Civil War Soldiers Record Database

Ole Christenson was born in Norway. He joined the WI 15th Infantry, Company K. The company called itself “Clausen’s Guards” in honor of the 15th’s first Chaplain, Claus L. Clausen. Most of the company was recruited from Scandinavian communities in MN and IA, with the rest from WI.

The army listed Christenson as living in Windsor, Dane County, WI, a laborer, and age 40. He had brown eyes, brown hair, dark complexion, and stood 5’5”. He enlisted for three years on January 5, 1864 at Madison, WI, and mustered there on January 11, 1864 as a Private (Menig) and recruit. He joined the regiment at Strawberry Plains, VA on March 31, 1864. He was wounded at New Hope Church, GA on May 27, 1864. He transferred to Company H on February 10, 1865. Christenson was temporarily assigned to the Wisconsin 24th Infantry. He transferred to I Company of the WI 13th Infantry on June 10, 1865. He died of jaundice in the field hospital of the 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, at Green Lake, TX on July 27, 1865. His widow, Olea Christenson, filed a pension on November 21, 1865. His grandson, Andreas Nelson, filed a pension on July 3, 1867.

Sources: Series 1200: Records of Civil War Regiments, 1861-1900, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office box 58-13; Regimental Muster and Descriptive Rolls, 1861-1865, Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office, vol.18, p.172, vol.20, p.142; Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion, Wm. DeLoss Love, 1866, Church and Goodman, Chicago, p.1078; Det Femtende Regiment, Wisconsin Frivillige [The Fifteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers], Ole A. Buslett, Decorah, IA, 1894, p.556; Nordmændene i Amerika, Martin Ulvestad, 1907, History Book Co., Minneapolis, MN, p.274; Oberst Heg og hans gutter, Waldemar Ager, 1916, Fremad Pub. Co., Eau Claire, WI, p.317; The Military History of Wisconsin in the War for the Union, Edwin B. Quiner, 1866, Clarke & Co., Chicago, p.629; Civil War Pension Index, Roll #T288_82.