Incidents in the USA that Affected the Swedish Settlers
There were many incidents during the second half of the 1800s that affected the Swedish settlers in their new country, events that made an imprint in their lives. An example of such an incident was the American Civil War 1861 - 1865 which affected the early immigrants from Sweden and other countries. Another such an incident that affected the settlers in Minnesota was the Dakota Uprising in 1862. Further, there were Swedish and other settlers who were struck by the situation that arose after the civil war with many outlaws robbing and killing out of greed - the Wild West.
The American Civil War 1861 - 1865
The American Civil War took place in the USA between 1861 and 1865. The Union faced secessionists in eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America. The Union won the war.Among the 34 US states in February 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the US to form the Confederate States of America.War broke out in April 1861 when Confederates attacked the US fortress of Fort Sumter. The Confederacy grew to include eleven states. The Confederacy was never diplomatically recognized by the United States government. The states that remained loyal, including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North. The war ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies and the dissolution of the Confederate government in the spring of 1865.The war had its origin in the factious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. About 3 million soldiers fought in the war and four years of intense combat left 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers dead, a higher number than the number of American military deaths in World War I and World War II combined, and much of the South's infrastructure was destroyed. The Confederacy collapsed and 4 million slaves were freed. The immigration to the USA more or less ceased during the civil war, to be resumed after 1865. Many young men fit for military service participated on both sides in the war. The majority of the men joined the army voluntary. Many Swedish immigrants joined up, most of them in the Union Army. To serve in the United States military, one did not need to be a United States citizen.Both sides used conscription as a device to encourage or force volunteering; relatively few were actually drafted and served. The US Congress passed a draft law in July 1862 for young men aged 18 to 35 authorizing a militia draft within a state when it could not meet its quota with volunteers. European immigrants joined the Union Army in large numbers, including Swedes.States and local communities offered higher and higher cash bonuses for volunteers. Congress tightened the law in March 1863. Men selected in the draft could provide substitutes or, until mid-1864, pay commutation money. The vast majority of troops were volunteers; however, of the 2,100,000 Union soldiers, about 2% were draftees, and another 6% were substitutes paid by draftees.Sweden passed a draft law in 1812 making it compulsory for all males at the age of 21 to undergo military training. Most Swedish male immigrants to the USA were therefore military trained prior to their emigration. These men were naturally coveted as soldiers by the Union Army. Some of the Swedish immigrants were professional officers and were given positions as officers in the Army.About 4,000 Swedes participated in the civil war, the majority in the Union Army. The Swedish settlers in the Bishop Hill Colony, IL, participated with their own company under the command of the former Sergeant of the Swedish Dal Regiment Erik Forsse who advanced to become a Major in the war.
Some of a the Swedish Officers in the Civil War
Hans Mattson - Colonel in the Union ArmyWhen the Civil War broke out in 1861 Mattson (who was military trained in Sweden) set up a company of volunteers, mostly Scandinavians. Mattson was appointed Captain for the company. In 1863 he was promoted Colonel of the Third Minnesota Regiment and served in the war until it ended in 1865. Charles John Stolbrand - Brigadier General in the Union Army When the American Civil War began in 1861, he organized an artillery company of volunteers where Stolbrand was the company commander with the rank of Captain. He was promoted to Major in December 1861, and commenced a most distinguished career as an officer of artillery.He was appointed Major in command of artillery at the post of Jackson, Tennessee, in September 1862. He directed General Logan's Division Artillery during the Vicksburg, Chattanooga Campaigns and was Chief of Artillery of XV Corps in the Atlanta Campaign.Promoted Colonel in May 1864, he commanded a brigade of Artillery, comprising ten batteries with 1,000 men and 46 guns. In May 1864, he was captured by a Confederate patrol but escaped and rejoined his command in October.Stolbrand participated in a great number of battles and was known to be a tactical military leader. At the end of January 1865 General William T. Sherman asked Stolbrand to carry some dispatches to Washington, D.C. for delivery to President Lincoln. One of the dispatches was a recommendation for Stolbrand's promotion and Lincoln, upon reading it, made him a Brigadier General on the spot.During the last months of the war, he commanded a brigade of the Illinois Infantry in the XVII Corps. He was mustered out in January 1866, and settled in Columbia, South Carolina where he engaged in politics and became a plantation owner. Frans Oscar Malmborg - Lieutenant Colonel in the Union ArmyOscar Malmborg emigrated from Sweden to the United States in 1846 and participated in the Mexican-American War (1846 – 1848). When the American Civil War broke out he went back into active service in the Army and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel in the Union Army in the 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. During the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 he temporarily assumed command of the Second Brigade, Fifth Division after Colonel David Stuart was badly wounded. In an official report on April 10, 1862, Colonel Stuart wrote of Malmborg, "He instantly perceived the aim of every movement made by the enemy; he could advise me quickly and prudently how to use my men. He was intent, careful, brave, and immensely valuable to me." General Ulysses S. Grant took notice and complimented him. He remained in that position until September 1864 and in January 1865 he was promoted Colonel of the First Veteran Army Corps and was ordered to oversee the recruiting in Illinois, with headquarters in Chicago. He resigned from this position on May 31, 1865.
There were many incidents during the second half of the 1800s that affected the Swedish settlers in their new country, events that made an imprint in their lives. An example of such an incident was the American Civil War 1861 - 1865 which affected the early immigrants from Sweden and other countries. Another such an incident that affected the settlers in Minnesota was the Dakota Uprising in 1862. Further, there were Swedish and other settlers who were struck by the situation that arose after the civil war with many outlaws robbing and killing out of greed - the Wild West.
The American Civil War 1861 -
1865
The American Civil War took place in the USA between 1861 and 1865. The Union faced secessionists in eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America. The Union won the war.Among the 34 US states in February 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the US to form the Confederate States of America.War broke out in April 1861 when Confederates attacked the US fortress of Fort Sumter. The Confederacy grew to include eleven states. The Confederacy was never diplomatically recognized by the United States government. The states that remained loyal, including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North. The war ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies and the dissolution of the Confederate government in the spring of 1865.The war had its origin in the factious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. About 3 million soldiers fought in the war and four years of intense combat left 620,000 to 750,000 soldiers dead, a higher number than the number of American military deaths in World War I and World War II combined, and much of the South's infrastructure was destroyed. The Confederacy collapsed and 4 million slaves were freed. The immigration to the USA more or less ceased during the civil war, to be resumed after 1865. Many young men fit for military service participated on both sides in the war. The majority of the men joined the army voluntary. Many Swedish immigrants joined up, most of them in the Union Army. To serve in the United States military, one did not need to be a United States citizen.Both sides used conscription as a device to encourage or force volunteering; relatively few were actually drafted and served. The US Congress passed a draft law in July 1862 for young men aged 18 to 35 authorizing a militia draft within a state when it could not meet its quota with volunteers. European immigrants joined the Union Army in large numbers, including Swedes.States and local communities offered higher and higher cash bonuses for volunteers. Congress tightened the law in March 1863. Men selected in the draft could provide substitutes or, until mid-1864, pay commutation money. The vast majority of troops were volunteers; however, of the 2,100,000 Union soldiers, about 2% were draftees, and another 6% were substitutes paid by draftees.Sweden passed a draft law in 1812 making it compulsory for all males at the age of 21 to undergo military training. Most Swedish male immigrants to the USA were therefore military trained prior to their emigration. These men were naturally coveted as soldiers by the Union Army. Some of the Swedish immigrants were professional officers and were given positions as officers in the Army.About 4,000 Swedes participated in the civil war, the majority in the Union Army. The Swedish settlers in the Bishop Hill Colony, IL, participated with their own company under the command of the former Sergeant of the Swedish Dal Regiment Erik Forsse who advanced to become a Major in the war.
Some of a the Swedish Officers in the Civil
War
Hans Mattson - Colonel in the Union ArmyWhen the Civil War broke out in 1861 Mattson (who was military trained in Sweden) set up a company of volunteers, mostly Scandinavians. Mattson was appointed Captain for the company. In 1863 he was promoted Colonel of the Third Minnesota Regiment and served in the war until it ended in 1865. Charles John Stolbrand - Brigadier General in the Union Army When the American Civil War began in 1861, he organized an artillery company of volunteers where Stolbrand was the company commander with the rank of Captain. He was promoted to Major in December 1861, and commenced a most distinguished career as an officer of artillery.He was appointed Major in command of artillery at the post of Jackson, Tennessee, in September 1862. He directed General Logan's Division Artillery during the Vicksburg, Chattanooga Campaigns and was Chief of Artillery of XV Corps in the Atlanta Campaign.Promoted Colonel in May 1864, he commanded a brigade of Artillery, comprising ten batteries with 1,000 men and 46 guns. In May 1864, he was captured by a Confederate patrol but escaped and rejoined his command in October.Stolbrand participated in a great number of battles and was known to be a tactical military leader. At the end of January 1865 General William T. Sherman asked Stolbrand to carry some dispatches to Washington, D.C. for delivery to President Lincoln. One of the dispatches was a recommendation for Stolbrand's promotion and Lincoln, upon reading it, made him a Brigadier General on the spot.During the last months of the war, he commanded a brigade of the Illinois Infantry in the XVII Corps. He was mustered out in January 1866, and settled in Columbia, South Carolina where he engaged in politics and became a plantation owner. Frans Oscar Malmborg - Lieutenant Colonel in the Union ArmyOscar Malmborg emigrated from Sweden to the United States in 1846 and participated in the Mexican-American War (1846 – 1848). When the American Civil War broke out he went back into active service in the Army and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel in the Union Army in the 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. During the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 he temporarily assumed command of the Second Brigade, Fifth Division after Colonel David Stuart was badly wounded. In an official report on April 10, 1862, Colonel Stuart wrote of Malmborg, "He instantly perceived the aim of every movement made by the enemy; he could advise me quickly and prudently how to use my men. He was intent, careful, brave, and immensely valuable to me." General Ulysses S. Grant took notice and complimented him. He remained in that position until September 1864 and in January 1865 he was promoted Colonel of the First Veteran Army Corps and was ordered to oversee the recruiting in Illinois, with headquarters in Chicago. He resigned from this position on May 31, 1865.
