Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Simen Thorvald Amundsen was born on the Ovren farm, Fåberg parish, Oppland, Norway, the son of Amund Olsen Ovren and Synnøv Simensdatter Borud. He came to America in 1852. As Simon Amundson, he joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company E. The men of the company called themselves “Odin’s Rifles.”

The army listed Amundson as living in Coon Prairie, Bad Ax (Vernon) County, WI, age 27, and unmarried. He enlisted for three years on October 23, 1861, at La Crosse, WI, and mustered on December 10, 1861, at Madison, WI, as a Corporal (Korporal). He was left sick in Bowling Green, KY, on November 4, 1862. Amundson went missing from a train on September 20, 1863, at Dug Gap, GA. He had been taken prisoner by the enemy. He died in Libby prison, Richmond, VA, date unknown.

Sources: Series 1200 box 76-7; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol. 20, p. 70; Payroll muster rolls of WI 15th Co E, saved by Captain T. A. Rossing; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett, 1894, B. Anundsen, Decorah, IA, p. 471; Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, Wm. DeLoss Love, 1866. Church and Goodman, Chicago, p. 1081; Nordmaendene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p. 262; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p. 303; “Coon Valley”, pub 1928 by Upper Coon Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church, Coon Valley, WI; Fåberg of Lillehammer Utvandringe, Fåberg Historielag, 1986, copy at NAHA; Fåberg parish register copy #4, born and baptized, p. 270, digitalarkivet.no.