Frans Oscar Malmborg (February 29, 1820 – April 29, 1880), a veteran of the Mexican War, became famous for his ostentatious manner in training recruits for the American Civil War, primarily the

55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 55th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment is sometimes referred to as the Canton Rifles or the Douglas Brigade 2nd Regiment. Service The 55th ...

in which he served.

Background

Malmborg was born at the Rågåkra farm in Kräklingbo parish on the Baltic Sea island of

Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...

in Sweden. He was the son of Captain Pehr Gustaf Malmborg (1777–1828), who had been decorated with the gold medal for bravery after the Battle of Svensksund in 1790, before he was teenager. Oscar Malmborg emigrated to the United States in 1846 and fought in the Mexican War.H. Gillingstam, Malmborg (von Malmborg) Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, vol. 24 , pp 747–751.

Career

From 1853 to 1861 he worked as an immigration agent for the Illinois Central Railroad. He returned to Europe to promote emigration to America. President Abraham Lincoln formally recognized Malmborg as the vice consul of Norway and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

at Chicago on November 22, 1861. The same year he returned to military service and was appointed as a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in the Union Army. During the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

after Colonel David Stuart was badly wounded, Malmborg assumed temporary command of the Second Brigade of the Fifth Division commanded by Brigadier General William T. Sherman. In the advance on Corinth, Mississippi, Malmborg correctly predicted what the Confederate forces were attempting. In an official report on April 10, 1862, Colonel Stuart wrote of Malmborg, "He instantly perceived the aim of every movement made by the enemy; he could advise me quickly and prudently how to use my men. He was intent, careful, brave, and immensely valuable to me." General Ulysses S. Grant took notice and complimented him. After Stuart resigned on April 3, 1863, Malmborg became the permanent commander until being relieved. He resigned on September 20, 1864. On January 1, 1865, Malmborg was commissioned a colonel in the First Veteran Army Corps under

General Winfield Scott Hancock Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a United States Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service ...

and was ordered to oversee the recruiting in Illinois, with headquarters in Chicago once again. He resigned from this position on May 31, 1865.''The Story of the Fifty-fifth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, 1861–1865'' ( A Committee of the Regiment, W. J. Coulter. 1887)

Later years

Encouraged by Sherman, Malmborg published his memoirs of the Civil War. He chose the title ''Tjensteförteckning'', and it was published in Chicago in 1871. Almost blind, Malmborg returned to

in 1874 and settled in Visby on

living on his pension. Some of his letters have been edited and published by A. A. Stomberg. He died in Visby on April 29, 1880, at the age of 60. Oscar Malmborg

References

Other sources

* Olson, Ernst W. ''The Swedish Element In Illinois'' (Chicago: Swedish-American Biographical Association. 1917) * Olson, Ernst W. and Martin J. Engberg ''History of the Swedes of Illinois'' (Chicago: Engberg-Holmberg Publishing Company. 1908)

External links

The Battle of Allatoona Pass: The Forgotten Battle of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malmborg, Oscar 1820 births 1880 deaths People from Gotland Swedish emigrants to the United States American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Illinois Central Railroad people People of Illinois in the American Civil War