15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment

The 15th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, more popularly known as the "Scandinavian Regiment", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service
The 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment was originally formed by Col. Hans Christian Heg at Camp Randall, near Madison, Wisconsin. The majority of its members were Norwegians immigrants (some records state as many as 90%), with the rest mainly Danish, Swedish and Dutch immigrants. The regiment was organized at Madison, Wisconsin and mustered into Federal service January 31, 1862. The regiment was mustered out of service by company between December 1, 1864 and February 13, 1865.

Major Campaigns
The 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment was a participant in a number of major battles conducted by the Union Army during the Civil War.
 * The Battle of Island Number Ten
 * The Battle of Perryville (October 8, 1862)
 * The Battle of Stones River (December 31, 1862 - January 2, 1863)
 * The Tullahoma Campaign (June 24 - July 3, 1863)
 * Battle of Chickamauga (September 19 – 20, 1863)
 * Battle of Resaca (May 13 – May 15, 1864)
 * The Battle of Peachtree Creek (July 20, 1864)
 * Battle of Atlanta (July 22 - August 25. 1864)
 * Battle of Jonesborough (August 31  – September 1, 1864)

Casualties
The 15th Wisconsin suffered eight officers and 86 enlisted men who were killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another one officer and 241 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 336 fatalities.

Hans Christian Heg

 * Colonel Hans Christian Heg served from September 30, 1861 until his death on September 20, 1863. Colonel Heg was killed in action in the Battle of Chickamauga.

Other sources

 * Buslett, Ole Amundsen Det Femtende Regiment Wisconsin Frivillige (Decorah, Iowa, 1894) Norwegian
 * Estabrook, Charles E, ed. Records and sketches of military organizations: population, legislation, election and other statistics relating to Wisconsin in the period of the Civil War (Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 1914)
 * Current, Richard Nelson The History of Wisconsin, The Civil War Era, 1848-1873 (Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin. 1976)