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Hans Christian Heg ( December 21 , 1829 - September 19 , 1863 ) was a Norwegian immigrant to the United States who served as a Union Colonel and Brigade commander in the American Civil War . Hans C. Heg was born in Drammen , Norway . He immigrated with his family to America in 1840. Heg was a Major in the 4th Wisconsin Militia, the State Prison Commissioner (the first Norwegian elected to a Wisconsin state-wide office), a member of the recently formed Republican Party and an out-spoken anti-slavery activist when he was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Alexander Randall to be the Colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment . The 15th Wisconsin was called the Scandinavian Regiment because 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 big battle, at the Town of Perryville , Kentucky. Despite being under fire while driving the enemy back several miles, the 15th suffered few casualties and no fatalities. One of those hurt was Colonel Heg, who was injured when his horse fell. Colonel Heg then commanded the 15th during bloody Battle Of Stones River , Tennessee . 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, 20th Army Corps ( Army Of The Cumberland ) on May 1 1863 . On September 19 , 1863 , Colonel Heg led his brigade at Battle Of Chickamauga , where he became mortally wounded. Upon hearing of Heg's death, General 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. There is a statue of Hans Christian Heg in Madison , Wisconsin. There is a copy of the statue in Lier, Norway, Heg's birthplace. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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