Civil War Veteran: John Thoreson (Rockford, Illinois)
Jno. Thoreson - Co. "K" 74th Illinois Infantry
Portrait circa 1900
Source: Midway Village and Museum Center, Veterans Memorial Hall (Rockford, Illinois)
He is wearing a Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) medal
John Thoreson is my maternal 3rd great grandfather. He was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway on April 16, 1820. He married Martha Olsdatter/Olslund at Akers church in Christiania on December 18, 1848.
Probably 1860's in Rockford, Illinois
In June 1853, they emigrated with their two sons from Norway to Chicago, Illinois by way of New York and the Erie Canal. They welcomed a third son shortly after their arrival in the United States, but tragically the two youngest children died in Chicago in 1854 (probably buried in the Chicago City Cemetery which was destroyed in the Chicago Fire and is located in the area of the southern edge of what is now Lincoln Park/Gold Coast). In May 1855, likely when they were expecting their fourth child, the family moved to Rockford, Illinois which would become their permanent home. In fact, many of their Abramson-Thoreson descendants still live there today.
Between 1858-1863 they added three children (for a total of seven which included a set of twins), but three more young sons passed away in Rockford leaving only Thorvald (born 1850 in Norway) and Matilda (born September 1860 in Illinois).
On August 8, 1862, John enlisted with the Union for the Civil War. The 74th Regiment, Illinois Infantry was organized at Rockford, Illinois, and mustered in September 4, 1862. The regiment moved to Nashville, Tennessee and was on duty there until mustering out on June 10, 1865. As for John Thoreson, who was a private in Company K, he was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) on December 31, 1862. It is recorded that, "Of the major battles in the Civil War, Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides...With only about 76,400 men engaged, it has the greatest percentage of casualties (3.8 percent killed, 19.8 percent wounded, and 7.9 percent missing/captured) of any major battle in the Civil War, even more than at Shiloh and Antietam earlier that year."
John Thoreson was honorably discharged due to disability on June 21, 1863. This was nearly 6 months after being captured by the rebels. He was held at Libby Prison
(Richmond, Virginia) for approximately two months, suffering from a gun shot wound sustained during the battle of Stones River (December 1862), dropsy of the heart from cold exposure in the Battle of Perryville (Kentucky, October 1862), and an injury from falling through a railroad turn table while imprisoned (around March 1863). He was exchanged in April 1863 and spent time at Benton Barracks (St. Louis,
Missouri) before receiving his discharge.
His invalid pension claim with the Department of the Interior lists: "Pension on
account of disability from GSW [gun shot wound] left arm & results,
disease of heart [dropsy], chronic diarrhea & results, rheumatism
& scurvy." Officially, only the gun shot wound (left forearm near elbow) and disease of the heart were "approved" as being due to his military service, though scurvy diagnosis does appear in his military medical records. The heartbreaking first-hand account of his injuries are detailed in his 1879 pension application.
After returning home to Rockford, he resumed his work as a wagon maker and later became a prosperous business and land owner in the city. He resided and owned properties on South Main Street. He retired from active work in 1885.
His lengthy pension file indicates that his injuries afflicted him throughout his life; including a final application less than a month before his death (which was signed by his son-in-law and grandson!). He passed away in 1907 just weeks before his 87th birthday. What an astonishing life which often required incredible resilience to endure.
These words from his obituary are so true and fitting:
"The life of Mr. Thoreson is an example of one who came over from the old country to become a thorough American. He fought for this country and lived the life of a good and patriotic citizen."
John Thoreson is buried in Greenwood Cemetery (a.k.a. West Side), Rockford, Illinois along with his wife and four of his sons. They share a single family marker, the top of which was broken off by vandals in the early 1980's. This photo was taken in 1972.
The family marker is in deteriorating condition. In 2023, the Abramson family had a fundraiser to purchase a flat gravestone to commemorate John Thoreson and his Civil War service; it was placed on his grave near the family marker. A special thanks to 815 Stone Scrubbers who cleaned the family monument as part of their Civil War veteran cleaning project at Greenwood Cemetery in 2023.
John Thoreson (1820-1907) his wife Martha (1822-1887)
Henry (died 1860, age 2)
Frank Oscar (died 1863, age 3)
In 2023, we identified a photo of son Thorvald Thoreson taken around 1876 (age 26).
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Only John and Martha's daughter, Matilda Josephine (Thoreson) Abramson, had children. Frank Oscar was her twin brother who died at age 3. Matilda went on to live a long life and died shortly after her 80th birthday in 1940.
1861 - Matilda Josephine and Frank Oscar Thoreson
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Matilda and her husband Alfred Charles "A. C." Abramson married in 1881. They had two children and only their son John Herbert Abramson has any descendants today. J. H. and Gertrude (Kjellgren) Abramson married in 1906. They built their home at 312 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, Illinois in the late 1920's. It was commission #278 by well-known architect Jesse Barloga and was built when Spring Creek was a two-lane dirt road "out in the country." The Spanish-style home was purchased by Anderson Gardens and razed in the fall of 2000.
312 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, Illinois
Circa 1930
Originally published on January 22, 2023
Updated May 22, 2024
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