John Johnson, Private, 15th Wisconsin Regiment Collection

Collection

Identifier: OPVSIE_mss229

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains three different articles. An American Manifesto by Norwegian Immigrants, and John Johnson, Private, 15th Wisconsin Regiment contains letter(s) by Johnson. To Find a Better Destiny by Gene Estensen is not directly connected to Johnson, but bring up immigration and its struggles as Johnson did in his letters.

Dates

2000

Creator

Johnson, John (Person)

Biographical / Historical

John Johnsons from Hjartdal in Norway sent a letter to a Norwegian newspaper explaining the struggles and hardship the Norwegian immigrants in U.S. faced as they adapted to a new continent. He served in the 15th Wisconsin Regiment, and they marched south towards Atlanta during the spring of 1864. Through his letters his strong religious attachment was visible: “But God be praised and thanked. He held his hand over me, as He has always done, so I came out of it unscratched”. Johnson died at the Battle of Pickett’s Mill on May 27, 1864.

Extent

Five Sheets

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

An American Manifesto by Norwegian Immigrants introduction by Sigurd Bernhard Hustvedt: introduction to a letter written by John (Johannes) Johnson (Johannesen). The letter itself is called “An Account of Conditions in North America”, and talks about the struggles the Norwegian immigrants had as they arrived in the U.S. To Find a Better Destiny by Gene Estensen is about the immigration of Norway to the U.S., focused on immigrants from Telemark, Norway, and the family from the Lurås-Rue farm.