Capt. Johan Ingmundson - Friends of Stones River

Capt. Johan Ingmudson

A National Cemetery Story

by Thomas Zei

by Thomas Zei
Johan Ingmundson was born on October 28, 1832 in Rygge, Ostfold, Norway on the fjord south of Oslo. He immigrated to the United States and settled near La Crosse, Wisconsin. In 1856, he married Eline Simenson and had three children. In 1860, he was granted 40 acres of land under the Homestead Act near La Crosse. Since he was named captain of his company, it is very likely that Ingmundson was a well-respected member of his community.
The question we have, though, is what happened to the body

of Captain Ingmundson after he was discovered dead in the woods on December 30th. (See related article on this fight at https://friendsofstonesriver.org/battle-before-battle/) We know that places like Stones River National Cemetery contain very few officers. Units went through heroic efforts to retrieve the bodies of their officers and quickly moved them for transport back to locations where they could be sent by railroad to their home towns for burial. In Ingmundson’s case, there is no record of a burial back in Wisconsin. In addition, there is no record of his burial at Stones River National Cemetery or at Nashville’s national cemetery.

We know from official records that once his body was found, it was taken back to the Union field hospital at the Gresham House. There should have been sufficient time on the afternoon of December 30th to take his body back to Nashville. But we know that the bulk of Rosecrans’ Union army was just arriving to the battlefield on that date. The roads were clogged with men, horses and wagons. It was impractical to send a wagon against the tide on the narrow roads. Storing the body at the Gresham House was a safe alternative as it was located away from the front and the Union forces on the right flank were told that the attack would happen on the left. Once the main battle starts, we know that the opportunity for proper burial passes as the hospital is overrun by the Confederate forces the morning of December 31st. So where is he buried?
A major clue comes from 1st Lieutenant O. R. Dahl of Company B in the Wisconsin 15th Regiment. Lt. Dahl was a Topological Engineer for General Jefferson Davis’s division. After the Battle of Stones River, Lt. Dahl created a map detailing the battle lines. The Dahl map also included the known graves of divisional soldiers killed during the battle and buried on the battlefield. Each grave was numbered on the map with specific information included in the map’s key.

Dahl’s map stated Grave #34 was located by the Gresham House along the dirt road leading to the house. Three additional graves were in the back of the Gresham farm buildings. The key for Grave #34 stated “The grave of Cap’t Ingmundson and 5 Soldiers of the 15th Reg’t of Wisconsin Volunteers along with 80 others who died of the wounds in the temporary hospital.” Official records indicate that the Wisconsin 15th had six killed during the fight on December 30th which coincides with Dahl’s key.
We now know that Ingmundson’s body was still at the Gresham House. We also know that he was buried in a mass grave containing at least 86 bodies, including the five other soldiers who died the same day. We also know it was likely that this grave was used as the main grave for burying anyone who died while being treated at the hospital as the other three graves on the property were individual burials. This meant that the mass grave was used for deaths occurring anytime from December 30th through the entire length of time that the house was used to care for the wounded.
But why was Ingmundson’s body not given the benefit of an individual burial as were the three other soldiers buried on the Gresham property. We know he was already dead when the body arrived at the house. Two of the single graves were for lieutenants from the 38th Illinois Regiment while the other grave was for a soldier from the 2nd Minnesota Battery. Surely a captain deserved a similar fate. We just don’t know why he ended up in a large trench of 86 bodies, most likely while under the supervision of their Confederate captors. [Note Grave Number 37 on Dahl’s map contained the body of 2nd Lt. Peter N Scott of the Illinois 38th Regiment. Military records show Scott was wounded in the battle and died on January 8, 1863 after the Gresham House Hospital was returned to Union hands. It is very likely that the other two graves in this area were under similar circumstances where the Union troops did the burial.]
It is likely that Ingmundson’s burial was at the direction of the Confederates who controlled the Gresham house by mid-morning. The Union’s intention to take the body back to Wisconsin was no longer an option. The Confederates would want to get all of the dead buried as soon as possible to avoid the stench. A single trench was the most efficient method to meet that objective.
We do know that Union units were given the opportunity to retrace their steps on the battlefield to find any remaining wounded and to bury the dead where they fell. This started at least a week after the battle. From Dahl’s map, the Wisconsin 15th knew where Captain Ingmundson was buried but we don’t know whether any attempt was made to open the trench to find his body.
When Stones River National Cemetery was established in 1865, the U.S.C.T. 111th Regiment was provided maps of burials on the battlefield. At that point, the trench containing the 86 bodies would have been opened and the bodies placed in individual pine caskets. A captain’s uniform would be very different than the non-enlisted men Ingmundson was buried with. This should have provided sufficient evidence to identify his body. But the question remains whether Ingmundson was actually buried in his uniform. It is well documented that the poorly equipped Confederates would often take uniform coats off deceased Union soldiers to protect themselves from the cold. Could Ingmundson meet a similar fate?
Unfortunately, there is no record of where Captain John Ingmundson is buried. The Union’s Roll of Honor reflects that he is buried in one of the many unknown graves in Stones River National Cemetery. Is there any evidence, though, to narrow the possible area of his grave. We do have some clues from available records.

We know he was initially buried in a mass grave containing 86 bodies. It is likely that all were treated as unknowns. Looking at the national cemetery, we would need to find a large patch containing unknowns that were buried on the battlefield.
Looking at Dahl’s map, several neighboring graves contained named individuals. If these individuals were buried in the national cemetery, it is very likely that the 86 bodies are buried nearby since the U.S.C.T. 111th worked the battlefield one area at a time.
Many of the soldiers from the Illinois 21st killed on December 30th are buried in a single column of graves in Section A with one additional grave buried in Section B. These soldiers are buried in the third column from the right (with grave numbers ending in the number 3.) There are two additional soldiers with a December 30th date of death buried in Section L.

A review of cemetery maps determines that it is very unlikely that Ingmundson is buried in Section A or B. These sections were primarily for burials from locations away from Murfreesboro and the battlefield. Only the third column contains battlefield burials and there are few unknowns in this area from the battlefield. It is likely that these particular burials were overlooked in the initial sweep of the battlefield and buried later.
Section L is a good possibility. This section contains many soldiers killed in the initial assault on the Union Right Flank and along Gresham Lane. Many soldiers from the Carlin Brigade are buried here. The left-hand side of Section L also contains many unknown battlefield deaths. Is it possible that the 86 soldiers in the mass grave are buried here. Unfortunately, we can’t confirm this.
How Captain Ingmundson's body ended up in an unknown grave is a good example of the high number of factors that are required to identify a fallen soldier in the Civil War. (See article on the Unknown Story) His body was identified by his unit and steps were taken for a proper burial. His burial site was documented in a map which was preserved for future reference. Unfortunately, his actual burial was done in a trench with 85 other soldiers. Because his body was indistinguishable from the other soldiers, he ended up in an unknown grave at Stones River National Cemetery marked only by a small square marker with only a number.