Our Hearts Are Filled With Sorrow: The Death of Colonel Hans C. Heg

 Badgers Forward! Wisconsin at Chickamauga Series

 

The Society Nora of Chicago presented these colors emblazoned with "For Gud Og Vort Land!" to Colonel Heg's 15th Wisconsin in March 1862. Most of the soldiers in the regiment were relatively recent immigrants to the United States, having settled along the western frontier lured by cheap land and abundant opportunity. They proved to be good soldiers as well as good citizens. 

During the Battle of Chickamauga, the Army of the Cumberland lost a total of four brigade commanders killed or mortally wounded, three of those four serving in Alexander McCook's 20th Corps.  Among those lost was Colonel Hans Christian Heg, former regimental commander of the 15th Wisconsin Infantry. Born in 1829 in Norway, Heg migrated to the U.S. with his family in 1840, settling on a farm in Wisconsin, one of the newest states in the nation. Heg proved a fine student, and lured by the prospect of gold in California, traveled west where he spent two years prospecting in Gold Country. After returning to Wisconsin in 1851, Heg became involved with the state militia and in politics as an abolitionist, first as a Free Soiler and then as a Republican. He was the first Norwegian elected to statewide office when he was elected State Prison Commissioner in 1859. When the Civil War began, Heg felt it his duty to help sustain the government and helped raise the 15th Wisconsin from among his fellow Norsemen. 

    After seeing combat at both Perryville and Stones River, Heg and his regiment transferred from the Second Brigade of the First Division to the Third Brigade of the First Division where Heg's seniority gave him brigade command. It was while serving as brigade commander that Colonel Heg was struck down as is described below by Captain Albert Skoestad: 

Captain Albert Skoestad, Co. D, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry

    Colonel Heg had, for several months past, been commander of the Third Brigade, First Division, 20th Army Corps. His brigade consisted of the 25th Illinois, 35th Illinois, 8th Kansas, and 15th Wisconsin. They took an active part in the Battle of Chickamauga, especially in the first day’s battle. Throughout all those hours of severe danger and exposure, Colonel Heg was ever prompt at his post, always courageous and self-possessed. Not once did he falter or swerve from his duty; not once did a cloud of gloom overspread his countenance. His comrades fell at right and left and still he rallied on. From noon until sundown he was constantly exposed to the fearful fire of the enemy. It was at this hour when his day’s work was so nigh done that a ball from a sharpshooter’s rifle pierced his bowels, causing the mortal wound. He did not stagger or fall, but even when death stared him in the face, full of life and ambition, and true to his manliness, he once more rallied his men and rode on for about a quarter of a mile. Loss of blood enfeebled him and he was obliged to resign his command. He was taken to the hospital where he passed the weary night in suffering, but it is gratifying to know that he lacked not the attention and sympathy of kind friends.

Colonel Hans Christian Heg, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry

          From childhood his characteristic has been that of cheerfulness and patience. One could not associate with him without feeling the magic of his power to dispel gloom and sorrow. In the hour of death this did not desert him. The same peaceful atmosphere which surrounded him in life did then. From the nature of his wound his sufferings were severe but he uttered no complaint. As death neared itself, he expressed no regret at its coming, but on the contrary, prayed that the tide of life would ebb more quickly away. He retained his reason to the last, his lips faintly uttering the words “I am dying” only a few seconds before his death. At a quarter before midnight Sunday morning September 20th [11:45 p.m. Saturday September 19th] he closed his eyes in that sleep from which he awoke not, save in those realms of eternal bliss where tears, sorrow, and suffering are unknown.

          At his own request I accompanied his remains home for interment. The funeral took place from the family residence in this place. A large group of relatives and friends assembled to pay their last tribute of affection. He was buried by the Masonic fraternity of which he was a member. Rev. Mr. Barteau delivered the funeral discourse the text of which was chosen from 2nd Samuel 1:27. It is a happy thought that he did in faith- faith in his Redeemer, and we thank God that we have reason to believe he died the death of a Christian. In the homestead burying ground, by the side of his father, mother, and child, he sleeps his last sleep. Thus he passed from earth a noble man in the prime of life, full of buoyant hopes and aspirations. We miss him in every day life- in the home circle there is a vacancy that can never be filled. We miss him in our regiment for he was more than a friend to us all. The influence he exerted among us will long be felt. Our hearts are crowded with sorrow but there is consolation in the thought that he did in the noblest of causes.

Colonel Hans C. Heg sustained his mortal wound in the latter stages of the fighting near the Viniard Field on the afternoon of September 19, 1863. His loss came as a bitter blow to the men of his command; one surgeon recalled that those comrades who visited Heg in his final hours "wept like children. Everybody who knew him loved him." Heg became the highest ranking Wisconsin soldier killed during the war and a statue of him was erected in Madison, Wisconsin in 1925. This statue was toppled and decapitated by protesters in 2020 but was restored and re-erected the following year. 


 

The 15th Wisconsin's regimental monument is located on the east side of the Lafayette Road almost directly across the road from the Heg mortuary monument. The monument states that the regiment went into action around 2 p.m. on September 19th and "maintaining this position for some time until forced to retire to a new position in the open field to its left and rear where it successfully resisted every effort of the enemy to dislodge it. The regiment also assisted in the recapture of a portion of a battery near this place." The Badgers had the smallest regiment in the brigade at Chickamauga, taking into action 176 men. Losses, however, proved horrendous as 111 of them, 63% of the regiment, were killed, wounded, or missing. 

Letter from T., Co. E, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry

Camp at Chattanooga, Tennessee

September 29, 1863

 

Dear sir,

          We have again had a desperate battle with General Bragg, perhaps the hardest fought battle of this war. The Federal forces fought desperately and only yielded ground to the enemy when overpowered and outflanked. The battle was fought near Chickamauga Creek in Walker County, Georgia. On Saturday the 19th instant, the enemy attacked us and at 3 p.m. the enemy drove us from our position with heavy loss and we were obliged to leave behind a battery of six guns; later in the day we reformed and charged the enemy, retook our former position and the guns we had lost. General Thomas was fighting all the time and drove the Rebels over a mile and the fighting ceased long after dark.

          On Sunday at 10 o’clock, the fight commenced again in earnest and we were held in reserve. But our troops commenced to give way and our division (Davis) was ordered to close up a gap caused by the withdrawal of General Wood’s divisions which was sent to support Negley who was driven back. Before our division had got into line, the Rebels came through this gap sweeping everything before them and falling on our brigade. We advanced against them and sent volley after volley of our death-dealing missiles into their ranks which checked them for a time. The 3rd Wisconsin Battery which had been cut off from Van Cleve’s division the day before did good service here; they poured shot and shell into them but having lost nearly all their horses they lost five guns out of six which were taken by the enemy.

The Heg mortuary monument in located just west of the Lafayette Road on the southern portion of the Chickamauga battlefield. It is important to note that the mortuary marks where Heg was wounded, not where he died. That occurred near midnight in a field hospital several miles south at Crawfish Springs. Colonel Heg is buried at Norway Cemetery in Norway, Wisconsin. Heg's death left his wife Gunhild a widow and three young children (James, Hilda, and Elmer Ellsworth Heg) orphaned. 

Here, the Rebels getting between us and Sheridan’s division, outflanked us, and we commenced to give way while the Rebels, following up their advantage, came yelling and shouting against our thinned ranks, firing rapidly as they advanced. Our ranks being sadly cut up, the rest had to run. Our officers tried to rally the men, but the enemy, superior in numbers, were close to us; it couldn’t be done and the retreat came unfortunately into a disordered rout. Many of our brave boys were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. Our brave colonel and acting brigadier Hans C. Heg was killed. Our division commander said he was his best and bravest officer. He was much beloved by his regiment and brigade and his death was a great loss to the army and country.

Our gallant lieutenant colonel Ole C. Johnson is missing and I believe is wounded and a prisoner. Major George Wilson is wounded in the hand, side, and breast; Captain J.M. Johansen of Co. A is killed. Our regiment lost heavy, about two-thirds you will see are killed, wounded, and missing. This battle and the Stones River struggle has reduced the regiment to but a few effective men. We are now at Chattanooga occupying strong position, working day and night on rifle pits and getting reinforcements and if the enemy ventures to attack us once more, I hope and pray that Rosecrans will give them as sound a thrashing as any army ever received. They seem to be badly crippled as they didn’t annoy even our rear guard on the retreat from Rossville to this place. Their loss is undoubtedly greater than ours.

 

Sources:

Letter from T., Co. E, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Quiner Scrapbooks, Volume 9, Wisconsin Historical Society

“The Last Moments of Colonel Hans C. Heg,” Account of Captain Albert Skoestad, Co. D, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Quiner Scrapbooks, Volume 9, Wisconsin Historical Society

Comments

  1. JubiloApril 10, 2023 at 1:26 PM

    Remember when the Madison, Wisconsin BLM/Antifa toppled his statue?

    ReplyDelete

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