USA > New Jersey > The history of the Ninth New Jersey Veteran Vols. A record of its service from Sept. 13th, 1861, to July 12th, 1865, with a complete official roster, and sketches of prominent members > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00823 4913
THE HISTORY
OF THE
NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
1861
N.
97 J.
1865
A RECORD OF ITS SERVICE FROM SEPT. 13TH, 1861, TO JULY 12TH, 1865,
WITH A COMPLETE OFFICIAL ROSTER, AND SKETCHES OF PROMI. NENT MEMBERS, WITH ANECDOTES, INCIDENTS AND THRILLING REMINISCENCES,
BY
CAPTAIN J. MADISON DRAKE,
---- Bt. Brig .- General N. J.
ILLUSTRATED
ELIZABETH, N. j. Fournal Printing House. 74 Broad St. 1889.
1764844
*
J 1373 Library of Congress
-
F 8349
.4982
Drake, James Madison, 1837-
The history of the Ninth New Jersey veteran vols. A record of its service from Sept. 13th, 1861, to July 12th, 1865, with a complete official roster, and sketches of prominent members ... by Captain J. Madison Drake ... Elizabeth, Journal printing house, 1889.
501 p. front., illus. (incl. map) plates, ports. 23}cm1.
RIZLF CARD
1. New Jersey infantry. 9th regt., 1801-1865. 2. U. S .- Hist-Civil war-Regimental histories -- N. J. inf .- 9th.
18027
4 Library of Congress ,E521.5.90 _
.
BRIG. GEN'L CHARLES A. HECKMAN, SECOND COLONEL OF THE 9TH REGT.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012
http://archive.org/details/historyofninthne00drak
It was in accordance with the following request of Brigadier- General James Stewart, Jr., the last commandant of the Ninth regiment, that the writer commenced the work now before the reader :
" PHILADELPHIA, October 25, 1887. " GENERAL J. MADISON DRAKE, Elizabeth, N. J.
" My Dear General-At our recent Reunion the suggestion was made that a history of the Ninth regiment should be written, and as it would be a labor of love, with plenty of work, and no profit to the author, the difficulty arose, upon whom should this task devolve ? He who assumes the work must possess the ability, together with a personal knowledge of the scenes and acts to be embodied in the work. To you, my dear general, the association, in its dilemma, turned, and feeling that you possessed all the quali- fications necessary, and knowing your well-known energy and push, and how freely you expend the same in any project where the Veterans are concerned, it has thrown the entire responsibility for the work upon your shoulders.
" I would suggest that you send a circular-letter to each survivor of our old command, and invite from them contributions of incidents and scenes which came under their notice during their service in the Ninth. This would assist you very materially in your labors. The work, when completed, cannot fail to prove intensely interesting, especially so to the survivors of our regiment, and in your labors you will have the earnest sympathy and best wishes of all your old comrades.
" Fraternally yours,
"JAMES STEWART, JR."
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PREFACE.
As in all our wars with external foes the brave men of the north and south stood shoulder to shoulder, who could dream that one section would be arrayed in deadly hostility against the other? Yet in the strange and unaccountable occurrences of men and nations such a day came, when in April, 1861, southerners arrayed theni- selves in arms against the government their patriotic fathers had assisted in creating.
The shot at the starry banner on Sumter, which was heard around the world, instead of intimidating, fired the northern heart, but none answered more promptly than the descendants of the im- mortal " Jersey Blues " of the revolution. The author has a just pride in having been permitted to be one of the throng that com- posed the first fully appointed brigade that reached the national capital and the first to march across the " Long Bridge " into Vir- ginia. The author, too, on that beautiful night in May, was accorded the honorable distinction of carrying the stars and stripes at the head of the leading regiment, of which he was ensign.
A service of four years in the army fully convinces the author that good officers make good soldiers, and that poor officers will demoralize and render worthless the best soldier material. The Ninth New Jersey was fortunate in the selection of the officers ap- pointed to lead it-uone better could have been found.
The Ninth New Jersey, a peculiar organization in many respects, as its checkered history will show, was fortunate in being selected by General Burnside to accompany his expedition to North Carolina, where it became distinguished for its valor and daring, as well as
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
its ability to sustain fatigue and the greatest exposures both on land and sea.
The members of the Ninth, yet surviving, conscious of the proud record of their brethren in other New Jersey commands, feel confi- dent that when an unvarnished history of the Ninth is written, which will " naught extenuate or aught set down in malice," which the author hopes to give, it will be cheerfully acknowledged by all candid readers that his own and his comrades' pride in their favorite-the Veteran Ninth, the first and last New Jersey regiment to engage in battle during the civil war-is not unreasonable or exaggerated-due in large measure to the patriotism and bravery of their leaders-Heckman, Zabriskie and Stewart.
The record, will, I trust, be found complete in all that goes to make true patriots and good soldiers.
What the author has done (in the pages which follow), to per- petuate the brilliant history of his companions-in-arms, he much fears, will be but an epitome of what might and should be recorded in honor of this brave old command. Such as it is, he dedicates it to those who fell on the field of battle, with faces to their country's foes
J. MADISON DRAKE. Elizabeth, N. J., December, 1888.
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NINTH & NEW - JERSEY - VETERAN VOLUNTEERS.
. . ....
HE Ninth regiment was organized under the provisions of an Act of Congress, approved July 22, 1861, as set forth in the following official letter from War Department, Washington, D. C., dated September 5, 1861, authorizing the raising and organizing of a regiment of riflemen. In accordance with the authority above mentioned, recruiting was commenced, and as soon as the companies were raised they reported at Camp Olden, Trenton, and were immediately mus- tered into the service of the United States by Charles H. Brightly, First Lieutenant Fourth Infantry, U. S. army. The first company was mustered September 13, the last company October 15, 1861. The regiment, consisting of twelve com- panies, remained at Camp Olden, engaged in drilling and per- fecting its organization until the fourth of December, 1861, at which time it left the state with a full complement of men : officers, 44; non-commissioned officers and privates, 1, 115; total, 1, 159, Upon arrival at Washington, the regiment went into camp on the Bladensburg turnpike, about a mile from the city, and remained there until the fourth of January, 1862, at which time it was assigned to the First brigade, (Gen. Jesse L. Reno,) Burnside's expedition, proceeded to Annapolis, Mary- land, and joined the troops assembled there, awaiting transpor- tation for service in North Carolina. On January ninth, the expedition embarked, in due time arrived at their destination, and the regiment entered upon an active and brilliant career. Their operations were confined to the States of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. On the eighteenth of November,
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
in compliance with General Orders, No. 126, Par. I, War de- partment, Adjutant General's office, Washington, D. C., Sep- tember sixth, 1862, the regiment was reduced from twelve to ten companies. Companies A and L were disbanded and the enlisted men transferred to different companies in the regiment. Company M was designated Company A. Under the provisions of General Orders, No. 191, War department, Adjutant Gen- eral's office, Washington, D. C., June 25, 1863, the greater part of the enlisted men re-enlisted in the field for three years or during the war. Those who did not re-enlist and whose term of service having expired reported by order at Trenton and were mustered out December 7, 1864. At different times dur- ing the years 1863, 1864 and 1865, the strength of the regiment was increased by the joining from draft rendezvous, Trenton, N. J., of a large number of recruits, with a few substitutes. The regiment continued its organization and remained in active service until the close of the war, and those coming under the provisions of General orders, No. 73, Head Quarters Depart- ment of North Carolina, dated Raleigh, N. C., June 2, 1865, were mustered out at Greensboro, N. C., June 14, 1865, by A. B. Smith, Captain 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Commissary of Musters, Twenty-third army corps. The re- mainder were mustered out of service by the same officer, at Greensboro, N. C., July 12, 1865, in compliance with Special orders, No. 113, Department of North Carolina, July 6, 1865.
This regiment was first attached to the Second brigade, Ca- sey's division ; then to the First brigade, Ninth corps, Burn- side's expedition ; then to the First brigade, Second division, Eighteenth corps ; then to the Second brigade, Second division, Tenth corps ; then to the First brigade, Second division, Tenth corps ; then to the First brigade, Foster's division, Department of Virginia and North Carolina ; then to the Second brigade, First division, Eighteenth corps ; then to the Second brigade, Second division, Eighteenth corps ; then to the First brigade, Second division, Eighteenth corps ; then to the First brigade, Carter's division, District of Beaufort, N. C. ; then to the Sec- ond brigade, Second division, District of Beaufort, N. C. ; then to the Second brigade, Third division, Twenty-third corps.
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BATTLES.
The Ninth regiment took part in the following engagements : Roanoke Island, N. C., Feb. 8, '62 ; Newbern, N. C., March 14, '62 ; Fort Macon, N. C., April 25, '62 ; Young's Cross Roads, N. C., July 27, '62 ; Rowell's Mills, N. C., Nov. 2, '62 ; Deep Creek, N. C., Dec. 12, '62 ; South West Creek, N. C., Dec. 13, '62 ; Before Kinston, N. C., Dec. 13, '62 ; Kinston, N. C., Dec. 14, '62 ; Whitehall, N. C., Dec. 16, '62 ; Goldsboro, N. C., Dec. 17, '62 ; Comfort Bridge, N. C., July 6, '63 ; Near Winton, N. C., July 26, '63 ; Deep Creek, Va., Feb. 7, '64; Deep Creek, Va., March 1, '64 ; Cherry Grove, Va., April 14, '64 ; Port Walthall, Va., May 6 and 7, '64 ; Procters, Va., May 8, '64 ; Swift Creek, Va., May 9 and 10, '64 ; Drury's Bluff, Va., May 12 to 16,'64 ; Cold Harbor, Va., June 3 to 12, '64 ; Free Bridge, Va., June 16, '64 ; Before Petersburg, Va., June 20 to August 24, '64 ; Gardner's Bridge, N. C., Dec. 9, '64 ; Foster's Bridge, N. C., Dec. 10,'64 ; Butler's Bridge, N. C., Dec. 11, '64 ; South West Creek, N. C., March 7, '65 ; Wise's Fork, N. C., March 8, 9 and 10, '65 ; Goldsboro, N. C., March 21, '65.
STATE OF NEW JERSEY, OFFICE OF ADJUTANT GENERAL, TRENTON, January 11, 1888.
GENERAL J. MADISON DRAKE, Elizabeth, N. J. :
SIR :- In reply to yours of January 6th, asking for a copy of the order from the secretary of war authorizing the raising of the Ninth regiment, New Jersey infantry volunteers, with any letter or telegram relating thereto. The following is a copy of the letter of authority for the rais- ing of said regiment. There is no telegram or other correspondence on this subject, on file.
On the sixth of September, 1861, the following letter from the War department was received :
"WAR DEPARTMENT, September 5, 1861.
"To His Excellency, CHAS. S. OLDEN, Governor of New Jersey :
"SIR :- You are hereby authorized to raise and organize a regiment "of riflemen, to be ready for marching orders in thirty days. The men " will be mustered into the service of the United States in accordance " with General orders No. 58 and 61, herewith enclosed.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
" THOMAS A. SCOTT,
" Assistant Secretary of War."
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
Under the authority of Act of Congress, approved July 22, 1861, and in compliance with the provisions of the foregoing letter and general orders, the Ninth regiment of New Jersey volunteers (riflemen) was raised.
The General orders No. 58 and No. 61 referred to are from War de- partment, adjutant general's office, dated August 15 and August 19, 1861, respectively, and are but orders of general instruction for the rais- ing and organizing and mustering of troops, and were issued to the governors of all the states at that time. If these orders are necessary to you I will have copies made and sent you. -
Yours, respectfully,
WILLIAM S. STRYKER, Adjutant General of New Jersey.
In response to Governor Olden's call, under this order, came bright-faced men, in the hey-day of youth, from their happy homes on the mountains, as well as from hamlets embosomed in picturesque valleys, where freemen grow stalwart and their souls are fired with love of country. They came from the cabins which dot the sandy beach from Monmouth to Cape May, from which our seamen had been accustomed to go forth to join their associates, who "go down to the sea in ships" ; from cottages by the river side, and along those artificial streams by which commerce avoids the perils of our treacherous coast ; from the lines of our railways which their sinewy arms assisted to construct ; from the mines whose ores were being delved to forge instruments of war ; and they came from college, office, workshop, mill and factory, determined to lend their best efforts in resisting the reckless men who were striving to subvert the nation's liberties. Shoulder to shoulder with their patriotic brethren of the two brigades which had preceded them to Vir- ginia, these young men were anxious to be led from our glorious little commonwealth to paths of honor and glory,-no bounty or short term of service stimulating them to perform the sacred duty they voluntarily assumed.
The first men who volunteered to compose the Ninth regi- ment arrived at Camp Olden, near Trenton, on the thirteenth of September, from Newark, and received the company desig- nation of "A." They were mostly Germans, many of them boasting of having seen military service in the Fatherland. Major Charles A. Heckman of Phillipsburg, who had served as
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MUSTERED IN.
an officer in the American army in the war with Mexico, and who had but just returned to his home from the three months' campaign, (in which he had served as a captain in the First Pennsylvania regiment,) had been placed in command of the camp, at the urgent solicitation of the governor. A better se- lection of commandant could not have been made, as the glori- ous deeds performed by the Ninth regiment for nearly four years on the battle fields of three southern states were in a large measure due to the excellent instruction received from the pains- taking major. Of all men at Trenton, he knew how difficult it was to manage a large body of recruits and mould them into first-class soldiers. But however arduous and thankless the task, he succeeded with less perplexity of mind than he had anticipated, and in an amazing short space of time had organ- ized, disciplined and equipped a regiment that was destined to be the first from our state in battle, and whose valorous deeds were forever to shine brightly on the pages of the nation's history.
On the fifteenth of October, the ceremony of mustering the last of the twelve companies (which number composed the Ninth), was performed, and from that time until the command left the state for the seat of war, there was no relaxation from duty on the part of officers or men-the work of drilling, guard duty, dress parades, and reviews being constant. Major Heck- man inspected the recruits on their arrival in camp, and fre- quently expressed his admiration upon the admirable appear- ance of the men, declaring that the material was the best he had ever seen, and that they would, with proper training, ac- quit themselves in a creditable manner, no matter in what situ- ation they might be placed by the fortunes of war.
Most favorable reports of the strength and character of the Ninth having reached Washington, the secretary of war re- quested the governor to "forward it without delay." But while the men of the Ninth were anxious to proceed to the seat of war, and bear their part in the final settlement which many thought close at hand, Major Heckman advised that the com- mand "do not leave the state until supplied with serviceable arms," the men having at first been provided with old Belgian rifles, both cumbersome and unreliable.
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
The governor promptly coincided with the major, and notify- ing the national authorities of his decision in the matter, Spring- field rifles (army pattern) were shortly afterwards sent on to Trenton. Officers and men were delighted at the change of arms, and when the regiment appeared on dress parade for the first time with the new and handsome rifle, a feeling of intense pride took possession of all-the glistening of the bright barrels in the setting November sun adding to the general joy. A range was established for target practice, and scores were made that would put many sharpshooters of the present day to blush. Many men in the Ninth, (without the present new-fangled the- ories, ) were able to hit the bull at two hundred yards and five hundred yards, having been accustomed to the use of the rifle from boyhood. So thoroughly proficient did a respectable per- centage of the men become with the new rifle, that when the regiment went into camp at Meridian Hill, Washington, the crack shots of the Berdan regiment, encamped near by, declined to compete with them.
One morning in the early part of November, the regiment was formed on the parade-ground, and an order read by the adjutant that one W. J. was to be expelled for conduct unbecoming an American soldier. In a moment the ranks were opened, and the front rank faced to the rear, when an ear-piercing fife and a couple of drums, heard on the left of the line, announced that the doleful ceremony had commenced. The prisoner, with shaved head, pinioned arms and downcast look, marched be- tween files of men carrying their rifles in an inverted manner so that he was encircled with bayonets. Not a sound broke the stillness of the beautiful forenoon, save the strains of the mu- sicians who played the "Rogue's march " with astonishing vigor. As the fellow passed the men in either rank fastened their eyes upon him, but none looked with pity-all believing that he merited the signal disgrace, and that the command was better off without him. As he passed out of camp at the guard- house a number of hoodlums from Trenton saluted the recreant with contemptuous cries. Never again was it found necessary to carry out such a sentence in the Ninth regiment.
Rev. Mr. Hale, on behalf of the citizens of Pennington, pre-
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AN OVATION AT THE CAPITAL.
sented Company F with a handsome silk flag, which Captain Curlis pledged himself to take good care of.
Mr. John Kean of Elizabeth presented each member of Com- pany K with a neat copy of the book of Common Prayer.
A pair of mittens was given to each man in the regiment- the same having been forwarded by the ladies of New Jersey. As most of them were excessively large, the men had no alterna- tive except to use them for head-dresses while sleeping.
Company K received a beautiful flag from the citizens of Elizabeth, Rev. Mr. Haley making the speech of presentation. Shortly afterwards we found we had no more use for the flag than for the mittens, as a regiment is permitted to carry but two colors, and they were provided by the state. But we took everything that was offered, even if we had to throw the articles away after reaching the field of action. While the first regi- ments were forming, the young soldiers received all sorts of things from friends at home, but they were abandoned at first opportunity.
Joseph W. Allen, who had been commissioned as colonel of the Ninth, was a gentleman widely known and much esteemed. He had been educated as a civil engineer, for which he pos- sessed qualifications of a high order, but he had had no military training, and in camp gave his attention to the equipping of the men, leaving the administration and instruction of the regiment to his able and indefatigable major, who was commissioned lieu- tenant-colonel on the third of December-the day previous to the departure of the regiment for the national capital.
The Ninth was moulded into a first-class command in about six weeks, at the end of which time it was ready for any ser- vice the government might ask it to perform. The men had been hardened by drill in camp, by guard duty, and by long marches on the roads leading into the country, and when the regiment with its eleven hundred and fifty-nine men paraded in Trenton, a few days previous to its departure from the state, a spectacle was presented that has had no parallel since. No such body of men had ever before been banded together in New Jersey, and when company after company with perfect pre- cision filed past, the populace had nothing but favorable com-
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NINTH NEW JERSEY VETERAN VOLS.
ment and generous applause. The sight was inspiriting-one that will never be forgotten by those who witnessed or partici- pated in it.
A company of " home-guards " quartered at the arsenal-a pretty safe place during the war-came out on the turnpike to meet and escort the regiment into the city, and as the command marched by stood at " present arms." It was never known to the rank and file of the Ninth why the colonel commanding did not halt and form line, and thus allow the ambitious militia- men to precede the regiment, but he kept straight on and marched over the prescribed route, leaving the " home-guards " to retrace their steps back to the arsenal at their convenience and pleasure. The "slight," as the militiamen afterwards called it, was never forgotten by the heroic men who sacrificed so much for their country by serving a few weeks at the arsenal.
No such parades as the Ninth made at Camp Olden had ever been seen there, and many citizens of Trenton visited camp regularly to view them. Major Heckman was fortunate in having for Adjutant Abram Zabriskie. This young officer, imbued with the spirit of his commander, performed his arduous duties in a masterly manner, winning encomiums from all.
Life was very pleasant at Camp Olden, notwithstanding the fact that the men were kept closely within its limits. So thor- oughly had the idea of a soldier's duty been impressed upon us, that all-officers and men-regarded any violation of orders as a heinous crime. Friends came daily to see those who were dear to them-often lingering until night fall-before taking their departure, and those who were deprived from visiting camp sent boxes of good things which oftentimes were gener- ously turned over to the company mess. I saw less selfishness in the Ninth regiment during my term of more than three years with it, than in any other organization or society I ever associated with, if I may except the Elizabeth Veteran Zouaves, in which command there was a sprinkling of the Ninth's old members.
Early in November we heard that our fleet had captured Port Royal, S. C., and before our cheers had subsided a cannon on the parade-ground joined in the glad refrain, continuing
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OFF FOR THE FRONT.
until a national salute had set its seal of approbation on the heroic conduct of our gallant tars.
Among the distinguished bodies that visited our camp was the grand lodge of Odd Fellows, headed by Judge Cleaver of Newark, who, after witnessing the evening parade, paid a high tribute to the command, declaring that he had never before looked upon a more robust or patriotic body of young men. Colonel Allen, in responding, thanked the distinguished gen- tlemen for their visit as well as for the kind words uttered.
The two weeks immediately prior to the departure of the regiment from the state were occupied in putting the finishing touches on our military education, it being generally believed that we should have no other opportunity of receiving instruc- tion in camp, previous to actual engagement with the enemy. For a week we were in readiness to move forward, the men meanwhile being in a terrible state of uncertainty owing to the countermanding of orders. At that time we all thought it dreadfully provoking to be so disappointed, but long ere we had served our four years under the Ninth's colors, we had become accustomed to annoyances, beside which those at Camp Olden were highly pleasurable.
Wednesday, December fourth, 1861, will ever be memorable in the history of the men of the Ninth, as before daylight on the morning of that beautiful day we were awakened from our slumbers by the blasts of ten buglers, and summoned to prepare for a march. In half an hour we had partaken of coffee and dry bread-the last meal that hundreds of those brave boys were destined ever to enjoy in New Jersey-and "striking" tents, which were loaded upon our own wagons, formed line and were marching towards Trenton just as the sun came up over the sand hills to kiss and cheer us on our way.
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