Carl Jacob Hammarsköld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Jacob Hammarsköld
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| Born | June 2, 1833 Skultuna, Sweden
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| Died | February 25, 1884 (aged 50) |
| Burial place | Uppsala old cemetery, Uppsala, Sweden |
| Nationality |  Swedish American |
| Other names | Charles J. Hammarskold Charles J. Hammerskold |
| Occupation | Ironmaster U.S. Postmaster Confederate officer Railwayman |
| Years active | 1853–1860 1857–1861 1861–1862 1863–1884 |
| Employer | United States Post Office Department Confederate States Army Swedish State Railways |
| Spouse(s) | Agnes Margareta Dorotea, nee Hellman, 1870 |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
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Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1862 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 34th North Carolina Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Carl Jacob Hammarsköld (1833–1884), also known as Charles J. Hammarskold, was a member of the well-known Hammarskjöld family. In 1850, he moved to the United States with his father. He became an ironmaster, which means he managed iron factories, and also served as a U.S. Postmaster in North Carolina.
When the American Civil War began, he joined the Confederate States Army. He served as an officer and left the army as a lieutenant colonel after a series of battles called the Seven Days Battles. In 1863, Hammarsköld returned to his home country, Sweden. There, he had a successful, though short, career working with railways. He passed away at the age of 50.
Life in North Carolina
Carl Jacob Hammarsköld finished his studies at Uppsala University in 1849. That same year, his father, Carl Wilhelm Carl Jacob Hammarsköld, quickly left for the United States. His father had managed an ironworks in Sweden but faced financial problems from bad investments. To avoid his debts, he left with a large sum of money for South Carolina, where a cousin lived. There, he became the manager of the Coopersville Iron Works.
A year later, Carl Jacob, his mother, his sister, and his mother's friend traveled from Stockholm to Savannah, Georgia. They wanted to reunite with his father. By then, a new company had taken over the Coopersville Ironworks, and Hammarsköld senior was its president. Skilled workers from Sweden traveled on the same ship as Carl Jacob. They all journeyed together. However, after arriving at Coopersville, the workers did not agree with the job terms. They left to find better opportunities elsewhere. This caused problems between the president and the company. The Hammarsköld family then had to leave Coopersville and move to North Carolina.
In North Carolina, the elder Hammarsköld bought the Spring Hill Forge in Lincoln County. This was an ironworks that used a special furnace called a bloomery. It was built in the early 1800s and rebuilt after they bought it. It had three furnaces and two large hammers. It produced about 100 tons of iron bars each year. Carl Jacob Hammarsköld started his American life as a worker at his father's forge. But he quickly advanced to become a company clerk. In 1853, he became a manager and part owner. He also managed a general store in Morgantown. From 1857, he served as the local U.S. Postmaster.
In 1860, he briefly visited Sweden. He went with his sister, who was sent to a music school in their home country. After his father passed away in 1860, Carl Jacob sold the company.
Service in the American Civil War
By the time the American Civil War began, Carl Jacob Hammarsköld strongly supported the Southern states. On May 10, 1861, he wrote to Sweden from Raleigh. He explained that he had left everything dear to him to fight in a war. He believed this war would decide the future of the "glorious South." He was sure he would either win or die defending "our country."
He wrote that two weeks earlier, Governor Ellis had ordered him to report for active duty. It was hard to leave his mother and his home, but he took the first train to Raleigh. There, he and three others managed the governor's military office. They were busy drilling, organizing, and parading troops. Hammarsköld blamed the war on President Lincoln, calling him "the wretched president."
Hammarsköld was made a second lieutenant on August 31, 1861. When the 34th North Carolina Infantry regiment was formed in October 1861, he became a first lieutenant in Company E. When the regiment was reorganized in the spring of 1862, he was promoted to major on April 2, 1862. Within a few weeks, he became a lieutenant colonel.
The 34th North Carolina spent the winter of 1861-1862 training at High Point and Raleigh. In the spring, the regiment moved to Fort Branch, near Hamilton. Their job was to defend against Union gunboats on the Roanoke River. In early summer 1862, the regiment joined Pender's Brigade. This brigade was part of A. P. Hill's Light Division in the Army of Northern Virginia. The regiment soon fought in the Seven Days Battles. They participated in the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill, and Frayser's Farm.
Hammarsköld left the Confederate army after the Seven Days Battles. He needed to return home to North Carolina to take care of his business and his mother and sister. An eye problem also gave him a reason to resign. He wrote to a relative in Sweden, explaining his choice. He said he joined a regiment where he knew few people. Yet, he rose to become a lieutenant colonel. He even commanded four regiments when generals and colonels were injured. He enjoyed military service, even though it meant weeks without dry clothes or eating utensils. He also faced battles with bullets flying and people falling every minute. However, he insisted that military life had something that made his spirit feel alive: "the concept of honor or death is satisfying."
Railway Career in Sweden
After leaving the Confederate Army, Hammarsköld worked as a merchant. However, in 1863, he decided to return to Sweden with his mother and sister. The family traveled through the war-torn country to New York City. There, the Swedish diplomat, Carl Piper, helped them get passage across the Atlantic Ocean.
Back in his homeland, Hammarsköld was hired by the Swedish State Railways in 1863. He started as an accountant, managing financial records. Within a year, he was promoted to stationmaster, overseeing a train station. In 1866, he became an assistant district traffic manager. Nine years later, he became the traffic manager for the Stockholm district.
His mother and sister settled in Uppsala. His sister taught English classes for a while before she passed away from an illness. His mother became a housekeeper for the old Archbishop Henrik Reuterdahl. When the Archbishop died, she moved in with her son, who had recently married. Hammarsköld passed away in 1884, at the age of 50. His mother lived for another six years after him.
