Hans Christian Heg

Hans Christian Heg
File:Hansheg.jpg Portrait of Colonel Hans Christian Heg, 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1861 – 1863 (USA)
Rank	Colonel (USA)
Unit	3rd Brigade of the 1st Division
Battles/wars	Battle of Chickamauga

Hans Christian Heg (December 21, 1829 – September 19, 1863) was a Norwegian immigrant to the United States of America who served as a colonel and brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Background

Hans C. Heg was born in Lier, Buskerud, Norway. He immigrated with his family to America in 1840, settling in the Muskego Settlement in Wisconsin. Heg was a major in the 4th Wisconsin Militia. He served as the Wisconsin State Prison Commissioner (the first official elected to a Wisconsin state-wide office to have been Norwegian born). A member of the recently formed Republican Party, he was an outspoken anti-slavery activist.

Military Service

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Heg was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall as colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment. The 15th Wisconsin was called the Scandinavian Regiment since its soldiers were almost all immigrants from Norway, with some from Denmark and Sweden. It was the only all Scandinavian regiment in the Union army. On October 8, 1862, Colonel Heg led his regiment into its first action, the Battle of Perryville. Despite being under fire while driving the enemy back several miles, the 15th Wisconsin suffered few casualties and no fatalities. However, one of those hurt was Colonel Heg, who was injured when his horse fell.

Heg commanded the regiment during the Battle of Stones River. In response to his conduct at Stones River, General William Rosecrans placed Colonel Heg in command of the newly formed 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division, Twentieth Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, on May 1, 1863.

On September 19, 1863, Colonel Heg led his brigade at the Battle of Chickamauga, where he was mortally wounded. Upon hearing of Heg's death, Rosecrans expressed regret, saying he had intended to promote Heg to Brigadier General. As it was, Colonel Heg was the highest-ranked Wisconsin soldier killed in combat during the Civil War.

Legacy

There is a statue of Hans Christian Heg at the King Street approach to the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin as well as in the town of Norway (Wind Lake, Wisconsin). A replica of these statues stands in Heg's birthplace in Lierbyen i Lier, Norway. There is a Racine County park named in his honor. His original homestead house is located a short distance from the park. Additionally a museum containing Heg memorabilia is located in the park. Another house formerly owned by Heg was located at the current site of the Waterford, Wisconsin Public Library. The is also a memorial to Heg at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

Additional sources

• Heg, Hans Christian, The Civil War Letters Of Colonel Hans Christian Heg (Theodore C. Blegen , Editor. Norwegian-American Historical Association. 2001)
• Ager, Waldemar, Colonel Heg and His Boys: A Norwegian Regiment in the American Civil War (translated by Della Kittleson Catuna and Clarence A. Clausen of Oberst Heg og Hans Gutter. Norwegian-American Historical Association. December 2000)

External links

• Wisconsin Historical Society
• Norwegian American Hall of Fame
• Historic Madison
• Wisconsin Trails
• Abolition Activism in Wisconsin
• 15th Wisconsin Regiment
• Norwegian soldiers on Civil War battlefields