Tollef Olsen Slaabakken

  General Notes:

Tollef Olson (Slaabakken), Civil War record and death

Written by Rueben D Grue, initially written on 5 Sep 2016 with minor revisions on 7 Nov 2016


Ingeborg Evensdatter's obituary notes that in the summer of 1861 (shortly after arriving in Jackson Co, MN), Tollef was "...drafted and entered the service at Fort Snelling in October..." (the outbreak of the US Civil War was in April 1861). On pages 98 and 99 of the book, An Illustrated History of Jackson County, Minnesota it is recorded that "...Captain D. M. West, of the home guards, enlisted 22 of his company [from the home guard] into the United States Army in September [1861]…. The company, partly enrolled from Jackson county and commanded by D. M. West, served for a time as the second company of the Minnesota cavalry, but later became company "I" of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry. Of the twenty-two enrolled from Jackson county following are the names of nineteen..." included in the nineteen are Tollef Olson, Peter Olson and Simon Olsen (Tollef's brothers). Although it is not noted in this book, Peder Olson Slaabakken died in the Civil War in 1862, Tollef's brother Anders Olson Slaabakken and his nephew, Ole Engebretson Slaabakken (son of Engebret), also served in the Civil war, but their date of enlistment are not recorded.

Ingeborg's obituary notes that after the Dakota Sioux Indian attack on farms in Belmont twp, she and others had fled to Fillmore Co. While here, she found out that her husband had "died in the army." I haven't been able to determine his exact date of death. There are some on-line indexes, but these records contain some conflict for Tollef (for example, his name is recorded as Zollef Olson or Tollef Oleson). However there is some agreement and it appears that he was discharged due to disability on 14 May 1862 at either Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh, Tennessee. If the above is correct, then Tollef died after his discharge.

I found a number of Civil War accounts of events that most likely correspond to the events that Tollef (and his brothers) were involved in (I have outlined these in the sources and in the research document, "Even Olsen, born 1799..." I have recorded some additional notes). In the "Annual Report of the Adjutant General of MN (published in 1866), there is a record listing the volunteers that served in the Civil War from MN and includes on page 692 "the final record of Company B", Brackett's Battalion (Tollef's name is recorded as Tollof Oleson in this record). Tollef Olson is recorded with the rank of Private, age 27 born in Norway, enrolled on 22 Oct 1861 and mustered on the same day, residence of Jackson, Jackson Co. Under the remarks column of the record is: "discharged for disability, 14 May 1862." Based on this record, Tollef served from 22 Oct 1861 to 14 May 1861, a total of 6 months and 22 days.

In researching Brackett's Battalion, a number of sources are noted (see sources). Some provide general information and some provide more detail about the movements of Brackett's Battalion and its engagements. To provide a brief summary of the movements of Brackett's Battalion, I have primarily used the information from the "US National Park Service, Civil War Collection, Minnesota Cavalry Volunteers", "Iowa Adjutant General: Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion … 1861-1866" (this source records Tollef's name as Zollef or Sole Olson), and "Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, 1861-1865", with a "Narrative of Brackett's Battalion of Cavalry" written by Sergeant Isaac Botsford, pages 572-593 (this source records his name as Tolaff Oleson). Sergeant Botsford was a member of Company B, the same company that Tollef Olson and his brothers belonged to. This "narrative" provides some more details than the other 2 sources and many of the websites on the various battles and engagements.

"Brackett's Battalion" consisted of A, B, and C companies and later was organized at Fort Snelling, MN from Sep to Nov 1861, into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies (B company became known as 2nd Company). In Nov 1861 it was ordered to Benton Barracks, MI (at the time, near St Louis) with the last arriving on 28 Dec 1861. At Benton Barracks, Brackett's Battalion was assigned to the "Curtis' Horse" Regiment which consisted of 4 companies from Iowa, 3 from Nebraska, 2 from Missouri (it wasn't until 25 Jun 1862 that "Curtis' Horse" Regiment was renamed and became the "5th Iowa"). On 15 Jan 1862 horses were supplied and on the 24th, saddles and sabres, and "...a portion of men were supplied with practically worthless revolvers, and others with almost worthless carbines" (MN in Civil and Indians Wars … page 573). Brackett's Battalion left Benton Barracks on 8 Feb 1862, marching to St Louis, in order to be transported to Fort Henry, Tennessee [about 100 kms north west of Nashville], arriving there on 11 of Feb. At this time, 2nd Company of Brackett's Battalion (Tollef's company) consisted of D. M. West, Captain, a first and second lieutenant, and 86 non-commissioned officers and privates). The Battle of Fort Henry was on 6 Feb 1862 and was considered to be the first victory for the Union, under the direction of Brigadier General Ulysses S Grant.

Brackett's Battelion would have arrived in the area after the battle, but the soldiers would likely have seen the death and destruction, as well as the many injured Union and Confederate soldiers. They were engaged as "patrol duty" during the Battle of Fort Donelson (Feb 11-13) with little rest during these 4 days. Fort Donelson is about 20 kms east of Fort Henry. On the night of the 14th, the 3 Minnesota companies of Brackett's Battalion was ordered up river about 30 miles. This would likely have been in the current New Johnsonville area of Tennessee. They were assigned to destroy a railway bridge that crossed over the Tennessee River. This railway started at Memphis and once it crossed the river, it angled north and crossed the Cummerland River not far from Fort Donelson. I haven't been able to find the exact location of this railway using current maps. Apparently there was a small force of Confederates at the Tennessee River crossing but they were "dispersed" and the bridge was destroyed with no casualties on either side (page 573, "Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars...", 1890). The units returned to the Fort Henry around noon on the 15th. The names of the soldiers on this assignment are not named, but it is likely Tollef Olsen and his brothers were involved. On page 573 of the book, "Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars ...", it is noted that the destruction of this bridge meant that no Confederate reinforcements from Corinth, Mississippi could be sent to aid Fort Donelson. During the night of the 15th, many Confederate soldiers left Fort Donelson, and the remaining soldiers surrendered on the 16th. Between Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, close to 40,000 Confederate soldiers were captured.

Following the capture of Fort Donelson, Brackett's Battalion was on "continual scout", on the outlook for injured soldiers or roaming Confederate soldiers. General Grant's forces started moving south to the Pittsburg Landing area, while General Buell (of the Union Army) was marching from the Nashville area. The Union Army was gathering close to 100,000 men in order to take Corinth, Mississippi. Corinth was a main railway supply hub for the Confederate Army (Corinth is about 40 kms to the south of Pittsburg Landing). Brackett's three companies were sent by steamer on the Tennessee River to Savannah, TN (about 150 kms to the south of Fort Henry) arriving on Apr 1, 1862. They were then sent east towards Nashville to work on roads and bridges and were involved in the setting up of telegraph lines. It is likely that the Telegraph Corps would have been in charge of the building of the telegraph lines and that Brackett's men would have assisted and provided escort. They met General Buell's army around April 5, about 40 miles [65 kms] north east of Pittsburg Landing (likely someplace in the area of Waynesboro, TN). Brackett's Battalion's work in this area resulted in facilitating Generals Grant and Buell with communications and with General Buell's movements to Pittsburg Landing. It appears General Buell's arrival and reinforcements in the Battle of Shiloh (also called the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) secured the Union Army's victory in the battle.

During what became known as the Siege of Corinth, Brackett's Battalion acted as escort for the Telegraph Corps, erecting and maintaining telegraph lines and thereby, Union Army communications. The Siege of Corinth started April 29 and lasted until May 30. After the evacuation of Corinth, Brackett's Battalion was stationed at Humbolt, TN [about 120 kms north of Pittsburg Landing].

None of the sources I have reviewed or the various websites about the battles in western Tennessee specifically mention Tollef Olson or his brother, other than he was as member of Brackett's Battalion (on 25 June 1862, Brackett's Battalion came under the direction of the 5th Iowa Calvary. Because of this, Tollef is recorded in both Minnesota and Iowa Adjutant General reports. Since I have not been able to find a record of Tollef's injury, I can't determine the exact date or where he was injured. It is also not clear what the dates of his injury or illness was. It is likely that he became injured/ill sometime in the latter part of April or the early part of May. This would mean that Tollef was in the area during the Battle of Shiloh and during the start of the Siege of Corinth.

What happened to him is speculation. We know from the available sources that Tollef's unit (Brackett's Battalion) was not directly involved in battle, but played an important role in scouting and the escorting of the Telegraph Corps during the time that Tollef was in the army. As indicated, he was "discharged for a disability May 14, 1862". The index from Vesterhiem utilizes the Iowa Roster and records Tollef's given name as "Zollef", but the other facts are the same. This index notes that Tollef was discharged at Shiloh, Tennessee. The Ancestry.com index (utilizing the source, Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of Rebellion) records that he was discharged at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. This source reports that 259 soldiers "discharged for wounds, diseases, or other causes." The discharge location for Tollef would correspond to the records for the location of Brackett's Battalion in April and May 1862 (the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Pittsburg Landing are the same battle and the same location).

As of this writing, it can't be determined if Tollef was wounded by gun fire in some scouting or escorting skirmish or if he became sick. There were many diseases in Civil War encampments (intestinal disorders, mainly typhoid fever, diarrhea, and dysentery as well as pneumonia and tuberculosis) and much of this was caused by the "filthy and unsanitary conditions" in the camps. The most common wounds were the results of bullets, with amputations of arms or legs as the most common surgeries performed on site. My hunch is that Tollef was shot or he had a severe fall from his horse that resulted in an amputation. It seems that if he was discharged for a disability would likely mean that he wasn't able to perform the main part of his duties, specifically riding a horse.

I have no idea what Tollef did once he was discharged. I suppose he started on the long and arduous trip back home to Jackson Co, but died on route due to his injuries, possibly due to an infection. Tollef's younger brother, Peder had died on 5 Jul 1862 in hospital at St Louis, MI, and perhaps Tollef died in route to St Louis. Tollef's other brother, Simon, had been discharged for disability on 21 Jul 1862 and had returned home to Jackson Co before the Dakota Sioux uprising that occurred on 24 Aug 1862, since his home place was raided. This would means that Simon made it back within a month, and likely would have traveled by train to St Louis and possibly then by boat up the Mississippi to Minneapolis.

Tollef was discharged on 14 May 1862 and if he hadn't died, he likely also would have made it home by the end of June 1862. Since he didn't make it back to Minnesota, it is likely he died shortly after his discharge (between 14 May and 30 June 1862). And it is possible that Tollef's brother Simon had told Ingeborg Evensdatter of Tollef's death, even before she had left Jackson County for either Fillmore or Houston Co.


Further research: There are likely more resources to search regarding Tollef and his Civil War experience. "Fold3" is one such resource and when I have a chance to search this, I may be able to fill in additional details.




Sources:

Annual Report of the Adjutant General, of the State of Minnesota, year ending Dec 1, 1866 and of the Military Forces of the State, From 1861 to 1866. St Paul: Pioneer Printing Company, 1866. <http://www.archive.org/stream/annualreport01minn#page/n3/mode/2up>

Family Search: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Brackett's_Battalion,_Minnesota_Cavalry

Iowa. Adjutant General's Office. Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion: Together with Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations, 1861-1866. 6 vols. Des Moines, Iowa: E. H. English, 1908-1911. The 5th IA Voluntary Cavalry is found in Vol IV.
<http://usgwarchives.net/ia/military/roster.htm>

Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, 1861-1865. Prepared and published under the supervision of the Board of Commissioners appointed by the Act of the Legislature of Minnesota of April 16, 1889. St Paul, Minn. Pioneer Press Company. 1890.
<https://archive.org/stream/minnesotacivil01minnrich#page/572/mode/1up>

National Park Service.
direct link, <https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=477C3DC0-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A>

Roster and Record of Iowa Troops In the Rebellion, Vol. 4
By Guy E. Logan, HISTORICAL SKETCH. FIFTH REGIMENT IOWA VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
taken from: Iowa. Adjutant General's Office. Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion: Together with Historical Sketches of Volunteer Organizations, 1861-1866. 6 vols. Des Moines, Iowa: E. H. English, 1908-1911.
<http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil605.htm>

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center: http://vesterheim.org/collections/civil-war-database/o/ols/ [ acccesed 15 aug 2016 ]

  Research Notes:

NOTE: See "General Notes" for research article, "Tollef Olson (Slaabakken), Civil War record and death"
with a final revision date of 7 Nov 2016. Also I have saved on my computer file folders, the "Tollef
Olsen Slaabakken, research notes document, 29 Nov 2016

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1. Tollef Olsen Slaabakken born 1828

- moving out records, Norway Parish Registers: 15 July 1856; Ungkarl Tollef Olsen
link, https://media.digitalarkivet.no/en/view/8907/323

- most of the family are recorded:
Ingebret family along with Kirsti Helgesdatter, mother born 30 Nov 1794, Michel family, Peder Olsen (single), Simen Olsen (single), Ingeborg Olsen (single)

- 'beauhanks' family tree, says that Jon or Jo or John Olsen Slaabakken left Tolga for Wisconsin in 1851

- I also found Anders Olsen Slaabaken [/] bor 25 Jan 1820 leaving for Nordmor in Aug 1847 and
Ole Olsen Slaabaken born 28 [25?] Feb 1823 leaving for Nordmor in Jun 1845



2. There are additional information/research notes on Tollef and the Slaabakken family in the article, "Even Olsen, born 1799 research document and notes" - folder on my c-drive : Grue Family Tree / Prestliens / Ole Evensen the Elder / Even Olsen

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Military Service, 1861- 1862, Between Oct 1861 and May 1862, Jackson Co, Minnesota, United States. ^195,196 An Illustrated History of Jackson Co, MN notes on page 98 and 99 that, "Captain D. M. West, of the home guards, enlisted 22 of his company [in the home guard] into the United States Army in September….nineteen [from Jackson Co, including] ... Andrew Olson, Tollef Olson, Peter Olson, Simon Olsen, Ole E. Olsen, …"

See my Biographical Sketch for Ingeborg Evensdatter. In this I have some details on Tollef's military service.

2. Unknown death -1862, Between 14 May and 30 Jun 1862, United States. Tollef Olson's date and location of death is uncertain. Tollef was discharged on 14 May 1862 and if he hadn't died, he likely would have made it home by the end of June 1862 (Tollef's brother Simon was discharged on the 21 Jul 1862 and he was back in Jackson Co before the Dakota Sioux Uprising on 24 Aug). Since he didn't make it, it is likely he died shortly after his discharge (between 14 May and 30 June 1862). And it is likely that his brother Simon had told Ingeborg Evensdatter of his death, even before she had left Jackson County for either Fillmore or Houston Co.

See my Biographical Sketch for Ingeborg Evensdatter Søndmør. In this I have outlined some detail regarding Tollef's military service.


He likely died after 14 May 1862 (likely discharge date) and sometime before the end of the year 1864 when his wife had made the decision to return to Jackson Co, MN and during her time in Fillmore Co (end of Aug 1862 and spring of 1865 she became aware of his death while in the army).

See notes on his military service.

Tollef married Ingeborg Evensdatter Søndmør, daughter of Even Olsen and Johanna Jonsdtr Narjord, on 8 May 1860 in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States.¹⁹⁷ (Ingeborg Evensdatter Søndmør was born on 14 May 1835 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway ^198,199, baptized on 3 Jun 1835 in Tolga, Hedmark, Norway,¹⁹⁸ died on 29 Jul 1927 in Windom, Cottonwood Co, Minnesota, United States ^195,200 and was buried in 1927 in Bethany Lutheran Cemetery, Bergen, Jackson Co, Minnesota, United States ²⁰¹.)