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14th New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Fourteenth Infantry. — Col, William S. Truex; Lieut-Cols., Caldwell
K. Hall, Jacob J. Janeway; Majs., Peter Vredenburgh, Jr., John C. Patterson. This regiment
was mustered into the service of the United States on Aug. 26, 1862, and left Freehold for
the field, 950 strong, on Sept. 2. At Monocacy Junction, Md., the regiment remained
inactive for 9 months, but on July 9, 1863, it joined the main army, whose fortunes it
shared from that time forward to the close of the war. On Oct. 30, it moved forward with
its corps, encamping near Bealeton Station, Va., until Nov. 7, when it advanced to the
Rappahannock, along which the enemy was constructing formidable works, and with the other
troops engaged effected a crossing, driving the enemy from the river with considerable
loss. But the first actual engagement of the regiment was at Locust Grove, where it fought
with great steadiness throughout, and suffered a loss of 16 killed and 58 wounded —
its first losses in battle. At the Wilderness the 14th was engaged for several hours,
fighting gallantly and losing heavily. Upon emerging from the Wilderness, Warren's corps
became actively engaged on May 8 with Longstreet's veterans, who sought to delay its
progress, and the 6th corps going to its relief late in the afternoon, the 14th again went
into action, the enemy being driven back with a loss of 1,500 men. During the engagement
at Hanover Court House the regiment was on the skirmish line, and lost several in killed
and wounded — Orderly Black, of Co. I, being shot through the heart and instantly
killed, while Col. Truex was slightly wounded in the hand, but did not leave the field. At
Cold Harbor the regiment suffered severely, losing in 2 hours 240 in killed and wounded
— Lieuts. Stults of Co. H, and Tingley of Co. E, being among the former. In the
operations before Petersburg, on June 23, a large force of the enemy suddenly appeared on
the scene and struck the corps a heavy blow on the flank, inflicting considerable loss,
the 14th, which became actively engaged, losing some 40 men in killed and prisoners. Being
sent with other troops into Maryland to resist Early, it took part in the battle of
Monocacy the whole number of casualties in the 14th as returned to the adjutant-general,
being 10 killed, 69 wounded and 5 missing. At the battle of the Opequan the 3d division of
the 6th corps lost heavily, the 14th alone losing 7 killed, 62 wounded and 1 missing. At
Fisher's hill the casualties in the 14th numbered 10 killed and 30 wounded. In the fight
at Cedar creek the regiment, which was commanded by Capt. Janeway, again lost heavily
— Adjt. Ross being among the killed. In the final engagament at Petersburg, April 2,
1865, the regiment from first to last fought with the greatest bravery and to it, equally
with the most efficient regiment of the corps, belongs the credit of the magnificent
success of that glorious day. Sailors' creek was the last engagement in which the 14th,
now reduced to about 100 men, participated. On June 8 the corps was reviewed at Washington
and on the 19th the 14th was formally mustered out, proceeding on the following day to
Trenton, where, on the 29th, the men who had shared so many perils together, and for
nearly three years had "endured hardness like good soldiers" for the Nation's
sake, received their final pay, exchanged farewells and separated into the old familiar
paths of peace, wherefrom their feet had been lured only at the call of solemn and
imperious duty. The total strength of the regiment was 1,384, and it lost during its term
of service, by resignation 20, by promotion 46, by discharge 159, by transfer 303, by
death 248, by desertion 97, by dismissal 1, mustered out, 510. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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