This winter I decided to write what I know about my military
ancestors. I was able to find 27 men, from the United States, Sweden, and the
Czech Republic, who served in the military. If you have information or
photographs of our Linn ancestors who served in the military, I’d appreciate
hearing from you. Specifically, I’ve not been able to find much about Great
Uncle Frank Linn, or two uncles, Ellis and Ivan Linn. A picture of them in
uniform? Unit in which they served? Anything would be helpful and make these 27
men come to life for future generations.
Below is what I know about one of our ancestors who served
in the Civil War.
Lewis Linn, born in Sweden in 1844, was the stepson of John
(Olausson) Linn, the son of John’s second wife Sarah Svensdotter. Because Lewis married Christine (Kerstin)
Olofson, my 3rd great aunt, daughter of Olof Olsson and Kerstin
Larsdotter, Lewis Linn is also the husband of my 3rd great aunt,
making his descendants blood relatives.
In 1863, at age 19, he enlisted in the United States army
and for eighteen months was with the 39th Iowa Infantry under the command of
Captain Yeager and Colonel Cummins, General Chorus being division commander.
He joined the regiment at Athens, Alabama, where he remained
for six weeks and then started with Sherman in his memorable march to the sea.
He was in two engagements with Sherman in the Carolina campaign. Lewis was
later transferred to the 7th Iowa Infantry. He was twice wounded in
engagements, and this permanently disabled him. He was mustered out of the
service in July 1865 with an honorable military record.
Lewis Linn applied for disability for his service on March
2, 1885; and on October 3, 1927, his widow, Christine Linn applied for
benefits.
In support of his application in 1885 a letter that
describes the scene at Allatoona Pass in Georgia on October 5, 1864, and the
injuries Lewis Linn sustained there, was written and signed by his Sergeant,
Augustus E. Erickson.
Erickson states that, during the battle, Company I was sent
to the top of a hill to support a battery; but because the enemy concentrated
its fire on the hill, the battery never arrived.
The
company were lying on the ground, not quite to the brow of the hill, loading
and firing their muskets. Lewis M. Linn was loading and firing with the rest
and a shell or cannon ball struck the earth in front of said Lewis M. Linn
tearing the earth and saplings and throwing said Lewis M. Linn several feet
into the air, alighting on his side. The cannon ball, after striking the earth,
passed under where said Lewis M. Linn was kneeling in the act of firing.
The battle was a Union victory under the command of John
Crose who was wounded during the battle. On the following day, Crose sent a
message to General Sherman stating “I am short a cheek bone and one ear, but am
able to whip all hell yet.” This battle was a small one, but bloody with 706
Union and 897 Confederate fatalities.
It appears that Lewis Linn’s second war injury was a gunshot
to the breast also during the Carolina campaign.
He came back to Iowa and married Kerstin Olofson in 1868. They had 7 children, pictured with the couple above. Lewis
Linn died on September 6, 1927, in Stratford and is buried in the South Marion
Cemetery alongside his wife Kerstin who died in 1941.
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