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7th New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Seventh Infantry.— Cols., Joseph W. Revere, Louis R. Francine,
Francis Price, Jr.; Lieut. -Cols., Ezra A. Carman, Daniel Hart; Majs., J. Dallas Mcintosh,
Frederick Cooper, Charles H. Fosselman. This regiment was organized under the provisions
of an act of Congress, approved July 22, 1861, and was fully organized, officered and
equipped by Sept. 3, when, although the strength of the regiment was below the maximum as
required, it was mustered into the U. S. service at Camp Olden, Trenton, for three years.
At the urgent request of the government that the regiment be forwarded to the seat of war,
seven companies were despatched to Washington on Sept. 19, and reported for duty the
following day. The remaining three companies were recruited up to the number required and
left the state on Oct. 3, joining the regiment at Washington. The strength of the regiment
then was 38 officers, 882 non-commissioned officers and privates, a total of 920. Upon
arrival at Washington the regiment went into camp at Meridian hill, and remained there
until the early part of Dec, 1861, when it was ordered to report to Gen. Joseph Hooker,
near Budd's ferry, Md., where it was brigaded with the 5th, 6th and 8th N. J. and
designated the 3d brigade of Hooker's division. The regiment was one of the four that
composed what was generally known as the 2d New Jersey brigade. At the battle of
Williamsburg, Va., the 6th, 7th and 8th regiments were sent into the left of the road,
occupying a wood in front of the enemy's works. Lieut.- Col. Carman was wounded in this
action. Gen. Hooker, in his report of the battle of Fair Oaks spoke in most emphatic terms
of the gallantry of the brigade and added that the service assigned to the 7th and 8th N.
J. was performed to his entire satisfaction, in the engagement at Seven Pines, the loss of
the regiment was 1 killed, 5 wounded and 1 missing. In the engagement at Bristoe Station
Capt. Abbott was killed and a considerable number wounded. In the series of engagements
ending on Sept. 1, 1862, the total loss of the regiment was 36. While lying at Fairfax
Station, on the morning of Nov. 22, Gen. Patterson, commanding the brigade, died suddenly
in his tent and Col. Revere of the 7th succeeded to the command. In the Chancellorsville
campaign in the spring of 1863, the New Jersey brigade, under command of Gen. Mott,
crossed the Rappahannock on Friday, May 1, and in the action which followed the 7th lost 6
killed, 43 wounded and 4 missing. At Gettysburg, on July 2, in the face of a murderous
fire, the New Jersey troops held their position for a time, but were ultimately compelled
to fall back. Col. Francine and Lieut.-Col. Price, with many other officers, sustaining
serious injuries. The total losses of the regiment during the months of May and June,
1864, amounted to 13 killed, 86 wounded and 59 missing. Among the wounded in the charge at
Fort Morton, in front of Petersburg, were 2 privates of the 7th. At Hatcher's run Gen.
McAllister directed the 7th, which was the third regiment from the left of his line,
formed at a different angle so as to enable it to enfilade the enemy's columns, to oblique
its fire, which aided materially in driving the enemy from his position. At the Armstrong
house, the 7th and 8th N. J. regiments were ordered to the right of the division, where
later in the day, when Lieut.-Col. Schoonover's command was attacked and driven from the
works occupied in the morning, the two regiments went to his help, with the result that
his line was reestablished and securely held. On June 25, 1863, a large number of the
regiment reenlisted in the field for three years or during the war. Those who did not
reenlist and whose term of service had expired reported by order at Trenton, N. J., and
were mustered out on Oct. 7, 1864. Those who remained were consolidated into the 7th
battalion and so remained until Nov. 6, 1864, at which time the 5th battalion was joined
to it by transfer. The command then resumed its regimental organization, which it
continued until the close of the war, being finally mustered out near Washington, D. C,
July 17, 1865. The total strength of the regiment was 2,906, and it lost, by resignation
30, by discharge 374, by promotion 73, by transfer 415, by death 260, by desertion 656, by
dismissal 7, not accounted for 70, mustered out 1,021. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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