Hans and Turi
Midi song playing is Hold The Fort. You will see why
below.
Hans Olson Kjonaas was born February 6, 1834 (or February
4, 1833 on tombstone in Albert Lea) in Bo Telemark, Norway. He came to
America on the ship ARGO, arriving in New York on July 21, 1843. His mother
Ingeborg died on board the ship and was buried at sea. By 1850 he was no
longer living with his father's family in Vernon Twp., Waukesha City, Wisconsin.
His sister Isabel Kjonaas married Andrew Osmonson in Chicago in 1863 and
lived on a farm joining Han's farm in Bancroft Twp., Freeborn City, Minnesota.
Her obituary stated that her brother, who would have been Hans Olson Kjonaas,
hauled the first load of merchandise into Albert Lea, Minnesota in 1855.
On November 7, 1861, Hans purchased 156 acres of land
for $1 in Bancroft Twp., Freeborn, Minnesota. He purchased an additional
11 acres for $75 June 5, 1866. He married Turi Helgesdatter (or Ture, Turena,
Nelson, Hefta) February 11, 1863. Hans joined the Union Army September
1, 1864 at Rochester, Minnesota., Company F, 4th Regiment of Minnesota
Volunteers. He couldn't read or write so when he told the recruiting officer
his name was Hans Kjonaas (pronounced Chen-us) the officer wrote down "Hans
Chnynous" or "Chnynous" or "Chymons". Years later he had to prove that
he was that person in order to obtain a pension. His Army records describe
him as a 31 year old, 5' 7", light complexion, blue eyes, and brown
hair. He was listed as from Bancroft but in Nevada Twp., Mower County company
of the Army.
On October 5, 1864 in the battle of Altoona Georgia,
he suffered a severe wound in the left thigh and was sent back to the Northern
Hospitals until February 1865. During the battle at Altoona, on the day
that Hans was wounded, General Sherman signaled from a distance of 18 miles
that he was coming. This event is referred to in the hymn, "Hold The Fort
For I Am Coming."
He stayed in hospitals in Rome Georgia, Chattanooga,
Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. During March
1865 he was sent back with his company to South Carolina. While Hans was
recovering in the hospitals his company marched with Sherman's Army in
it's march through Georgia to the sea. After the Army reached the sea,
it started marching north and Hans re-joined his company in February 1865
near Columbia South Carolina. They marched with great difficulty but had
little battle activity through Cheraw, South Carolina, Fayetteville, and
Goldsboro, North Carolina. They were in Raleigh, North Carolina when word
was received about Lincoln's assassination.
The war was ended and they marched as rapidly as possible
(18 to 25 miles per day) to Washington D.C. passing through Petersburg,
Richmond, Fredericksburg, Dunfries, Mt. Vernon, and Alexandria, Virginia.
On May 24, 1865, the 4th Minnesota regiment marched at the head of Sherman's
Army of 65,000 through the streets of Washington, D.C. On the way back
to Minnesota, the soldiers went by railroad to Parksburg, West Virginia.
On the Ohio River they went by steamboat Champion to Louisville Kentucky.
THey went by railroad through Indianapolis, Indiana Chicago, Illinois and
Milwaukee, to LaCrosse Wisconsin where they boarded a steamboat Northern
Bell to Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were paid August 5, 1865 and let go
as free citizens once again.
Hans and Turi lived on their farm in Freeborn County
until his death in 1909. The farm house was a two story log structure which
was later replaced by a larger frame building. The log house was in good
condition but not used in the late 1920's. Only extremely poor people lived
in log houses by then.
After Hans' death, Turi lived in Starbuck and Park Rapids,
Minnesota until her death in 1927. Hans received a disabled
veteran's pension of $20 per month from 1891 until his death. Turi received
a veteran widows pension of $30 per month until her death. Hans and Turi
Olson Kjonaas are buried in the North East corner of Graceland Cemetery,
Albert Lea, Minnesota.
Confederate Marker
It reads:
"In this area are buried twenty-one Confederate soldiers killed
in battle Oct. 5, 1864"
Picture of the remains of a trench at Altoona Battlefield.
It was in these trenches that hans Olson Kjonaas was
severely wounded on Oct. 5, 1864.
The census records from Bancroft Twp., Freeborn City,
Minnesota give the following information.
1860 Census
Hans Olson age 27, value
of personal estate $240 Farmer born in Norway.
1870 Census
Hans Olson age 37, 50 acres
improved, 130 acres unimproved, $2000 value. $200 in farm implements,
$100 wages paid, 2 horses, 2 milk cows, 2 oxen,
$450 value in livestock, 350 bushels of wheat, 100 bushels
of indian corn, 150 bushels of oats, 9 pounds of wool,
200 pounds of butter, 15 tons of hay, $460 total value.
1875 Census
Hans Olson 42 born in Norway.
Turi H.
30 born in Norway.
Ole A.
8 born in Minnesota.
Anna Maria 0 born in Minnesota.
1880 Census
Hans Olson 48 Farmer, cannot
read or write, born in Norway.
Turi
35 Keeping house, cannot read or write, born in Norway.
Ole A.
13 Attending school.
Isabelle
10
Ann M.
6
1895 Census
Hans Olson 62 36 years
in Bancroft.
Turi Olson 50
Henry Olson 11 Also living with them.
(Henry Kjonaas)
Ole Brakke 20 Laborer,
born in Norway.
Anne Christenson 21 born in Minnesota.
(The Heegard family)
John Christenson 3 born in Minnesota.
( " "
" )
Herman Christenson 1 born in Iowa.
( " "
" )
References:
Census records Wisconsin 1850, 1860, Minnesota 1860,
1870, 1875, 1880, 1895; Old Norwegian family Bible: Tombstones in Albert
Lea, Minnesota: 2 original land deeds for farm in Freeborn City dated 1861,
and 1866; passenger list from the ship Argo: Army and pension records in
National Archives in Washington, D. C. books "Minnesota in the Civil and
Indian wars 1861 - 1865 Vol. I and II; Annual report of the Adjutant General
of Minnesota 1866.
Submitted by:
Manley Kjonaas
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