the 15th WI. The men of the company called themselves “Heg’s Rifles” in honor of the 15th’s first commander, Colonel Hans C. Heg. They were also known as the “Voss Company” because many of them had come from the Voss area in Norway.

As a result of Knud’s recruiting success, Colonel Heg recommended to the Governor of WI that Sime be appointed as the commander of Company H. The Governor agreed and issued him a Captain’s commission dated February 11, 1862, to rank from January 17, 1862. Knud was mustered into Federal service as a Captain (Kaptein) on February 13, 1862, at Camp Randall near Madison, Dane County, WI. At the time he was listed as 27 years old and not married. His residence was recorded as Cambridge, Dane County, WI.

After only 6 weeks at Camp Randall learning to be an officer, Captain Sime left there on March 2, 1862, with his company and regiment to join the war. From then until May 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 TN and the surprise raid on Union City, TN in March and April 1862.

However, on May 3, 1862, at Island No. 10, Captain Sime submitted a letter asking to resign his officer’s commission and leave the Army. His letter was endorsed by Colonel Heg and passed up the chain of command for review and approval. On May 10, 1862, Captain Sime’s resignation was officially approved “agreeable to G.O. [General Order] # 150 from Maj. Gen. [Major General Henry] Hallack”.

Colonel Heg filled the vacancy caused by Captain Sime’s resignation by promoting 2nd lieutenant George Wilson of Company B to be the new Captain of Company H. The following is taken from a letter written June 4, 1862, at Island No. 10, by Private Lars O. Dokken of Company H:

“We have just gotten a new captain by the name of George Wilson from Madison. He is a very kind fellow. Our former captain (Knud Sime) was discharged for incompetence and has now returned home.”

After returning from the Army, Knud Sime is said to have attended Albion Academy in Albion, Dane County, WI before moving to Chicago, IL. There he is said to have married a woman of German background and died at a young age. Buslett’s 1895 history of the 15th WI says this about Knud J. Sime:

“Captain Sime was only with the Regiment for a short time, and his greatest service consisted almost entirely of recruiting Company H. He probably resigned for the very same reason as Captain [Andrew] Torkildson resigned.* Knud Sime was the son of Iver Sime, a noncommissioned officer from Norway, and they were very good people.”

*Buslett states that Captain Torkildson resigned because he grew “tired of life at war.”

Sources:  Norwegian Immigrants to the United States. A Biographical Directory, 1825-1850. Volume Two 1844-1846, Gerhard B. Naeseth, edited by Blaine Hedberg, 1997, Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, IA, p. 210, ID 148; Historie om Udvandringen fra Voss og Vossingerne i Amerika, Knut Rene; Oberst Heg og hans gutter [Colonel Heg and His Boys], Waldemar Ager (Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1916); Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett (Decorah, Iowa, 1894); 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); genealogical data from Jinger Mandt;