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2nd New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Second Infantry. — Cols., George W. McLean, Isaac M. Tucker, Samuel
L. Buck, William H. Penrose ; Lieut.-Cols., Henry O. Ryerson, Charles Wiebecke, James W.
McNeely; Majs., James N. Duffy, James H. Close, James W. Penrose. This regiment, organized
under authority of General Orders, No. 15, was fully equipped and officered by May 18,
1861, and on the 26th was duly mustered into the service of the United States, for three
years, at Camp Olden, Trenton, N. J. It left the state on June 28, with a full complement
of men : 38 officers, 1,006 non-commissioned officers and privates; total, 1,044. Its
material was excellent, including, as it did, within its ranks a large proportion of the
members of the city battalion of Newark — an organization which had a wide reputation
for superiority of drill and general soldierly proficiency. It was assigned to the 1st New
Jersey brigade, composed of the 1st, 3d and 4th regiments and commanded by Brig.-Gen.
Kearny. Immediately after the first battle of Bull Run, the regiment went into camp near
Alexandria, where it was later joined by the 3d and 4th. On Aug. 29, a company of the 2nd
had a skirmish with the enemy, in which one man was wounded, the Confederate loss being 12
in killed and injured. On March 9, 1862, the 2nd and 3d regiments, with a squadron of the
Lincoln cavalry, occupied Sangster's station on the Orange & Alexandria railroad about
5 miles from Bull Run, the 4th regiment acting as a support to the advance. At West Point,
Va., on the evening of May 6, 1862, the brigade relieved the troops in advance and the men
lay on their arms in line of battle until daylight, when they were ordered forward, the
1st, 2nd and 3d acting as skirmishers and the 4th as a reserve. Advancing to a hill from
which the enemy had the day previous shelled our transports, it was occupied and held
until noon, when the troops returned to their old position. On the 9th the 2nd was ordered
to join Stoneman's forces. The regiment participated in the fight at Golding's farm, Va.,
and on the afternoon of the battle at Gaines' mill the brigade was formed in two lines,
the 2nd being in the second line, and advanced to the brow of a hill in front, where four
companies of the regiment under Col. Simpson, became engaged — the 2nd at first
acting as a support to Hexamer's battery, but being subsequently sent by Gen. Porter into
a belt of woods on the right to support a Michigan regiment. Unfortunately the latter fell
back under some misapprehension, and the four companies of the 2nd were left exposed to
the full force of the Confederate onset, with the result that 15 were killed, 48 wounded
and 41 missing. The six companies not engaged in the battle were on picket, holding a
redoubt in an advanced position, where they were exposed to a constant fire of the enemy's
shells, but suffered, fortunately only a single casualty. James Marshall, a corporal of
the 2nd, stood by the colors, bearing them defiantly aloft until it was impossible longer
to hold out, when he tore them from the staff and buried them out of sight. Following
Gaines' mill came the engagements at Charles City cross-roads, Malvern hill, Manassas,
Chantilly, Crampton's gap and Antietam. In the movement against Fredericksburg the brigade
reached the north bank of the river on the night of Dec. 11, and crossing at daylight on
the following morning was formed in two lines in rear of its division, the 2nd being in
the second line, 100 yards in rear of the first. In Hooker's operations in the following
spring, the regiment also participated, and after Marye's hill had been carried on May 2,
the brigade was ordered to advance. Throwing out six companies of the 2nd as skirmishers,
the brigade advanced with a shout and delivered a withering fire into the ranks of the
foe, but was in turn met by a heavy fire, which for a moment staggered the column. Col.
Brown, who commanded the brigade during the early part of this engagement, was severely
wounded, and Col. Buck of the 2nd, sustained an injury from the fall of his horse,
devolving the command upon Col. Penrose, of the 15th. In the Gettysburg campaign the
brigade, which prior to that movement had participated in various movements in Virginia,
was attached to Wright's division of the 6th corps, and following the battle of Gettysburg
the regiment participated in the engagements at Fairfield, Pa., Williamsport and
Funkstown. Md., Rappahannock Station and Mine Run, Va. In the battle of the Wilderness in
May, 1864, the regiment and brigade were engaged, and among the killed in the two days'
fight was Capt. Henry H. Callen, of the 2nd, who fell while leading his company into
action, and Capt. Bogart was wounded. At Spottsylvania, on May 12, the brigade was massed
for the famous charge — the 1st, 4th and 15th regiments in the first line, four
companies of the 2nd (six being on picket) and the 3rd in the second line — and in
that order pushed forward through the woods until within 100 yards of the Confederate
works. On the 14th the brigade was again engaged across the Ny river, near the termination
of the Union line of battle, where Lieut.-Col. Wiebecke. of the 2nd, a brave and efficient
officer who went out as a captain and rose by merit, was killed. Grant's campaign against
Richmond had now been in progress eleven days, and in that time the 2nd regiment had
sustained the following losses : Killed 9, wounded 55, missing 29. On May 29, the regiment
left the front and proceeded to Washington, whence it was ordered to Trenton for muster
out, its time having expired, and the whole number of men who returned being 315. Those
whose term of service did not expire with the regiment and those who had reenlisted were
temporarily assigned to duty with the 15th regiment until Dec. 20, 1864, when they were
consolidated into what was known as Co. A, 2nd battalion, and so remained until the early
part of 1865, when the regiment was reorganized and fully completed by the forwarding of
large numbers of recruits, substitutes and drafted men. It then continued its organization
until its muster out at Hall's hill, Va., July 11, 1865, having taken part in all the
lighting and marching which finally resulted in the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. The
total strength of the regiment was 2,198, and it suffered losses as follows : By
resignation 27, by discharge 378, by promotion 68, by transfer 210, by death 160, by
desertion 205, by dismissal 2, not accounted for 19; mustered out, 1,129. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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