Page Header 28th Wisconsin Homepage Company Rosters Regimental History Soldier's Biographies Stories from Camp & Field Post-War Reunions Descendants of the 28th

Cpl. Jacob Jacobson
Company H

Jacob Jacobson was born at Birchebjerg in Dalby, Odense Province, Denmark, on 20 August 1840, the son of Jacob Hanson and his wife Gjertrud Andersdatter. He emigrated to the United States in 1861. His younger brother also emigrated but it is not known whether they came at the same time.

Jacob enlisted as a Corporal in Company "H" of the 28th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry on 21 August 1862 at Delafield, Wisconsin, for a term of three years. His service record describes him as being 5' 7" tall, with blue eyes, light hair and complexion. He was with the company when it was organized at Waukesha on 5 September 1862 and remained with it until it was mustered out at Brownsville, Texas, on 23 August 1865. There are not many items noted in his service record. He was absent for the September and October 1863 company muster roll as he had been sick and was left in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 26 October 1863. He was present at the next muster roll. He was charged on the March and April 1865 muster roll for one haversack and canteen he had lost. The May and June 1865 muster roll charged him an additional $0.07 for losing one cartridge box belt plate. Jacob had received $25 of his bounty when he was enlisted and was due the remaining $75 when he mustered out.

Jacob married Anne Thurine Halvorson on 29 March 1866 at Aspen, Dodge County, Wisconsin. Anne was the daughter of Ole Halvorson (Fjeld) and his wife Johanne Marie Johannesdatter, and had been born on 25 June 1844 in Gjerpen, Telemark, Norway. Anne emigrated with her parents and siblings to Wisconsin in 1855.

Jacob and Anne moved to Linden Township, Brown County, Minnesota, in the spring of 1866, just after they married. Anne's parents and brothers moved from Wisconsin and homesteaded adjacent farms. Jacob's brother Rasmus initially worked on Jacob's farm, then bought his own nearby. Jacob and Anne farmed in Linden Twp. until 1894, when they retired and moved into the nearby community of Madelia, Watonwan County, Minnesota, where they lived the rest of their lives. Jacob applied for a pension based on his Civil War service on 30 January 1892 and it was granted. Anne received a widow's pension after his death.

Jacob and Anne had the following children: Maria, Jacobine Olava, Hans Peder, Johannes, Louis Olaus, Alfred, Johannah, Henry, and Carl Edwin. They have numerous descendants in Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas and elsewhere in the United States. Jacob and Anne's farm has remained in the hands of their descendants or of Halvorson relatives to this day. A number of other Danish settlers in Wisconsin from the Fynn area of the Odense Province settled in the same area of Linden Township.

Jacob died at Madelia, Watonwan County, Minnesota, on 18 July 1910 and is buried at Rice Lake Lutheran Cemetery, Linden Township, Brown County, Minnesota. Anne died on 28 January 1920 and is buried next to her husband.

It is of interest to note that the 1890 Veteran's Census shows that two other veterans of the 28th Regiment were also living in Linden Township: Hans Jenson, private, Company F, and Hans Magnarson, private, Company H. The form shows that Jacob and Hans Magnarson were listed sequentially on the (now destroyed) main census schedule, so they were probably living next to each other. Hans Jensen filed an affadavit for Jacob's pension application, stating that he had known Jacob since 1861.


Biographical information was generously provided by Michael Hobart.


Last Updated:
Webmaster: