WI 15th Inf Co A. Residence: Winneshiek County, Iowa. Born in Næs, Hallingdal, Norway. He came to US in 1860. Civil War: Age 24. Unmarried. Enlisted for three years on 8 Jan 1862 in Iowa. Mustered 27 Jan 1862 at Madison, Wisconsin. Private. Taken prisoner at Stone’s River, Tennessee, 31 Dec 1862, but escaped after three days and made it back to his regiment. He became sick and became unfit for service and was discharged from the service 17 Nov 1863 at Chattanooga, Tennessee. (One company muster out roll lists him as having been discharged on 8 Nov 1863 at St. Louis, Missouri.) Post war: Lived for a time at Mabel, Minnesota. In 1886, he was living in Highlandville, Winneshiek County, Iowa. He wrote a book about his adventures in the Civil War, and published it in 1898. It’s in Norwegian. He died in 1917 in Mabel. Buried in Big Canoe churchyard, near Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa; stone reads “Flaaten, Ole K. 1838 – 1918”. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 box 76-3) (Walk) (Buslett p359) (Ager p 197, photo; p 292) (Ulvestad p280) (XSS Iowa p705) (Wisconsin Cemetery Records”)
