Svend Samuelson (January 24, 1825January 15, 1891) was a

Norwegian American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...

immigrant, farmer, and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician. He was a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing

Manitowoc County Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,359. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Manitowoc County ...

in the 1871 session.

Biography

Samuelson was born in

Christiana, Norway Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, in January 1825. He received a common school education and emigrated to the United States, settling in the town of

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, in

Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,359. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Manitowoc County ...

, in 1854. He established a farm there, and served for more than ten years as town clerk. At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he volunteered for service in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

with the

15th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 15th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was popularly known as the Norwegian Regiment or the Scandinavian Regiment, due to its composition of mostly No ...

, frequently referred to as the "Scandinavian Regiment" due to being mostly composed of recent Scandinavian American immigrants. Samuelson was commissioned

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

of Company F in the regiment while it was being organized at

Camp Randall Camp Randall was a United States Army base in Madison, Wisconsin, the largest staging point for Wisconsin troops entering the American Civil War. At this camp fresh volunteers received quick training before heading off to join the Union Army. Also ...

, in Madison. The 15th Wisconsin Infantry operated in the western theater of the war, and saw significant combat in Kentucky and Tennessee. Samuelson served for nearly two years, but resigned in the fall of 1863 due to poor health. Samuelson returned to Manitowoc County after the war. He was elected to the

in the 1870 election, running on the Republican Party ticket. He represented Manitowoc County's 1st Assembly district in the 1871 legislative session. At that time, his district comprised roughly the southern half of the county. He did not run for re-election in 1871. He moved from Manitowoc to

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 Census. The city is well-known regionally for being the largest city of the Door Peninsula, after which the county is na ...

, around 1875. He died at his home in Sturgeon Bay on the morning of January 15, 1891, after suffering many years from an incurable lung disease, stemming from his years in the war.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1870)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1870

References

1825 births 1891 deaths Norwegian emigrants to the United States People from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin People from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Farmers from Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army officers 19th-century American politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-1820s-stub