German Kingdom of Wurttemberg Represented at Gettysburg

Tom Elmore

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Wurttemberg (with an umlaut – two dots – over the u) was one of many German states that existed before, during and after the American Civil War. Although we tend to overlook or minimize the distinctions between German states of that era, they were significant. For instance, Wurttemberg had allied itself with Napoleon I against Prussia, Austria and Russia. Afterwards, in the growing competition between Austria and Prussia for regional dominance, it consistently sided with Austria.

King William I, who ruled Wurttemberg from 1816 until his death in 1864, rather successfully navigated the political challenges of his time, including enduring tensions between Protestants populating the Neckar river valley, and Catholics concentrated in the south around the Donau (Danube). However, the revolutionary movement of 1848 impacted all of the German states and was a significant factor driving German emigration to the United States, which in turn subsequently provided a large manpower pool that overwhelmingly benefitted the Union armies.

Thus far I have recorded the state (or free city) of origin of 195 Germans who served at Gettysburg. Of this number, 17 were born in, or had connections with, Wurttemberg (listed below), being fourth in overall numbers, behind Prussia (with 87), Bayern (Bavaria) with 26, and the Grand Duchy of Baden with 26.

The attached map shows the Kingdom of Wurttemberg as it existed from 1815 until 1918. I have added towns or villages of soldiers who took part in the battle of Gettysburg.

(As a sidebar, a Prince of Wurttemberg (not further identified) expressed interest in visiting the battlefield of Gettysburg as recorded in undated correspondence between Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys, Maj. Gen. Irwin McDowell and the eminent historian, John B. Bachelder; Bachelder Papers, 3:1882.)

Union:
-Private Jakob Fritz Roecker, Company E, 14th Brooklyn (84th New York), born 1828 in the village of Flacht, Wurttemberg, wounded in the head and face by a shell fragment on July 2. (Note: The only Flacht I can identify is a village in what is now Rheinland-Palatinate, formerly the Duchy of Nassau.)
-Private Christopher John Thrain, Company D, 15th Massachusetts, born June 16, 1823 in Altshausen, emigrated to the U.S. in 1854 on the ship Welkin, wounded in the knee on July 3.
-Private Henry Nickell, Company A, 1st Minnesota, born in Stuttgart, mortally wounded in left thigh on July 2, died August 10 or 11 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Frederick Frey, Company F, 108 New York, born September 13, 1835 in Tommelhardt, slightly wounded, the tip of his nose was shot off.
-Private Carl F. Long, Company F, 3rd U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, shot in left arm and left leg (amputated), died July 24 at Second Division, Fifth Corps hospital, buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Christiana F. Schmidtzer, Company G, 6th U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, left leg fractured, died August 22 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Lucas Rittler, Company K, 2nd U.S. Infantry, killed on July 2.
-Private Anton Burkhardt, Company I, 107th Ohio, born August 8, 1842 in Bietenhausen, captured on July 1.
-Lieutenant Frederick Schaefer, Company C, 73rd Pennsylvania, born September 30, 1837 in Alpinsbach, present during the battle.
-Sergeant William Preiser (brother of Emil), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, killed on July 1.
-Corporal Emil Preisser (brother of William), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, mortally wounded on July 1, died July 7 at the George Spangler farm (Eleventh Corps hospital), buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Corporal Carl L. Muller, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Ingelfingen, captured on July 1.
-Corporal Andreas Rupp, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Holzhausen, captured on July 1.
-Private Friederich Calmback, Company D, 82nd Illinois, killed on July 1.
-Sergeant Bernhard Brost, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Neidleigen, captured on July 1.
-Private Engelbert Bandle, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Eplingen [?], captured on July 1.
-Private Frederick Kubler, Company H, 82nd Illinois, born Weisteurode [?], captured on July 1.

(Incidentally, Company G, 74th Pennsylvania initially was composed of 15 men hailing from Wurttemberg, 14 from Baden, 10 from Bavaria, 8 from Alsace, 4 from Switzerland, 1 from Austria and 1 from Ireland.)

Confederates from Wurttemberg who were possibly at Gettysburg:
-Sergeant Charles Merkle, Company A, 8th Louisiana.
-Private John Bonsold Baker, Company A, 18th North Carolina.

Sources include:
-Wikipedia, Kingdom of Wurttemberg; map attribution: By Ssch - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=350991
 

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Interesting, thanks for posting.
1577555507228.png
An 1851 postage stamp from Königreich Württemberg.
 
Wurttemberg (with an umlaut – two dots – over the u) was one of many German states that existed before, during and after the American Civil War. Although we tend to overlook or minimize the distinctions between German states of that era, they were significant. For instance, Wurttemberg had allied itself with Napoleon I against Prussia, Austria and Russia. Afterwards, in the growing competition between Austria and Prussia for regional dominance, it consistently sided with Austria.

King William I, who ruled Wurttemberg from 1816 until his death in 1864, rather successfully navigated the political challenges of his time, including enduring tensions between Protestants populating the Neckar river valley, and Catholics concentrated in the south around the Donau (Danube). However, the revolutionary movement of 1848 impacted all of the German states and was a significant factor driving German emigration to the United States, which in turn subsequently provided a large manpower pool that overwhelmingly benefitted the Union armies.

Thus far I have recorded the state (or free city) of origin of 195 Germans who served at Gettysburg. Of this number, 17 were born in, or had connections with, Wurttemberg (listed below), being fourth in overall numbers, behind Prussia (with 87), Bayern (Bavaria) with 26, and the Grand Duchy of Baden with 26.

The attached map shows the Kingdom of Wurttemberg as it existed from 1815 until 1918. I have added towns or villages of soldiers who took part in the battle of Gettysburg.

(As a sidebar, a Prince of Wurttemberg (not further identified) expressed interest in visiting the battlefield of Gettysburg as recorded in undated correspondence between Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys, Maj. Gen. Irwin McDowell and the eminent historian, John B. Bachelder; Bachelder Papers, 3:1882.)

Union:
-Private Jakob Fritz Roecker, Company E, 14th Brooklyn (84th New York), born 1828 in the village of Flacht, Wurttemberg, wounded in the head and face by a shell fragment on July 2. (Note: The only Flacht I can identify is a village in what is now Rheinland-Palatinate, formerly the Duchy of Nassau.)
-Private Christopher John Thrain, Company D, 15th Massachusetts, born June 16, 1823 in Altshausen, emigrated to the U.S. in 1854 on the ship Welkin, wounded in the knee on July 3.
-Private Henry Nickell, Company A, 1st Minnesota, born in Stuttgart, mortally wounded in left thigh on July 2, died August 10 or 11 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Frederick Frey, Company F, 108 New York, born September 13, 1835 in Tommelhardt, slightly wounded, the tip of his nose was shot off.
-Private Carl F. Long, Company F, 3rd U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, shot in left arm and left leg (amputated), died July 24 at Second Division, Fifth Corps hospital, buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Christiana F. Schmidtzer, Company G, 6th U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, left leg fractured, died August 22 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Lucas Rittler, Company K, 2nd U.S. Infantry, killed on July 2.
-Private Anton Burkhardt, Company I, 107th Ohio, born August 8, 1842 in Bietenhausen, captured on July 1.
-Lieutenant Frederick Schaefer, Company C, 73rd Pennsylvania, born September 30, 1837 in Alpinsbach, present during the battle.
-Sergeant William Preiser (brother of Emil), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, killed on July 1.
-Corporal Emil Preisser (brother of William), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, mortally wounded on July 1, died July 7 at the George Spangler farm (Eleventh Corps hospital), buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Corporal Carl L. Muller, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Ingelfingen, captured on July 1.
-Corporal Andreas Rupp, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Holzhausen, captured on July 1.
-Private Friederich Calmback, Company D, 82nd Illinois, killed on July 1.
-Sergeant Bernhard Brost, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Neidleigen, captured on July 1.
-Private Engelbert Bandle, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Eplingen [?], captured on July 1.
-Private Frederick Kubler, Company H, 82nd Illinois, born Weisteurode [?], captured on July 1.

(Incidentally, Company G, 74th Pennsylvania initially was composed of 15 men hailing from Wurttemberg, 14 from Baden, 10 from Bavaria, 8 from Alsace, 4 from Switzerland, 1 from Austria and 1 from Ireland.)

Confederates from Wurttemberg who were possibly at Gettysburg:
-Sergeant Charles Merkle, Company A, 8th Louisiana.
-Private John Bonsold Baker, Company A, 18th North Carolina.

Sources include:
-Wikipedia, Kingdom of Wurttemberg; map attribution: By Ssch - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=350991
my 5th great grandfather was from here when they came to america they settled in VA the 1st germaina settlements of christopher UHL then changed to YOWELL lot oif union in this line BUT Henson line was a lot of CSA hope ok to post this kitty
1690 Sulzfeld, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
 
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Wurttemberg (with an umlaut – two dots – over the u) was one of many German states that existed before, during and after the American Civil War. Although we tend to overlook or minimize the distinctions between German states of that era, they were significant. For instance, Wurttemberg had allied itself with Napoleon I against Prussia, Austria and Russia. Afterwards, in the growing competition between Austria and Prussia for regional dominance, it consistently sided with Austria.

King William I, who ruled Wurttemberg from 1816 until his death in 1864, rather successfully navigated the political challenges of his time, including enduring tensions between Protestants populating the Neckar river valley, and Catholics concentrated in the south around the Donau (Danube). However, the revolutionary movement of 1848 impacted all of the German states and was a significant factor driving German emigration to the United States, which in turn subsequently provided a large manpower pool that overwhelmingly benefitted the Union armies.

Thus far I have recorded the state (or free city) of origin of 195 Germans who served at Gettysburg. Of this number, 17 were born in, or had connections with, Wurttemberg (listed below), being fourth in overall numbers, behind Prussia (with 87), Bayern (Bavaria) with 26, and the Grand Duchy of Baden with 26.

The attached map shows the Kingdom of Wurttemberg as it existed from 1815 until 1918. I have added towns or villages of soldiers who took part in the battle of Gettysburg.

(As a sidebar, a Prince of Wurttemberg (not further identified) expressed interest in visiting the battlefield of Gettysburg as recorded in undated correspondence between Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys, Maj. Gen. Irwin McDowell and the eminent historian, John B. Bachelder; Bachelder Papers, 3:1882.)

Union:
-Private Jakob Fritz Roecker, Company E, 14th Brooklyn (84th New York), born 1828 in the village of Flacht, Wurttemberg, wounded in the head and face by a shell fragment on July 2. (Note: The only Flacht I can identify is a village in what is now Rheinland-Palatinate, formerly the Duchy of Nassau.)
-Private Christopher John Thrain, Company D, 15th Massachusetts, born June 16, 1823 in Altshausen, emigrated to the U.S. in 1854 on the ship Welkin, wounded in the knee on July 3.
-Private Henry Nickell, Company A, 1st Minnesota, born in Stuttgart, mortally wounded in left thigh on July 2, died August 10 or 11 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Frederick Frey, Company F, 108 New York, born September 13, 1835 in Tommelhardt, slightly wounded, the tip of his nose was shot off.
-Private Carl F. Long, Company F, 3rd U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, shot in left arm and left leg (amputated), died July 24 at Second Division, Fifth Corps hospital, buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Christiana F. Schmidtzer, Company G, 6th U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, left leg fractured, died August 22 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Lucas Rittler, Company K, 2nd U.S. Infantry, killed on July 2.
-Private Anton Burkhardt, Company I, 107th Ohio, born August 8, 1842 in Bietenhausen, captured on July 1.
-Lieutenant Frederick Schaefer, Company C, 73rd Pennsylvania, born September 30, 1837 in Alpinsbach, present during the battle.
-Sergeant William Preiser (brother of Emil), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, killed on July 1.
-Corporal Emil Preisser (brother of William), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, mortally wounded on July 1, died July 7 at the George Spangler farm (Eleventh Corps hospital), buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Corporal Carl L. Muller, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Ingelfingen, captured on July 1.
-Corporal Andreas Rupp, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Holzhausen, captured on July 1.
-Private Friederich Calmback, Company D, 82nd Illinois, killed on July 1.
-Sergeant Bernhard Brost, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Neidleigen, captured on July 1.
-Private Engelbert Bandle, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Eplingen [?], captured on July 1.
-Private Frederick Kubler, Company H, 82nd Illinois, born Weisteurode [?], captured on July 1.

(Incidentally, Company G, 74th Pennsylvania initially was composed of 15 men hailing from Wurttemberg, 14 from Baden, 10 from Bavaria, 8 from Alsace, 4 from Switzerland, 1 from Austria and 1 from Ireland.)

Confederates from Wurttemberg who were possibly at Gettysburg:
-Sergeant Charles Merkle, Company A, 8th Louisiana.
-Private John Bonsold Baker, Company A, 18th North Carolina.

Sources include:
-Wikipedia, Kingdom of Wurttemberg; map attribution: By Ssch - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=350991

It's worth pointing out that it was only a few years later (1870) that Bismarck used the Franco-Prussian War to unite the German states into one empire. This new empire included the kingdoms of Saxony, Bavaria, Prussia and Württemberg. (hint: umlaut u created by pressing Alt + 129)
 
Wurttemberg (with an umlaut – two dots – over the u) was one of many German states that existed before, during and after the American Civil War. Although we tend to overlook or minimize the distinctions between German states of that era, they were significant. For instance, Wurttemberg had allied itself with Napoleon I against Prussia, Austria and Russia. Afterwards, in the growing competition between Austria and Prussia for regional dominance, it consistently sided with Austria.

King William I, who ruled Wurttemberg from 1816 until his death in 1864, rather successfully navigated the political challenges of his time, including enduring tensions between Protestants populating the Neckar river valley, and Catholics concentrated in the south around the Donau (Danube). However, the revolutionary movement of 1848 impacted all of the German states and was a significant factor driving German emigration to the United States, which in turn subsequently provided a large manpower pool that overwhelmingly benefitted the Union armies.

Thus far I have recorded the state (or free city) of origin of 195 Germans who served at Gettysburg. Of this number, 17 were born in, or had connections with, Wurttemberg (listed below), being fourth in overall numbers, behind Prussia (with 87), Bayern (Bavaria) with 26, and the Grand Duchy of Baden with 26.

The attached map shows the Kingdom of Wurttemberg as it existed from 1815 until 1918. I have added towns or villages of soldiers who took part in the battle of Gettysburg.

(As a sidebar, a Prince of Wurttemberg (not further identified) expressed interest in visiting the battlefield of Gettysburg as recorded in undated correspondence between Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys, Maj. Gen. Irwin McDowell and the eminent historian, John B. Bachelder; Bachelder Papers, 3:1882.)

Union:
-Private Jakob Fritz Roecker, Company E, 14th Brooklyn (84th New York), born 1828 in the village of Flacht, Wurttemberg, wounded in the head and face by a shell fragment on July 2. (Note: The only Flacht I can identify is a village in what is now Rheinland-Palatinate, formerly the Duchy of Nassau.)
-Private Christopher John Thrain, Company D, 15th Massachusetts, born June 16, 1823 in Altshausen, emigrated to the U.S. in 1854 on the ship Welkin, wounded in the knee on July 3.
-Private Henry Nickell, Company A, 1st Minnesota, born in Stuttgart, mortally wounded in left thigh on July 2, died August 10 or 11 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Frederick Frey, Company F, 108 New York, born September 13, 1835 in Tommelhardt, slightly wounded, the tip of his nose was shot off.
-Private Carl F. Long, Company F, 3rd U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, shot in left arm and left leg (amputated), died July 24 at Second Division, Fifth Corps hospital, buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Christiana F. Schmidtzer, Company G, 6th U.S. Infantry, mortally wounded on July 2, left leg fractured, died August 22 at Camp Letterman General Hospital, buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Private Lucas Rittler, Company K, 2nd U.S. Infantry, killed on July 2.
-Private Anton Burkhardt, Company I, 107th Ohio, born August 8, 1842 in Bietenhausen, captured on July 1.
-Lieutenant Frederick Schaefer, Company C, 73rd Pennsylvania, born September 30, 1837 in Alpinsbach, present during the battle.
-Sergeant William Preiser (brother of Emil), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, killed on July 1.
-Corporal Emil Preisser (brother of William), Company E, 27th Connecticut, family from Stuttgart and the Free City of Ulm, emigrated to the U.S. in 1851 or 1852, mortally wounded on July 1, died July 7 at the George Spangler farm (Eleventh Corps hospital), buried in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg.
-Corporal Carl L. Muller, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Ingelfingen, captured on July 1.
-Corporal Andreas Rupp, Company C, 82nd Illinois, born in Holzhausen, captured on July 1.
-Private Friederich Calmback, Company D, 82nd Illinois, killed on July 1.
-Sergeant Bernhard Brost, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Neidleigen, captured on July 1.
-Private Engelbert Bandle, Company G, 82nd Illinois, born in Eplingen [?], captured on July 1.
-Private Frederick Kubler, Company H, 82nd Illinois, born Weisteurode [?], captured on July 1.

(Incidentally, Company G, 74th Pennsylvania initially was composed of 15 men hailing from Wurttemberg, 14 from Baden, 10 from Bavaria, 8 from Alsace, 4 from Switzerland, 1 from Austria and 1 from Ireland.)

Confederates from Wurttemberg who were possibly at Gettysburg:
-Sergeant Charles Merkle, Company A, 8th Louisiana.
-Private John Bonsold Baker, Company A, 18th North Carolina.

Sources include:
-Wikipedia, Kingdom of Wurttemberg; map attribution: By Ssch - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=350991
Great post!

In my research on the Ninth Ohio I have come across different ordering for the top four states listed as birthplaces in the regiment. Prussia is represented by 189, then Bavaria with 161, Württemberg 127 and Baden 109. Co D of the 28th Ohio (I haven't yet found the descriptive lists for the other 9 companies) had between 10-15 from each of those four states, but then 25 from Switzerland. It just goes to show how different the geographic makeup can change quite a bit from regiment to regiment.

As to the town of Flacht, I believe option 2 here might be the correct one you are looking for, which appears to be part of present day Weissach. https://s.meyersgaz.org/search?search=flacht

Meyers gazeteer is great for finding places that no longer exist or have changed names.
 
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