Produced by K Nordquist, René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Transcriber's Note: Most variations in hyphenation, capitalization, and spelling have been retained as in the original. Spelling errors have been corrected when most occurrences of the word in question are correct. Obvious typos have been amended. All amendments are listed at the end of the text. Minor printer errors (quotation marks, punctuation, etc.) have been amended without note. Mid-paragraph illustrations have been relocated between paragraphs for easier reading. Brief descriptions of illustrations without captions have been added in parentheses where appropriate. Table of Contents has been added. [Illustration: Book Cover] [Illustration: H. Mattson] REMINISCENCES THE STORY OF AN EMIGRANT BY HANS MATTSON, Late Consul General of the United States, in India SAINT PAUL: D. D. MERRILL COMPANY 1891. Copyrighted 1891 by D. D. MERRILL COMPANY ST. PAUL, MINN. _All Rights Reserved_ CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Ancestry and country home in Sweden--Home influences--My first school years--Christmas--Military life--Departure for America. CHAPTER II. Arrival at Boston--Adventures between Boston and New York--Buffalo--An Asylum--Return to New York--A Voyage--On the Farm in New Hampshire. CHAPTER III. The Arrival of my Father and Brother--Journey to Illinois--Work on a Railroad--The Ague--Doctor Ober--Religious Impressions--The Arrival of my Mother, Sister and her Husband--A Burning Railroad Train--We go to Minnesota--Our Experience as Wood Choppers and Pioneers. CHAPTER IV. Future Hopes--Farm Life--Norwegian Pioneers--The Condition of the Immigrant at the Beginning of the Fifties--Religious Meetings--The Growth of the Settlement--Vasa Township Organized--A Lutheran Church Established--My Wedding--Speculation--The Crisis of 1857--Study of Law in Red Wing--I am admitted to the Bar and elected County Auditor--Politics in 1860--War is Imminent. CHAPTER V. The Beginning of the Civil War--The Scandinavians taking part in it--Appeal in _Hemlandet_ to the Scandinavians of Minnesota--Company D. Organized--The Expressions of the Press--The Departure--The March over the Cumberland Mountains--The Fate of the Third Regiment. CHAPTER VI. Events of 1863--The Siege of Vicksburg--Anecdotes about Gens. Logan, Stevenson and Grant--Little Rock Captured--Recruiting at Fort Snelling--The engagement at Fitzhugh's Woods--Pine Bluff--Winter Quarters at Duvall's Bluff--Death of Lincoln--Close of the War--The Third Regiment Disbanded. CHAPTER VII. Reconstruction in the South--Third Regiment Mustered Out--The Farewell Order--Sacrifices and Costs of the War. CHAPTER VIII.