A HERO S LAST WORD. 439 



terrors for them; and, as great numbers camo through the St. 

 Lawrence, the expense was very light in comparison to the dis 

 tance. Newspapers were early established at Bergen and Chris 

 tiana containing glowing accounts from the pioneer emigrants 

 of the rich prairies, better than the best lands at home; of the 

 noble forests on the Eau Claire and St. Croix, to be had almost 

 for the asking. All over Norway and Sweden silver &quot;skilliugs&quot; 

 began to be hoarded for the land agent. Often the pastor or 

 schoolmaster was sent out to purchase, and make arrangements 

 for the settlement of fifty or a hundred families. 



The people of the northwest had learned to appreciate the 

 value of the Scandinavian population in developing the agricult 

 ural resources of the country; had made way for them in 

 schools and churches, and in legislative halls; but not until the 

 civil war did we really know them as our fellow countrymen 

 and women. There came a day in that dark year of 1862 when 

 the Scandinavian Eegiment, which never had a drafted man, 

 departed to join the Army of the Cumberland. A finer regi 

 ment, or one that had a brighter record than the Fifteenth &quot;Wis 

 consin, was never offered. At Island No. 10, Florence, Mur- 

 fressboro, Stone River and Kenesaw they rendered noble ser 

 vice. When they entered the service, the society &quot;Nora,&quot; at 

 Chicago, presented them a beautiful flag with the motto, &quot; For 

 God and our Country.&quot; On one side was the American colors, 

 with gold stars on a blue field, on the other the Lion and Ax of 

 Norway, on a red field, with date and inscription. When this 

 flag, which never was lowered before the enemy, came back to 

 be hung with the other tattered battle-flags in the capitol, only 

 a handful remained of the brave fellows who took it away. 

 Their Colonel, Hans Heg, was placed by General Kosecrans in 

 command of the Third Brigade. He fell in the great battle of 

 Chickamauga; and to General La Grange, who stood beside him 

 and received his last words, said, &quot;I do not regret this. All I 

 ask is that my children receive a good education.&quot; After the 

 next day s disastrous conflict, only seventy-five men could be 

 gathered; many of the officers were killed, others captured, and 

 yet, after being joined by two companies who had been left at 

 Island No. 10, consisting of eighty men, they performed some 

 of the hardest service and won some of the brightest laurels of 

 the war. To the honor of Wisconsin be it said that no child of 

 those fallen heroes has failed to receive a good education. 



