Torjus Haraldson mustered into

the Second Minnesota Infantry Regiment

and was assigned to Company "E" on June 1, 1864.

Click for the Complete Second Minnesota Infantry Regiment Service History

Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May l-September 8 1864. Major General William T. Sherman commanding the US Division of the Mississippi. Generals Joseph E. Johnston/John Bell Hood commanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee. During the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman maneuvered Johnston's Confederate army out of several successive defensive positions in Cobb County. This strategy spared the Union army from making costly frontal attacks on the well-situated Confederates.   Minnesota 2nd Infantry participated in these actions:          Tunnel Hill May 6-7.          Rocky Faced Ridge May 8-11.          Battle of Resaca May 13-15.          Guard trains May 21-June 2.          About Dallas June 2-5. We do not know exactly when Torjus reached the fighting regiment, but assume it would have been during the operations around Marietta and against Kennesaw Mountain between June 9 and July 3, 1864.   Battle of Pine Hill June 11-14     June 11 ...The enemy was found to be strongly posted on a line of hills running west from Kenesaw  Mountain to Lost Mountain, with a strong advanced work on Pine Hill. The approaches to this position were over a very broken and thickly wooded country which two days of rain had rendered almost impassable.  June 14, Palmer's corps and the left of Howard's pushed forward to a position about a mile in advance of their line established on the 11th, Howard's right being already in close proximity to the enemy's position on Pine Hill.  June 15, the enemy having evacuated Pine Hill during the night, it was occupied by General Howard's troops early in the day.    http://www.civilwarhome.com/thomasatlanta.htm Battle of Lost Mountain June 15-17   During the night of the 14th and the early morning of June 15, Johnston, fearing one of Sherman’s flanking tactics, moved his troops off Pine Mountain and strongly entrenched them in hills between Kennesaw and Lost Mountain. From the heights, Confederates would look down on the Union camps and observe every movement. Their batteries sent rumbles to the enemy below, but did little harm because of the extreme height causing the shot and shell to pass harmlessly overhead. During these operations around Kennesaw Mountain, rain fell almost continuously. The narrow wooded roads were mere mud gulleys, making the situation for general movement almost impossible. General McPherson was watching the enemy on Kennesaw and working his left forward; Thomas swinging, as it were, on a grand left wheel, his left on Kennesaw connecting with McPherson; and General Schofield’s corps working to the south and east, along the old Sandtown road. With McPherson's 15th Army Corps, under the command of Major General John "Blackjack" Logan gaining an advantage to the left, Sherman again ordered an assault to the center of Johnston’s lines. Fighting was difficult as a result of the hills and ravines in addition to the dense forest on this terrain. On the 17th of June, Johnston abandoned Lost Mountain. http://ngeorgia.com/history/kennesaw.html Assault on Kennesaw June 27   On the night of June 18-19, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, fearing envelopment, withdrew his army to a  new, previously selected position astride Kennesaw Mountain. This entrenched arc-shaped line, to  the north and west of Marietta, protected the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the supply link to Atlanta. Having defeated General John B. Hood troops at Kolb's Farm on the 22nd, Sherman was sure that  Johnston had stretched his line too thin and, therefore, decided on a frontal attack with some diversions  on the flanks. On the morning of June 27, Sherman sent his troops forward after an artillery  bombardment. At first, they made some headway overrunning Confederate pickets south of the Burnt  Hickory Road, but attacking an enemy that was dug in was futile. The fighting ended by noon, and  Sherman suffered high casualties. http://ngeorgia.com/history/kennesaw.html  Battle of Ruff's Station July 4   After a short delay the columns were again set in motion, Palmer's corps moving along the railroad by  the main Marietta and Atlanta road, with Hooker's command on his right and Howard's on his left; all  three within supporting distance of each other. About four miles out from Marietta they came up with the  enemy's rear guard, and skirmished with him to near Ruff's Station, where he was found strongly  posted in earth-works, which had evidently been finished some time previous with a view to his being  obliged to make his present retrograde movement toward the Chattahoochee. The lines were formed,  and by night-fall the three corps had skirmished themselves into position close up to the enemy's works,  having fully developed their situation and strength. Quite a number of prisoners and stragglers were  picked up during the day, about 500 being reported. http://www.civilwarhome.com/thomasatlanta.htm Garrison duty at Marietta until July 13 Assigned as provost and depot guard at Marietta July 15-August 19 March to Atlanta August 19-20 Siege of Atlanta August 20-25   The Siege of Atlanta actually began in late July. Sherman vied for position with Confederate Generals Joseph Johnston and John Bell Hood in a series of carefully planned manuevers. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30 Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1   Sherman had successfully cut Hood’s supply lines in the past by sending out detachments, but the Confederates quickly repaired the damage. In late August, Sherman determined that if he could cut Hood’s supply lines—the Macon & Western and the Atlanta & West Point Railroads—the Rebels would have to evacuate Atlanta. Sherman, therefore, decided to move six of his seven infantry corps against the supply lines. The army began pulling out of its positions on August 25 to hit the Macon & Western Railroad between Rough and Ready and Jonesborough. To counter the move, Hood sent Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee with two corps to halt and possibly rout the Union troops, not realizing Sherman’s army was there in force. On August 31, Hardee attacked two Union corps west of Jonesborough but was easily repulsed. Fearing an attack on Atlanta, Hood withdrew one corps from Hardee’s force that night. The next day, a Union corps broke through Hardee’ s troops which retreated to Lovejoy’s Station, and on the night of September 1, Hood evacuated Atlanta. Sherman did cut Hood’s supply line but failed to destroy Hardee’s command. http://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/ga022.htm The 15th Wisconsin (Scandinavian) Regiment also participated in many of the same battles in the Atlanta Campaign.You can read recollections by soldiers in the 15th by Clicking Here.                North Georgia/North Alabama September 29-November 3 Union troops were ordered west to chase down General Hood's troops who had escaped from Savanna. The notes for Minnesota Second Infantry do not indicate whether or not this unit participated in the battle of Decatur Alabama from October 26-29.            March to the Sea November 15-December 10 On November 12, 1864, Sherman marched his army out of Atlanta. It cut a swath of destruction over 40 miles wide in the Confederate heartland. Estimates of the damage wrought were in excess of $100,000,000. Sherman would admit that his troops had been "a little loose in their foraging and had done some things they ought not to have done." Waynesboro December 4   As Sherman’s infantry marched southeast through Georgia, his cavalry under Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick rode northeastward. He set out on the morning of December 4 to attack Waynesborough and destroy Joseph Wheeler’s cavalry command. That morning Kilpatrick’s men advanced, driving the Rebel skirmishers in front of them. The Union force then came up against a defensive line of barricades which they eventually overran. As the Union advance continued, they met more barricades which required time to overcome. Finally, the Confederates fell back to a final line of barricades within the town. After furious fighting, the Union troops broke through and Wheeler’s force ran. http://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/ga027.htm Ebenezer Creek December 8   Although the clash between the armies at Ebenezer Creek resulted in a Union victory, the tragedy of what happened to thousands of black fugitive slaves overshadows the military effort. http://www.historynet.com/magazines/civil_war_times/3026396.html   Siege of Savannah December 10-21 Sherman arrived at Savanna on December 10th.  On the 17th, a demand for surrender was delivered to the Confederate garrison in Savanna.  Confederate general Hardee sent his refusal on the 18th. Faced with overwhelming force, the Confederate garrison could not hope to prevent the city's capture, so 10,000 troops escaped the city into South Carolina via a pontoon bridge. General Slocum discovered the evacuation at 3 a.m. on the 21st, and his command at  once occupied the city. Sherman presented Savannah to Lincoln as a "Christmas gift".   http://www.civilwarhome.com/ShermansMarch.htm   Campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865 After bringing Georgia to its knees, Sherman marched his army north into the Carolinas. Fayetteville, N. C., March 11   On March 11, 1865, under command of General Slocum, the Union army overcame Confederate forces led by General Joseph E. Johnston at Fayetteville, NC. The Union Army captured and destroyed the Confederate arsenal there. Weapons were both made and stored at this facility, making it critical to the Confederate cause. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/civil/fayette_1 Battle of Bentonville March 19-21   On March 19, US General Slocum encountered the entrenched Confederates of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston who had concentrated to meet his advance at Bentonville. Late afternoon, Johnston attacked, crushing the line of the XIV Corps. Only strong counterattacks and desperate fighting south of the Goldsborough Road blunted the Confederate offensive. Elements of the XX Corps were thrown into the action as they arrived on the field. Five Confederate attacks failed to dislodge the Federal defenders and darkness ended the first day’s fighting. During the night, Johnston contracted his line into a “V” to protect his flanks with Mill Creek to his rear. On March 20, Slocum was heavily reinforced, but fighting was sporadic. Sherman was inclined to let Johnston retreat. On the 21st, however, Johnston remained in position while he removed his wounded. Skirmishing heated up along the entire front. In the afternoon, Maj. Gen. Joseph Mower led his Union division along a narrow trace that carried it across Mill Creek into Johnston’s rear. Confederate counterattacks stopped Mower’s advance, saving the army’s only line of communication and retreat. Mower withdrew, ending fighting for the day. During the night, Johnston retreated across the bridge at Bentonville. Union forces pursued at first light, driving back Wheeler’s rearguard and saving the bridge. http://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/nc020.htm Occupation of Goldsboro March 24   Grant directed Sherman to turn around now and start heading back toward Virginia. General John M. Schofield and his men were to detach from the Army of the Cumberland in Tennessee and proceed toward North Carolina. His final destination was to be Goldsboro, which was roughly half the distance between Savannah and Richmond and a key railroad junction. This is where he and his 20,000 troops would meet Sherman and his 50,000 troops. Sherman's force pushed on and finally met up with Schofield in Goldsboro on March 23rd. Sherman's course would be to continue north with Schofield's men and meet Grant in Richmond. (Lee surrendered to Grant before Sherman could get there.) http://www.cyberessays.com/History/59.htm Advance on Raleigh April 10-14   The combined forces of Schofield and Sherman made their way to Raleigh, North Carolina.                Note:Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9. Occupation of Raleigh April 14   Sherman set up his headquarters in Raleigh. Negotiations for the surrender of Johnston's force began. Bennett's House April 26   Surrender of Johnston and his army  From Harper's Weekly - May 27, 1865      March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 30-May 19 Grand Review in Washington DC on May 24 Moved to Louisville, Ky., June 14-20   Mustered out July 11, 1865 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota