15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.



Brief History
The 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and it was mustered in February 14, 1862. This regiment was also known as the Scandinavian Regiment since almost all of the soldiers were from Norway with some from Denmark and Sweden.

Companies "A," "B" and "E" were mustered out December 1, 1864; Company "C" was mustered out January 1; Companies "F" and "G" were mustered out January 14; Companies "I" and "K" February 11; and Companies "D" and "H" were mustered out February 13, 1865.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 15th Regiment Infantry, (accessed 16 November 2012).
 * The Wikipedia Article, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment, (accessed 16 November 2012).

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,346 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

The following company links are to rosters taken from Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, found on the Internet Archives web site. The rosters show the men who served in each regiment, their residences, dates of enlistment and mustering out, and other remarks.

Company A - many men from Chicago, Illinois and Boone County, Illinois - Roster page 805.

Company B - many men from Dane County - Roster page 808.

Company C - many men from Racine County - Roster page 810.

Company D - many men from Waukesha County - Roster page 812.

Company E - many men from Dane County - Roster page 814.

Company F - many men from Manitowoc County - Roster page 816.

Company G - many men from Rock County - Roster page 819.

Company H - many men from Dane County and several men from Clermont, Fayette County, Iowa- Roster page 821.

Company I - many men from Waupaca County and Pepin County - Roster page 824.

Company K - many men from Freeborn County, Minnesota, Winneshiek County, Iowa, Worth County, Iowa, and Fillmore County, Minnesota - Roster page 826.

Unassigned Recruits Roster page 829.

Regimental History and Roster

 * Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, by Wisconsin. Adjutant-general's Office, Publisher Madison, Wis., Democrat Printing Co., 1914, Online at:Internet Archive

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Wisconsin in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Wisconsin in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Wisconsin, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Ager, Waldemar Theodor. Oberst Heg og hans gutter. (Washington [District of Columbia]: Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1981), and (Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, c1993),.


 * Buslett, Ole Amundson. Det Femtende Regiment Wisconsin frivillige. (Washington [District of Columbia]: Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1988), and (Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, c1993),.


 * Dietrichson, Peter Gabriel. En kortfattet skildring af det Femtende Wisconsin regiments historie og virksomhed under borgerkrigen : samt nogle korte track af fangernes ophold i Andersonville. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993),.


 * Enander, Johan Alfred, 1842-1910. Borgerkrigen i De forenede stater i Nord Amerika: med en kortfattet beretning om det 15de Wis. regiments deltagelse i krigen og et portræt af oberst H. C. Heg. (Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1993),.


 * United States. Army. Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, 15th (1862-1865). Det Skandinaviske Regiments historie (15de Wisconsin Regiment) : en kortfattet historie om dets organisation og de feldt-toge, hvori det tog del. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1993),.