ld military
company. It consisted of the very flower of our young men. It was
regarded from the start as a model company, and maintained its rank as
such during the whole term of four years' service. Always orderly,
sober, obedient and faithful to every duty, the men of Company D, though
foreigners by birth, won and always kept the affectionate regard and
fullest confidence of their native-born comrades. A large majority of
them are resting in the last grand bivouac, many under the genial
Southern sun, but no word of reproach or doubt of soldierly honor has
ever been heard against any of those living or dead.

About this time a whole regiment of Scandinavians, mostly Norwegians,
was organized in Wisconsin,--the Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry
regiment,--which rose to great distinction during its long service. Its
brave colonel, Hans Hegg, fell mortally wounded while commanding a
brigade on the bloody field at Chickamauga. There were many partially or
wholly Swedish companies from Illinois, one of which belonged to the
Forty-third Illinois regiment, under the lamented Capt. Arosenius, and
came under my command a few years later in Arkansas. There were also
many prominent Swedish officers in other regiments, such as Gen. C. J.
Stohlbrand, Cols. Vegesack, Malmborg, Steelhammar, Broddy, Elfving, and
Brydolf, Capts. Stenbeck, Silversparre, Sparrstrom, Lempke, Chas.
Johnson, Erik Johnson, Vanstrum, Lindberg, etc., and Lieuts. Osborne,
Edgren, Liljengren, Johnson, Lindall, Olson, Gustafson, Lundberg, and
many others whose names I do not now recall.

In the Goodhue county records for October 15, 1861, is a paragraph which
states that, as the county auditor, H. Mattson, has voluntarily gone to
the war with a company of soldiers to defend our country, it is resolved
that leave of absence shall be extended to him, and that the office of
county auditor shall not be declared vacant so long as the deputy
performs his duties properly.

The St. Paul _Press_ of the same date, has the following: "We
congratulate Capt. Mattson and his countrymen for the splendid company
of Swedes and Norwegians which he commands. Never was a better company
mustered in for service."

In the beginning of November two steamers arrived at Fort Snelling and
took the Third regiment on board. We were ordered to join Buell's army
in Kentucky. Company E, of our regiment, was also mainly from Goodhue
county, and when the steamers arrived at Red Wing, they stopped