Leukhardt family Civil War letters

Gottfried Leukhardt was a captain on a sailing ship, carrying freight and lumber from New York to Europe. When the Civil War started, he enlisted in the U.S. Artillery and later was made Captain of the First New York Light Artillery. He served during the entire war from 1861 to 1865. Captain Leukhardt's letters to his wife, Louise (Louisa), described the conditions under which he was living and fighting. In a letter dated July 6, 1862, he detailed the events of the onset of their fight in the Seven Day Battle which commenced June 27, 1862 in the area of the Chickahominy River east of Richmond. During the four years that he served, he consistently wrote of his desire to return home.

Louise also corresponded with their son, Andrew, who, like his father and brother, fought for the Union. The record shows him as a Drummer. Six or more of these letters are from Andrew in 1864-1865 who was with Union troups (sic) in Bermuda Hundred, Manchester and "Verrina" (Varina) Virginia. On November 3, 1864 his mother wrote to tell him Washington had notified her that his father had been wounded and captured. Captain Leukhardt died one month before the end of the war in 1865. There is reference to another son-(possibly Gottlieb?)- and, also, a cousin who apparently was fighting for the South as Louise writes of having forgiven him. (Biography description written by dealer)