Charles A. Erickson

Name: Charles A. Erickson Company: H Veteran; wounded at Nashville; discharged from hospital.
Birth Date: December 25, 1841 Place: Sweden	Mustered In Date: March 25, 1862 Rank: Private Age: 20 Residence prior to military service: Sweden; Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota Vocation prior to military service:
Death Date: November 30, 1920 Place: Goodhue County, Minnesota Burial:	Mustered Out Date: September 6, 1865 (from hospital) Rank: Private Age: 23 Residence following military service: Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota Vocation following military service: Hardware store clerk (1870); wagon, carriage, & sleigh manufacturer

Charles A. Erickson Biography and Civil War Narrative

Charles A. Erickson was born to Erick and Sarah (Carlson) Erickson in Sweden on December 25, 1841. When the Erickson family came to America in 1857, they settled in Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota.

A biography of Charles A. Erickson published in the History of Goodhue County, Minnesota, published in 1909, described Erickson's military service:

March 25, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, for three years. . . . The company muster-out roll contains the following: "Private Charles A. Erickson, wounded in the battle of Nashville, Tenn., December 15, 1864. His descriptive roll on file at the adjutant general's office states that he was in all the campaigns with his regiment from the first skirmish at Corinth, Miss., May 25, 1863, [actually May 28, 1862] until the battle of Nashville, Tenn., December 15, 1864, the regiment during that time having marched seven or eight thousand miles and participated in more than twenty engagements with the enemy. He has always been a faithful soldier." This tribute was signed by Hawley, chief assistant mustering officer. Private Erickson was discharged from service March 27, 1864, at Alexandria, La., and re-enlisted the next day, serving until the close of the war, when he received his honorable discharge, September 6, 1865, at Demopolis, Ala.

In his report on the Battle of Nashville, Major John Becht described Erickson's wound as "abdomen, severely."

Returning to Minnesota after the war, Charles attended courses at Hamline University for three years and then studied law for a year. At the time of the 1870 U.S. Census, 28-year-old Charles lived in the city of Red Wing, and worked as a "Clerk in hardware store" (C. Betcher & Co.). Living in the same household were William Erickson (22-year-old carpenter born in Sweden), Sophia Erickson (24-year-old house keeper born in Sweden), Mary Nelson (age 27, born in Sweden, "at home"), Julia Otterstrom (45-year-old seamstress born in Sweden), and Augusta Otterstrom (35-year-old seamstress born in Sweden).

On July 6, 1873, at age 32, Charles A. Erickson married Augusta Albertina Foss, born October 4, 1852, in Sweden, to Charles J. and Charlotte C. (Erickson) Foss. Augusta had come to America with her parents in 1854. Settling first in Geneva, Illinois, they continued on to Goodhue Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, in 1856. Charles and Augusta had eight children:

Hilma S. - born May 5, 1874; married C. A. K. Johnson, postal clerk in the Red Wing post office
Wilhelmina C. "Minnie" - born February 15, 1876; school teacher (possible Wilhelmina Charlotte Erickson who died in Goodhue County on October 30, 1950)
Charles "Ernest" - born September 3, 1877; died March 13, 1881 (age 3)
Arthur B. - born April 8, 1880; died September 21, 1898 (age 18)
Anton T. - born December 4, 1882; died June 8, 1901 (age 18)
Edna V. - born March 10, 1885; stenographer and clerk in the Red Wing post office
Ruth A. - born February 9, 1891; died April 1, 1891 (age 7 weeks)
Unknown - died in infancy

In 1873, Erickson opened a small wagon and sleigh manufacturing shop. In 1878 he moved his business to Main Street.

The 1880 U.S. census shows Chas. Erickson at age 39 working as a Wagon Maker. Twenty-seven-year-old Augusta was keeping house. There were four children at home: daughter Hilma (age 6), daughter Minnie (age 4), son Ernest (age 2), and son Arthur (age 2 months). Also living with them were a cousin, 49-year-old Charlotte Peterson (born in Sweden), and her 19-year-old daughter, Betty (dress maker born in Sweden). Finally, Ludwig Weber, a 24-year-old Wagon Maker also lived with the Erickson family.

At the time of the 1900 census, the Chas. A. Erickson family lived at 423 Bluff Street in Red Wing. 58-year-old Charles worked as a carriage manufacturer. His wife, Augusta, was 47. Living with them were three of their four surviving children: Wilhelmina (age 24, school teacher), Anton (age 17), and Edna (age 15). Also in the household was Augusta's father, 78-year-old Carl Foss, a widow.

Charles A. Erickson was a member of the Red Wing City Council for four years, serving as president for one of those years. He was also a member of the Scandinavian Relief Association and A. E. Welch Post, No. 75, G. A. R.

Charles A. Erickson died November 30, 1920, in Goodhue County, Minnesota. His wife, Augusta, died, 10 1/2 years later on July 14, 1931, also in Goodhue County.

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This page is maintained by Tim Bode (timbode@juno.com ). Page created on 4/19/09. Last modified on 4/21/09.