Ernest von Vegesack

Ernst Mattias Peter von Vegesack (18 June 1820 – 12 January 1903) was a Swedish volunteer in the American Civil War and a member of the parliament of Sweden. After his return to Sweden, the Union promoted him to the rank of Brigadier general. In 1893 he was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in the Battle of Gaines' Mill. [cite web|url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwarmz.html |title=Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients |publisher=United States Army Center of Military History |quote=Citation: While voluntarily serving as aide-de-camp, successfully and advantageously charged the position of troops under fire.]

Career in Sweden

Ernest von Vegesack was born on the Baltic island of Gotland as a member of the Swedish nobility. In 1840 he became an army officer of Gotlands nationalbeväring. Two years later he was transferred to Dalregementet. He was educated in surveying and worked until 1850 as a surveyor in Dalarna County. In 1852 he was transferred to Saint Barthélemy, then a Swedish possession in the Caribbean. After his return to Sweden, he received the command over Dalregementet and he was also supervising the Gävle-Dala Railroad, the first longer railroad of Sweden.

American Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, von Vegesack left for the United States and joined the Union Army. He became captain of the 58th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The same year, he was promoted to major in the staff of general John E. Wool. First he served in Fort Monroe.citation |author=Frank Martin |contribution=Vegesack, Enst von |title=Svenska Män och Kvinnor |year=1955 ] As an aide-de-camp to Mansfield he took part in the artillery bombardment of Newport News. In 1862 he resigned, but then he joined McClellan in his siege of Yorktown. As an ADC to Butterfield he took part in the battles of Hanover Court House, of Seven Pines and of Fair Oaks. He was at the Battle of Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill, Savage's Station, and Malvern Hill. Vegesack was appointed colonel of the 20th New York Volunteers, the German "Turner" regiment. He was given the command over the 3rd brigade in general Smith's division of the 6th Army Corps. He took part in the battles of Manassas and Bull Run. He captured the heights outside Jefferson City, Maryland. He displayed bravery at Antietam. [citation |url=http://aotw.org/exhibit.php?exhibit_id=233 |title=Col Ernst von Vegesack's Official Report |date=September 20, 1862] Vegesack was in the Battle of Fredericksburg. In May 1863 Vegesack's regiment was a part of Hooker's left wing in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Vegesack then returned to Sweden, but was appointed Brigadier general in 1865.

Back in Sweden

After his return to Sweden, Vegesack was promoted and given the command over Västerbottens regemente in 1864. The next year he got married to Edla Amalia Sergel. In 1868 he was transferred to Hälsinge regemente. From 1874 till 1884 he was military commander of his native Gotland. Promoted to Major General in 1884, has was appointed commander of Sweden's 5th military district. Vegesack resigned from the military in 1888.

From 1879 till 1887 Vegesack sat in upper house of the parliament of Sweden as a delegate for Gotland. Ernst von Vegesack died January 12, 1903, and was buried at Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm. [cite web| url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10754252 |title=Gen Ernest Von Vegesack |publisher=Find A Grave]

Footnotes

Reference

*citation |contribution-url=http://runeberg.org/sbh/b0702.html |contribution=Vegesack, Ernst Mattias Peter von |title=Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon |year=1906