| Water Color Sketchbook by Private Henry Berckhoff of the 8th New York "German Rifles" May 27,1861 to May 23,1863 |
Henry Berckhoff was a twenty year old young man when he enlisted as a Union soldier during the
war. He became a private in the Eighth New York Volunteer Infantry, Company B, which was also
known as the First German Rifles and was composed of approximately 1,000 German immigrants.
Berckhoff sketched pictures and later colored them and bound them together. When The Eighth New
York's term expired in April 1863, Berckhoff then served with Company A of the Fifth New York
Veteran Volunteer Infantry until the end of the war. He continued to serve in the military until his
retirement in February 1894. The drawings displayed here represent the early years of Berckhoff's
military career.
war. He became a private in the Eighth New York Volunteer Infantry, Company B, which was also
known as the First German Rifles and was composed of approximately 1,000 German immigrants.
Berckhoff sketched pictures and later colored them and bound them together. When The Eighth New
York's term expired in April 1863, Berckhoff then served with Company A of the Fifth New York
Veteran Volunteer Infantry until the end of the war. He continued to serve in the military until his
retirement in February 1894. The drawings displayed here represent the early years of Berckhoff's
military career.
Under the command of General Louis Blenker, when The Eighth New York Volunteers marched off
to war in the spring of 1861, German Americans and other New Yorkers lined Broadway to cheer
them. The Eighth New York was unique among volunteer regiments in that it had an artillery unit
plus a medical detachment with ambulances. The soldiers had two uniforms: a regular blue uniform
and a distinctive gray dress uniform. They set up camp with the soldiers' tents in orderly rows
separated by tree lined lanes between each regiment in the division. Their Washington, D.C. camp
was actually a tourist attraction.
to war in the spring of 1861, German Americans and other New Yorkers lined Broadway to cheer
them. The Eighth New York was unique among volunteer regiments in that it had an artillery unit
plus a medical detachment with ambulances. The soldiers had two uniforms: a regular blue uniform
and a distinctive gray dress uniform. They set up camp with the soldiers' tents in orderly rows
separated by tree lined lanes between each regiment in the division. Their Washington, D.C. camp
was actually a tourist attraction.
| The Eighth New York participated in several significant battles, including the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas). There were 524,509 total known deaths in the Civil War: 359,528 Union and 164,981 Confederate. |
| This old song originally by Friedrich Silcher with lyrics by Wilhelm Hauf was very popular among the German-speaking units in the Civil War. Dieses Lied war oft gesungen bei die Deutsch-sprachigen Kämpfer in dem Amerikianischen Bürgerkrieg. |
| Morgenrot, Morgenrot, Leuchtest mir zum frühen Tod? Bald wird die Trompete blasen, Dann muß ich mein Leben lassen, Ich und mancher Kamerad! Kaum gedacht, kaum gedacht, Wird der Lust ein End gemacht! Gestern noch auf stolzen Rossen, Heute durch die Brust geschossen, Morgen in das kühle Grab! |
