Greg Beckman, Augustus Beckmann's brother's great-great-grandson, teaches government at a high school in Placentia, California, pulled together the necessary documentation and asked the National Cemetery Administration to fix the headstone. He recently learned his request was approved.
An administration spokeswoman said the approved stones are typically in place within sixty days.
Beckman's great-great-grandfather, William Beckmann, was Augustus' brother. The two men came to America from present-day Germany between 1858 and 1860 and enlisted in the 2nd Infantry Division in Galveston.
"William never learned the fate of his brother, as (Augustus) was buried under the wrong surname of Bergman all those years," Beckman said. "The last time they saw one another was on the battlefield of Shiloh."
Augustus Beckmann was buried under the name Bergman at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, and the incorrect name followed him when his remains and those of 30 other soldiers were removed in 1869 and reinterred at Camp Chase.
Beckman said he was happy to visit his relative's gravesite but wasn't content with the incorrect inscription. "I knew something had to be done about it," he said.
Job Well Done. --Old Secesh
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