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1st New
Jersey Cavalry
| Regimental History |
| First Cavalry.— Cols., William Halsted, Percy Wyndham, John W.
Kester, Hugh H. Janeway, Myron H. Beaumont; Lieut. -Cols., Julius H. Alexander, Joseph
Karge, Virgil Broderick, Walter R. Robbins; Majs., Henry O. Halsted, Ivins D. Jones,
Alexander M. Cummings, John H. Shelmire, Henry W. Sawyer, James H. Hart, William Harper,
William H. Hick. On Aug. 4. 1861, the president of the United States issued an order
authorizing Hon. William Halsted, of Trenton, to raise a regiment of volunteer cavalry
from the state of New Jersey. The order limited the time for recruiting to ten days, but
there was afterward an extension of ten days additional. Mr. Halsted had been for many
years a prominent member of the bar of the state; had attained considerable political
eminence ; was at one time a member of Congress, but now approaching his 70th year, he
scarcely possessed the activity and physical strength requisite for the cavalry service.
Gov. Olden, for this and other reasons, declined to recognize the regiment as part of the
state contingent of volunteers and it was consequently recruited under wholly independent
auspices. But whatever judgment may be pronounced upon the capacity of the colonel to
command, he certainly proved that he possessed the ability to raise the regiment. On Aug.
24, the first four companies, under command of Maj. M. H. Beaumont, arrived in Washington,
and a week afterward six other companies were brought in by Col. Halsted himself —
the whole going into camp on Meridian hill. Being ordered to the Valley of Virginia, with
many of the horses unshod, over stony roads and through heavy mire, often along hillsides,
giving up the road to others, the regiment pushed steadily on, passing all other forces,
and in five days reached Strasburg, where about 150 Confederate stragglers were captured.
The regiment did heroic service at the battle of Woodstock, and also fought at
Harrisonburg. It had left Fredericksburg about 800 strong, and was now reduced to less
than half that number, but those who remained were as full of daring as was their gallant
leader. At Harrisonburg the Federal forces were defeated, an event that was repeated two
days later at the battle of Cross Keys, in which the regiment also participated. It was
then advanced to the Rapidan, and no movement of any moment being made, remained there,
skirmishing successfully every day, 12 miles from any support, while the enemy again took
the offensive. The regiment was engaged at the battle of Cedar mountain, where its
steadiness saved the day, as it delayed the forces of the enemy who might otherwise have
turned the Federal left. The engagement was a brief one, and the number of the wounded was
very large, though the 1st regiment lost only 11 men. With the 2nd N. Y. it was engaged in
a skirmish near Brandy Station, in which the enemy was driven back with loss. The regiment
also took part in the fight at Rappahannock Station and after it was over, of the 250
Jerseymen engaged 40 did not answer to their names. The regiment supported the left in the
fight from Centerville to Fairfax Court House, only the skirmishers, however, having any
work to do. The next engagement of importance in which the regiment participated was the
drawn battle with Stuart at Aldie, and though not 20 men were lost on both sides in the
action, its results were such as to entitle it to mention in the regimental history. In
April, 1863, the New Jersey regiment, while on the road to Orange Springs, surprised and
charged a small party of the enemy, capturing their major and several other prisoners. The
regiment was also engaged in the noted cavalry fight at Brandy Station, and it is enough
to say in illustration of the severity of that engagement, that out of 39 horses in the
second squadron 27 were left on the field, and of 280 officers and men in action, 6
officers and over 50 men were killed, wounded or missing. At Gettysburg, on the afternoon
of July 2, an assault was made upon the position occupied by the regiment, but it was
easily repulsed and at night the cavalry brigade fell back upon the Baltimore pike to
bivouac until the morrow, when it contributed to the victory. On July 5, in the mountain
passes above Emmitsburg, the 1st N. J. cavalry was sharply and successfully engaged, and
on the 6th it had another contest. On the 14th, having been daily engaged in arduous duty,
the regiment crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry and finding the 12th Va. cavalry in
possession of the country beyond advanced against it, capturing its colonel. At the battle
of Sulphur Springs the regiment came out of the remarkable contest with the loss,
wonderfully small under the circumstances, of 4 officers and 30 men, though 7 officers and
130 men had their horses killed or wounded, so that the casualties amounted to nearly
one-half of the force engaged. Two days later, shortly after passing the headquarters of
the army, the regiment ran into the pickets of a Confederate brigade and drove them into
the advance of the 2nd corps, by whom they were captured. At the battle of Parker's store
the loss of the regiment was more severe than that of any other engaged, and in the death
of Lieut. Jamison, who was killed in the engagement, it gave to the country one of the
most zealous and efficient officers in the service. The entire loss of the regiment in the
brilliant affair at Todd's tavern on May 5, 1864, was 6 men killed and 2 officers and 41
men wounded. The following day the 1st was not engaged, but on the 7th the whole of the
Confederate cavalry having been thrown across the Po river the hostile forces became
fiercely engaged. On May 9 the whole cavalry corps moved south in the direction of
Richmond, the 1st N. J. having the rear of the column. Early on the morrow, the
Confederates assaulted the line, but were held in check by the 1st N. J., and the whole
force crossed the North Anna. Nine companies of the regiment were engaged at Haw's shop,
and the total loss of these companies was 64 in killed and wounded, 11 being officers. At
Trevilian Station 100 men of the regiment engaged two regiments and a section of artillery
with comparatively few casualties and came out of the contest with honors. In the sharp
fight at Deep Bottom, in July, in which the 1st N. J. cavalry participated, the enemy was
repulsed with serious loss, but he carried away with him one of the guns. With the
engagement at Reams' station the 1st N. J. cavalry terminated the period of its original
enlistment and on Sept. 1 the men whose term of service had expired embarked at City Point
for home, reaching Trenton a week later, but leaving the regiment as an organization still
in the field, its honors being duly inherited by the hundreds of reenlisted men and
supported by its numerous recruits. During the three years now expired it had lost 6
officers and 29 enlisted men killed, and 18 officers and 76 enlisted men wounded. The
regiment participated in another engagement at Reams' station in September, and during the
fight on the Vaughn road its losses amounted to 4 killed, 7 wounded and 1 missing. At the
battle of Bellefield Station, Va., the casualties amounted to 4 killed, 11 wounded and 4
missing. At last the hour struck when the regiment was to move out for the last time
against the columns of the enemy. It participated in the actions at Dinwiddie Court House,
Hatcher's run, before Petersburg, Five Forks, Chamberlain's creek, Amelia Springs,
Jetersville, Sailors' creek, Farmville and Appomattox Court House, being present at Lee's
surrender. Its campaigns then being ended, it proceeded to Trenton, where it was finally
dissolved. The total strength of the regiment was 3,317, and it lost during its term of
service, by resignation 42, by discharge 320, by promotion 139, by transfer 455, by death
298, by desertion 453, by dismissal 5, not accounted for 238, mustered out, 1,367. (This
regiment was also known as the 16th N. J. volunteers.) |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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