John Amonson (1831 - 1892)
Summary Data
State or Country of birth: Norway
Home prior to enlistment: Spring Grove, Minnesota
Occupation prior to enlistment: farm laborer
Service: Co. K, 46th Illinois Infantry - October 1861 - January 1866
Rank at enlistment: private
Highest rank attained: sergeant
Principal combat experience:
Fort Donnelson, Tennessee
Shiloh, Tennessee
Corinth, Mississippi
Hatchie River
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Fort Blakely, Alabama
Casualties: none
Photograph by: unknown
Inscription in period ink on back: "Amonson"
About 1857 John Amundson Rostin (the son of Amund Rostin) left Norway, which was then a possession on Russia, to settle as a farm laborer in Spring Grove, Minnesota, in the extreme southeast corner of the state. On October 4, 1861, John and several other Norwegians were recruited at Caledonia, Minnesota by Oley Johnson, a fellow countryman, to serve in Company K, Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry for three years. The recruiting officer omitted his last name and he was known in the service as John Amonson.
Amonson was mustered into the service on December 30, 1861, at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois. The Forty-sixth Illinois was an active regiment and saw action in Tennessee at the battles of Fort Donnelson (February 14 - 16, 1862) and Shiloh (April 6 & 7, 1862). Amonson had been admitted to the regimental hospital in early April with a fever but was discharged the day before the Battle of Shiloh. He and his regiment were soon in the thick of the action in what would later be remembered as one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Reaching the battlefield between 9:00 and 10:00 o'clock Sunday morning April 6, the regiment's colonel, John A. Davis, later reported their role in the day's fight. "A regiment posted about 200 yards in front of our line gave way under the enemy's fire, and retreated through my line, which was lying down. As soon as it passed my men rose, dressed their line, and immediately commenced pouring a destructive fire upon the enemy. The regiment posted on our right having given way, and the enemy keeping up a hot fire along my whole front and raking crossfire upon my right flank, killing and wounding over one-half of my right companies, badly cutting up my other companies, and 8 of my line officers, 2 color bearers, and the major wounded, I deemed it my duty, without further orders, to withdraw my command, which I did, to a position beyond the brow of the hill, where I again formed them."1
A little later in the day, while the regiment was providing support for a battery of artillery, the men were again subjected to a confederate attack. Colonel Davis continued his report. "I formed my command...and moved up in line within 200 yards of the enemy, when a brisk and destructive fire was opened upon our whole line. Planting our colors in front of our line of battle, I ordered my command to shelter themselves behind trees and logs as best they could within range of the enemy, and kept up a constant fire until after the regiment on our right had given way and fallen back across the ravine, when I ordered my men to fall back into the ravine, and moving them by the left flank, I took them out of range of the enemy's guns."2
The men lay on their arms all night. In the morning they advanced until their pickets were driven in. Colonel Davis’ report continues, "...we found the enemy in strength along the whole line of our front, and when within 200 yards the fire opened upon both sides. My men loaded and fired with the coolness of veterans, and I had another horse shot under me in the midst of the engagement, and while raging with the utmost fury my men determined that they had fallen back for the last time, and while they were receiving the fire of the enemy and delivering their own with the utmost coolness I was wounded and carried off the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Jones reports that my men still stood firm, holding their ground, although outflanked, with the colors of the Forty-sixth and the rebels planted within 30 yards of each other, until re-enforced and the enemy driven back for the last time, when the Forty-sixth was ordered by General Hurlbut in person to its quarters...Too much praise cannot be awarded to the gallant officers and men of the Forty-sixth, who helped to win our signal victory."3
The regiment later took part in the siege of Corinth, Mississippi (May 1862), and then spent the summer at Memphis, Tennessee. The Forty-sixth was in action again at the battle of Hatchie River (October 5, 1862), the siege of Vicksburg (April - July 1863) and the siege of Jackson (July 1863).
Through most of the Vicksburg siege, from April until June 30, 1863, John Amonson was on detached service with the Provost Guard at Brigade Headquarters. He was apparently promoted to corporal about this time. Amonson re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer on December 20, 1863 and was re-appointed corporal in the veteranized regiment. In April 1864 he spent ten days in the hospital for intestinal fever.
The regiment participated in the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi on July 7, 1864. For the rest of the year and the early part of 1865, the regiment went on various expeditions to parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama. Also, starting in August 1864, John Amonson was periodically in and out of the regimental hospital with dysentery. In April 1865, the Forty-sixth Illinois participated in the siege of Fort Blakely, Alabama and then occupied the city of Mobile.
Amonson was appointed sergeant on December 31, 1865 and was mustered out with his regiment at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 20, 1866. He returned to Minnesota, and in 1867 married Betsy Olson, a recently arrived young Norwegian woman. In civilian life he reverted to using the name John A. Rosten and moved to northern Minnesota before finally settling in Wisconsin in 1872. He apparently had no difficulty in receiving a pension under the name John Amonson, but after his death in 1892 his wife had to explain how she could be the widow of John Amonson when her married name was Rosten.
In 1897 her claim was supported by Oley Johnson who provided the following statement to the Pension Office. "I have every reason to believe that John Amonson, whom I myself enlisted on the 4th day of October 1861, is the John A. Rostin. That was his name before the war but was left off when the said John Amonson enlisted."4
Mathias Halverson also provided and affidavit, saying, "I was acquainted with John Amundson in 1861 before [he] enlisted. When I first knew him he went by the name of John Rostin. But he enlisted by the name John Amundson. All through the war he would once in a while get a letter from some friend with the name of John Rostin. I can positively swear that it is the same man. We served together for over five years in K Co. 46 Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry."5
Notes for John Amonson
1. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
2. ibid.
3. ibid.
4. United States Archives, Pension Records
5. ibid.
John Amonson (1831 - 1892)
Summary Data
State or Country of birth: Norway
Home prior to enlistment: Spring Grove, Minnesota
Occupation prior to enlistment: farm laborer
Service: Co. K, 46th Illinois Infantry - October 1861 - January 1866
Rank at enlistment: private
Highest rank attained: sergeant
Principal combat experience:
Fort Donnelson, Tennessee
Shiloh, Tennessee
Corinth, Mississippi
Hatchie River
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Fort Blakely, Alabama
Casualties: none
Photograph by: unknown
Inscription in period ink on back: "Amonson"
About 1857 John Amundson Rostin (the son of Amund Rostin) left Norway, which was then a possession on Russia, to settle as a farm laborer in Spring Grove, Minnesota, in the extreme southeast corner of the state. On October 4, 1861, John and several other Norwegians were recruited at Caledonia, Minnesota by Oley Johnson, a fellow countryman, to serve in Company K, Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry for three years. The recruiting officer omitted his last name and he was known in the service as John Amonson.
Amonson was mustered into the service on December 30, 1861, at Camp Butler, near Springfield, Illinois. The Forty-sixth Illinois was an active regiment and saw action in Tennessee at the battles of Fort Donnelson (February 14 - 16, 1862) and Shiloh (April 6 & 7, 1862). Amonson had been admitted to the regimental hospital in early April with a fever but was discharged the day before the Battle of Shiloh. He and his regiment were soon in the thick of the action in what would later be remembered as one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Reaching the battlefield between 9:00 and 10:00 o'clock Sunday morning April 6, the regiment's colonel, John A. Davis, later reported their role in the day's fight. "A regiment posted about 200 yards in front of our line gave way under the enemy's fire, and retreated through my line, which was lying down. As soon as it passed my men rose, dressed their line, and immediately commenced pouring a destructive fire upon the enemy. The regiment posted on our right having given way, and the enemy keeping up a hot fire along my whole front and raking crossfire upon my right flank, killing and wounding over one-half of my right companies, badly cutting up my other companies, and 8 of my line officers, 2 color bearers, and the major wounded, I deemed it my duty, without further orders, to withdraw my command, which I did, to a position beyond the brow of the hill, where I again formed them."1
A little later in the day, while the regiment was providing support for a battery of artillery, the men were again subjected to a confederate attack. Colonel Davis continued his report. "I formed my command...and moved up in line within 200 yards of the enemy, when a brisk and destructive fire was opened upon our whole line. Planting our colors in front of our line of battle, I ordered my command to shelter themselves behind trees and logs as best they could within range of the enemy, and kept up a constant fire until after the regiment on our right had given way and fallen back across the ravine, when I ordered my men to fall back into the ravine, and moving them by the left flank, I took them out of range of the enemy's guns."2
The men lay on their arms all night. In the morning they advanced until their pickets were driven in. Colonel Davis’ report continues, "...we found the enemy in strength along the whole line of our front, and when within 200 yards the fire opened upon both sides. My men loaded and fired with the coolness of veterans, and I had another horse shot under me in the midst of the engagement, and while raging with the utmost fury my men determined that they had fallen back for the last time, and while they were receiving the fire of the enemy and delivering their own with the utmost coolness I was wounded and carried off the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Jones reports that my men still stood firm, holding their ground, although outflanked, with the colors of the Forty-sixth and the rebels planted within 30 yards of each other, until re-enforced and the enemy driven back for the last time, when the Forty-sixth was ordered by General Hurlbut in person to its quarters...Too much praise cannot be awarded to the gallant officers and men of the Forty-sixth, who helped to win our signal victory."3
The regiment later took part in the siege of Corinth, Mississippi (May 1862), and then spent the summer at Memphis, Tennessee. The Forty-sixth was in action again at the battle of Hatchie River (October 5, 1862), the siege of Vicksburg (April - July 1863) and the siege of Jackson (July 1863).
Through most of the Vicksburg siege, from April until June 30, 1863, John Amonson was on detached service with the Provost Guard at Brigade Headquarters. He was apparently promoted to corporal about this time. Amonson re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer on December 20, 1863 and was re-appointed corporal in the veteranized regiment. In April 1864 he spent ten days in the hospital for intestinal fever.
The regiment participated in the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi on July 7, 1864. For the rest of the year and the early part of 1865, the regiment went on various expeditions to parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama. Also, starting in August 1864, John Amonson was periodically in and out of the regimental hospital with dysentery. In April 1865, the Forty-sixth Illinois participated in the siege of Fort Blakely, Alabama and then occupied the city of Mobile.
Amonson was appointed sergeant on December 31, 1865 and was mustered out with his regiment at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 20, 1866. He returned to Minnesota, and in 1867 married Betsy Olson, a recently arrived young Norwegian woman. In civilian life he reverted to using the name John A. Rosten and moved to northern Minnesota before finally settling in Wisconsin in 1872. He apparently had no difficulty in receiving a pension under the name John Amonson, but after his death in 1892 his wife had to explain how she could be the widow of John Amonson when her married name was Rosten.
In 1897 her claim was supported by Oley Johnson who provided the following statement to the Pension Office. "I have every reason to believe that John Amonson, whom I myself enlisted on the 4th day of October 1861, is the John A. Rostin. That was his name before the war but was left off when the said John Amonson enlisted."4
Mathias Halverson also provided and affidavit, saying, "I was acquainted with John Amundson in 1861 before [he] enlisted. When I first knew him he went by the name of John Rostin. But he enlisted by the name John Amundson. All through the war he would once in a while get a letter from some friend with the name of John Rostin. I can positively swear that it is the same man. We served together for over five years in K Co. 46 Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry."5
Notes for John Amonson
1. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
2. ibid.
3. ibid.
4. United States Archives, Pension Records
5. ibid.