The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-22
FAITHFUL GERMANS"
Hold Reunion In Washington To Talk
Over Old Times-FamOus
Civil Wat Veterans.

Washington, d. C.-The eight sur
viving members of the famous Eighth
Battalion of District of Columbia vol
unteers, called by President Lincoln
my faithful Germans" held a reunion
on the fifty-fifth anniversary of Lin
coins Inauguration.
They are the survivors of the COM
pany of volunteer German immigrants,
not yet mustered into regular service
as militia, that made safe and possible
the Inauguration of President Lincoln
His faithful Germans" were chosen
by Lincoln himself to be his personal
guard at the time of his Inauguration
in community not generally sympa-
thetic with him.
Grave and serious animosities tow
ard Lincoln were known to exist in
many quarters. Threats of assassina-
ton were breathed at the time. His
entrance into the city had to be made
under cover of secrecy. Together with
the handful of regular troops under
General Scott, the Washington Rifles,
as the German volunteers were known,
were selected by Lincoln himself as
his body guard.
The Eighth Battalion grew out of
the company known as the Washington
Rifles, or German Jaegers, which had
been organized the previous January.
The little company of Germans was
very active i'm its drilling for many of
its members had received military
training during their boyhood before
they left their native country. They
held themselves ready for service at
any time in case of need.
On Washington's birthday, 1861, they
marched 1926 strong through the streets
with the balance the National
Guard, about 1000 strong, making up
the small army of volunteers which
the capital was preparing for the stir
ring events that were to ensue. The
showing of the German contingent at
tracted attention.
Accordingly, on March 4, 1861, one
company of the battalion was com
handed to guard the position where
the President took the oath of office
and made the inaugural address. Mem
bers of the three companies, com
manded by Captain Ernest Loeffler,
Captain Joseph Gerhard and Captain
Wladislaw Krizanowsk marched be-
side and behind the carriage when the
newly inaugurated President drove up
Pennsylvania avenue on his way to the
White House Other members on guard
occupied windows of the Capitol over
looking the ceremonies and also were
stationed on the roofs of the houses
along the avenue.
After fifty-hve years have gone,
these eight survivors Of the famous
battalion are pursuing their own quiet
ways in Washington. With one or
two exceptions they continue to the
present day to follow the trades or
professions in which they were trained
before the war. The comradeshlp OF
the eventful days bring them together
four times a year, and they toast each
other and the departed comrades.
The president of this unique society
of survivors is William Reith. He is
the only member alive today of the
guard which performed guard duty
over the body of Lincoln following his
assassination. He assisted in the
placing of the martyred President in
his casket. He had served through
the war as an artifcer under General
Daniel Buckner.
The other survivors are Ernest Rup-
pert, Henry Rooms. John Seller, John
Lerch, Jacob Karr, Charles Hartman
and Louis Kettler. Kettler, who is
the youngest of the survivors, is now
rs years old. He walked beside Lin
coins carriage on Inauguration day,
in 1861. Later, while guarding the
Treasury Building, he became close
friend of Lincoln, who often brought
sandwiches to the guards. lie was in
Ford's Theater the night the President
was shot, and was a member of the
escort at the funeral.