WI 15th Inf Co D. Residence: Pine Lake, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Born 1 Nov 1832 in Gjerpens Gjaeld near Skien, Norway. He and his parents, Gregorius Nilsen and Maren Gurine Tufte, and five siblings, came to America on the “Salvator”, arriving in New York from Porsgrunn, Telemark, on 6 Jul 1844. They settled at Pine Lake, Wisconsin. At age 15 Nils “went to sea” on the Great Lakes and served until his enlistment in the 15th. Civil War: Age 29. Unmarried. Enlisted for three years on 10 Dec 1861 at Pine Lake, and mustered at Madison, Wisconsin, on 16 Dec 1861. Private. Appointed Corporal on 1 Jan 1862. Promoted Sergeant 1 May 1862. Served in the commissary as a wagon master on 6 Nov 1862. Commissioned Second Lieutenant 9 Jun 1863, effective from 27 May. Became temporary commander of Company E in 1864 and in May of that year became commander of the Regiment’s Pioneer Company. He was promoted to First Lieutenant, 15 Sep 1864, at Atlanta, Georgia, with rank from 25 Aug. Mustered out with D Company on 13 Feb 1865 at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Post war: After the war, he became a farmer near Pine Lake. On 7 Jan 1874, he married Inger Evensen. Nils died 25 Dec 1884. Buried at St. John’s, Stone Bank, Dodge County, Wisconsin; stone reads “1833 – 1884”. Sources: (WHS Series 1200 boxes 76-6, 78-3, 79-2; red book vol 20 p56) (Buslett p436) (Ulvestad p258) (Ager p300) (Naeseth ’44-229) (VGC, Wisconsin Cemetery Records) “Tufte, Nels Gregoriussen”
