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15th New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Fifteenth Infantry. — Cols., Samuel Fowler, William H. Penrose;
Lieut. -Col., Edward L. Campbell; Majs., James M. Brown, Daniel R. Burrell, Lambert
Boeman, Ebenezer W. Davis. This regiment was organized at Flemington in July and Aug.,
1862. Three companies were recruited in Sussex county, two in Warren, two in Hunterdon,
two in Morris and one in Somerset, and all were composed of men of superior physical
strength and capacities for endurance. The regiment was mustered into the U. S. service on
Aug. 25, and on the 27th left for Washington, numbering 925 officers and men, Col. Samuel
Fowler commanding. At Bakersville, Md., it was assigned to the 1st brigade, 1st division,
6th army corps, and henceforth participated in the hardships, battles and triumphs of the
Army of the Potomac. At the battle of Fredericksburg the regiment was stationed along the
line of the railroad, keeping up a musketry fire and now and then charging upon the enemy.
The total loss in the regiment here was about 30. Its next engagement was at
Chancellorsville, where it charged gallantly through a thick wood, found the enemy
advantageously posted behind a wall and ditch, but with a royal courage the 15th bravely
faced all obstacles and maintained the fight until 8 p. m. when, owing to a want of
concert of action, it was compelled to fall back, having lost 150 in killed, wounded and
missing. The regiment was present at the battle of Gettysburg, though not actively
engaged. Then following the enemy it came upon his rear-guard near Fairfield on July 5,
and a sharp skirmish followed. The pursuit was continued for several days and near
Hagerstown there was a skirmish in which 2 men of the regiment were wounded, 1 by a bullet
through the foot, and Jacob O. Burdett through both thighs. The regiment marched with the
army to Centerville and back again to the Rappahannock ; was present, though not engaged,
at the capture of Rappahannock Station ; and after the Mine Run movement went into
winter-quarters 2 miles from Brandy Station. May 5, 1864, found it in the Wilderness and
the sounds of battle where Warren had come into collision with Ewell's corps, soon brought
the order hastening the 6th corps to his support. Several men of the regiment were wounded
and Leonard Decker of Co. D was killed. On the following day the line was broken on the
right and the enemy penetrated to the rear, but the men of the 15th held an advanced and
isolated position till midnight, when, without loss they followed the rest of the army to
a new line in the rear. By 10 a. m. on the 7th, the works on the new line had been made
very strong, and though the enemy felt the line in front and drove in a part of the
skirmish line, by which 3 men were wounded, and John Brogan of Co. A was killed, no real
advantage was gained. About noon on May 8, the regiment reached the field of action at
Spottsylvania Court House, meeting many of the 5th corps going in squads to the rear. On
the following day it moved gallantly forward, charging at a double-quick, and had it been
properly supported the victory must have been complete, but overwhelmed, it slowly fell
back, having lost in all 101 men. However, it had performed one of the most gallant
achievements of the campaign and in that thought the survivors found some compensation for
their sufferings, as, exhausted and worn, they withdrew from the scene of combat. At noon
of the 9th, the regiment again moved, marching to the right, but did not become actively
engaged, though three companies were stationed on the skirmish line and the whole command
was much exposed. On the 10th the regimental position was no less exposed, but the command
bravely held its own against the onsets of the enemy, losing in all 20 men. On the 12th
the regiment dashed through the abatis before the Confederate works, swept over a portion
of the breastworks, which for a time it stoutly held, driving out the Confederates, or
bayoneting those who tenaciously clung to the position. But the regiment was forced to
fall back and when Col. Campbell gathered his shattered battalion only 75 were found.
Forty bodies, or nearly one-fifth of the whole regiment, lay on the breastwork, in the
ditch or on the narrow open space in front. From this time until May 24, the regiment was
moved backward and forward, from the center to the left of the army, occasionally
skirmishing with the enemy and losing a few men. It had broken camp on the 4th with 15
officers and 429 muskets, and was now reduced to 6 officers and 136 muskets. From May 21
to June 1 it was kept in motion most of the time with an occasional loss on the skirmish
line, being present at the battle of the North Anna and other places of conflict. When the
6th corps charged at Cold Harbor 25 of the regiment were killed or wounded —
Sergt.-Maj. A. V. Wyckoff being among the former. On a little hillock captured in this
charge the regiment remained for the greater part of the next ten days, though from it
many never came alive. On June 19 it reached the outer defenses of Petersburg, where it
remained, with the exception of a march to Reams' station, until the night of July 9, when
it proceeded to the James river and took steamer for Washington, going thence to the
Shenandoah Valley. Nothing of particular importance occurred until Aug. 15, when it was
assaulted at Strasburg and lost 9 men. On the 17th it skirmished all day through Newtown
and Winchester, the brigade forming the rear-guard of the army. In this action the
regiment lost 61 men in killed and missing. On the 21st the enemy assaulted the lines at
Charlestown, whither the army troops had retired, and a number of men were lost. At the
battle of the Opequan the regiment suffered severely, losing nearly 50 in killed and
wounded. On the 21st the regiment had a skirmish with the enemy, in which 2 men were
killed and 15 wounded. At Fisher's hill, whither Early had retreated, the brigade moved to
the right and at 4 o'clock p. m. assaulted and captured the Confederate works, the
regiment displaying great gallantry. It also performed with its usual gallantry at the
battle of Cedar creek, and thereafter it was never again heavily engaged, though in the
final assault upon the enemy's works at Petersburg, April 2, 1865, it carried itself with
conspicuous courage, suffering, however, only a trifling loss. Upon Lee's surrender it was
sent to Danville, whence it proceeded to Washington late in May, and subsequently to
Trenton, where it was finally disbanded. The total strength of the regiment was 1,871, and
it lost during its term of service, by resignation 26, by discharge 197, by promotion 76,
by transfer 619, by death 361, by desertion 108, by dismissal 2, not accounted for 66,
mustered out, 416. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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