USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32
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answered to their names in the solemn midnight when the morning's camp was reached."t
The loss of the Third Regiment in the battle of Gaines' Mill was one hundred and seventy killed and wounded, and forty-five missing.
At eleven o'clock in the night succeeding the battle the New Jersey regiments recrossed to the south side of the Chickahominy, and remained quietly there in the woods until midnight of the 28th, when they moved silently out, taking the road to Savage Station and thence to White Oak Swamp, on the retreat to the James River. A brisk engagement took place near the crossing of White Oak Creek, but the Third did not take part in it, though it occupied a position of peril between the batteries of the contending forces. where the shells of both passed over the men as they lay on the ground for comparative security. From this point the brigade moved on by way of Malvern Hill (passing that position on the 1st of July, but taking no part in the bloody battle of that day) to Harrison's Landing, which it reached in the morning of the 2d, in the midst of a drenehing rain, and en- camped in a wheat-field of several hundred acres in extent.
The regiment remained in the vicinity of the Land- ing for about six weeks, at the end of which time it marched with the army down the Peninsula, and was transported thence by steamer up the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River to Alexandria, where it arrived on the 24th, and was moved from that place to Cloud's Mills on its way to reinforce the army of Gen. Pope, who was in the neighborhood of Manassas and sorely pressed by the Confederates under Stonewall Jackson. On the 27th it moved forward by rail from Cloud's Mills to Bull Run bridge, and from there marched to the old battle-field, where it became engaged with the enemy's infantry and fought bravely for more than an hour, sustaining severe loss from the musketry- and artillery-fire. It was at last compelled to give way before the overwhelming force of the Confederates, but retreated in good order to Fairfax Station and thence to Cloud's Mills, which latter point was reached at noon on the 28th. In the engagement at Bull Run, tien. Taylor was severely wounded in the leg, and died at Alexandria on the 1st of September from the effects of amputation.
After defeating Pope's army in Virginia the Con- federate forces moved rapidly to the Potomac at Elwards' Ferry and other points, and crossed into Maryland. The I'nion army pursued, and overtook them at South Mountain, where a severe bat- tle was fought on the 11th of September. In that battle the First Jersey Brigade (then under command of Col. Torbert) was engaged at the point known as Crampton's Gap, and fought with its usual gallantry, the Third Regiment sustaining a loss of thirty-one in killed and wounded. In the great battle of Antietam, which occurred three days later, the brigade stood in
+ Foto's " New Jersey and the Rebellion."
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HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.
position for forty-two hours, and during six hours of that time was under a very severe artillery-fire, but was not ordered into action. After the battle it re- mained in Maryland for more than two weeks, and finally, on the 2d of October, crossed the Potomac at Berlin, and after a number of tedious movements in Virginia reached Stafford Court-house on the 18th, and remained there in camp until Gen. Burnside ordered the forward movement against Fredericks- burg.
In that movement the brigade marched from its camp to the Rappahannock, which it reached on the 11th of December, and crossed to the south shore at daylight on the following morning. It remained at rest nntil two o'clock in the afternoon, when it ad- vanced rapidly across a plateau under a heavy fire of artillery until it reached the shelter of a ravine through which flow the waters of Deep Run, and in this ravine it remained until the morning of the 13th. It was not until three o'clock in the afternoon that the brigade was ordered forward into the fight, and then the Third Regiment, being in the second line, did not become engaged, and its loss in the battle was only two, wounded by shells. The loss of the brigade was one hundred and seventy-two, killed, wounded, and missing. After the battle the army recrossed to the north side of the river, and the First New Jersey Brigade went into winter quarters near White Oak church.
In the movement across the Rappahannock in the spring of 1863 known as the campaign of Chancel- lorsville, the First Brigade, then commanded by Col. Brown in place of Col. Torbert, who was sick, crossed the river with the Sixth Corps at "Franklin's Cross- ing," below Fredericksburg, on the 29th of April, but remained occupying the old rifle-pits and with strong pickets posted until the morning of the 3d of May, when it was put in motion, and, moving up the river through Fredericksburg, about three miles on the road to Chancellorsville, came to Salem Church, where the enemy was found in strong force and ad- vantageously posted in thick woods, with earthworks on both sides of the road. The brigade advanced and attacked this position, and the battle raged with great fury until night, the enemy being driven a short dis- tance with severe loss until he occupied another line of riffe-pits. The loss of the Jersey brigade was heavy, but its reputation for bravery was fully sus- tained. The loss of the Third Regiment was seventy- nine killed and wounded and sixteen missing. The brigade remained on the field during the following day, but was not again engaged except as a support to the batteries. In the early morning of the 5th of May it recrossed the river and marched back to its old camp-ground at White Oak Church.
Moving northward with the Army of the Potomac in pursuit of Lee, who was then marching towards Penn- sylvania, the First Brigade (then in Wright's division of the Sixth Corps) crossed the Potomac at Edwards'
Ferry on the 27th of Jnne, and reached Gettysburg on the 2d of July, its last day's march being thirty- six miles. It immediately went into position, and remained without ehange until the following morning, when it was advanced to the front line ; but it did not become engaged, except slightly on the picket-line, where it lost eleven men wounded. In the pursuit of Lee's army it was again slightly engaged at Fair- field, Pa., and Hagerstown, Md. It crossed the Po- tomac on the 19th at Berlin, and on the 25th of July reached Warrenton, where it remained till the 15th of September. During the remainder of the fall it participated in a number of minor movements, and early in December encamped near Brandy Station, where it remained in winter quarters until the latter part of April, 1864.
The Third Regiment commenced its last campaign on the 4th of May, when, with the other regiments of the First Brigade, it crossed the Rapidan at Germania Ford, and moved southward into the labyrinths of the Virginia Wilderness. In the month which succeeded, its movements, battles, and skirmishes were too nu- merous to be recorded in detail. On the day follow- ing the crossing it became heavily engaged with the enemy, fighting stubbornly until its ammunition was exhausted, and losing severely. On the 6th it was again fighting, and suffered heavy loss. On the 8th, at the Po River, it took part in an assault on strong earthworks, but was compelled to retire from the overpowering numbers and impregnable position of the enemy. It was briskly engaged in skirmishing on the 9th, and at Spottsylvania, on the 10th, it again formed part of an assaulting-party which carried one of the Confederate works and took a considerable number of prisoners. Still again, at Spottsylvania, on the 12th of May, it took part in the battle, and charged the enemy's position with great bravery. At the end of eleven days from the time when it crossed the Rapidan its losses aggregated one hundred and twenty-three killed and wounded, and thirty-three missing,-an exceedingly heavy loss, considering its greatly reduced numbers at the commencement of the campaign.
In the advance beyond Spottsylvania the regiment (now but a handful of men) was engaged in heavy skirmishing along the North Anna River and at Tolo- potomoy, until finally it stood on its last battle-field, at Cold Harbor, where through two days of blood and terror it fought as bravely as ever. But its term of ser- vice had expired, and on the 3d of June the First and Third New Jersey Regiments (both together number- ing only three hundred and forty men) left the front and proceeded, by way of Washington, to Trenton, where they arrived on the 7th, and were soon after disbanded .*
" Those of the men whose terms, by reason of their re-enlistment, had not yet expired wero transferred to the Fourth and Fifteenth Regiments, but afterwards, with those of the same class from the Second Regiment, were consolidated into the First, Second, and Third Battalions.
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THIRD INFANTRY REGIMENT (THREE YEARS ).
The following biographical sketch of Brig .- Gen. George W. Taylor, the original colonel of the Third Infantry Regiment, is taken from Foster's "New Jersey and the Rebellion" :
and early exhibited a predilection for military pur- suits. Graduating, at the age of eighteen, at the celebrated military school of Col. Allen Partridge, in Connecticut, he entered the navy as a midshipman and made several ernises, subsequently, however, re- signing and engaging in mercantile pursuits. But when the Mexican war broke out his military instincts were aroused, and his native patriotism incited him to raise a company of volunteers, of which he was commissioned captain, and which was offered to the government, accepted, and arrived in Mexico in time to endure some fatiguing marches and many hard- ships, but too late to participate in any of the battles.
Upon the outbreak of the Rebellion, in 1861, Capt. Taylor was one of the first to respond to the appeal for troops, at once engaging in the formation of com- panies and inciting the people of his county generally to patriotic action. This done, he made preparations to leave home, with his horse and arms, with a view of offering himself as a volunteer upon the staff of some general already in the field and at the post of danger. He was, however, deterred from this action by the unexpected-and, so far as he was personally concerned, unsolicited-offer by Governor Olden of the coloneley of the Third Regiment, then in process of formation. Accepting without hesitation, Col. Taylor at once addressed himself to the task of re- tlucing his new levies into a state of discipline. On the 28th of June, 1861, he accompanied them to Washington, near which place they were stationed until the 21st of July, when he assisted, with the other New Jersey regiments, in checking the dis- graceful flight from Bull Run, and rendered other important service. In the following spring, upon the assignment of Gen. Kearney to the command of a division, Col. Taylor, as the senior officer of the First Brigade, became acting brigadier-general of that com- mand, and June 10, 1862, he was promoted to that rank. He commanded the brigade during the battles of the l'eninsula, displaying in them all the most in- domitable courage.
Returning with the army to Alexandria, he was sent forward (August 27th) to Bull Run bridge with a view of moving up to Manassas Junction and dis- persing a rebel force reported to be at that point. l'pon reaching the field, however, his command found itself confronted by the entire corps of Stonewall Jackson, and, being violently assailed, was obliged to fall back with severe loss. In this movement Gon. Taylor was seriously wounded in the leg. He was removed to Alexandria, where he died, Sept. 1, 1862, from the effects of the amputation of the limb, his spirit remaining firm and undaunted to the last.
As a soldier, Gen. Taylor's prominent character- isties were courage, intelligence, and inflexible devo- tion to duty. As a disciplinarian, he was stern almost to harshness; and, although on this account he was George W. Taylor, who gave his life in defense of for a time far from popular with the troops of his the country, was a native of Hunterdon Co., N. J., command, he soon became endeared to them. In personal manners he was haughty and reserved, sel- dom unbending from his lofty mood even among his intimates ; but underneath all this there throbbed a nature at once passionate and noble,-a nature which scorned injustice and held unyieldingly to convictions honestly and deliberately formed. Had his life been spared he must have attained a high rank among the generals of the I'nion army, in which, whatever its misfortunes, courage and unselfish patriotism always commanded generous and certain applause.
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE THIRD REGIMENT FROM SOMERSET COUNTY.
COMPANY G.
Peter F. Rogers, captain ; com. May 29, 18G1 ; res. Oct. 26, 1861.
John Roberts, captain; com. Nov. 8, 1×61; res. Aug. 5, 1×63.
Charles A. Wahl, captain ; com. Aug. 6, 1863; pro. from first lieutenant Co. II ; dismissed S. O. War Department Aug. 12. 1864.
Richard D. Couk, first lioutenant ; com. May 29, 1861; pro. to captain Co. B Sept. 20, 1862
John L. W. Wentz, first lientenant ; com. Aug. 21, 1862; pro. to captain Co. A Sept. 29, 1863.
Washington Irvine, first lieutenant ; com. Sept. 29, 1863; pro. from second lieutenant Co. D; must, out June 23, 1864.
Arthur H. Hardcastle, socond lieutenant ; com. June 13, 1861 ; res. Nov. 7,1861.
William C. Barnard, second lientonant; com. Dec. 16, 1861; aido-de- enmp to Gen. Kearney ; killed in action at Williamsburg, Va., Mny 5, 1862.
Franklin 11. Coles, second lieutenant ; com. May 20, 1862; pro. to first lieutenant Co. A Sept. 4, 1862.
Charles A. MeClung, second lieutenant ; com. Sept. 13, 1-62; pro. to first lieutenant Co. E Dec. 10, 1862.
John Torbert, second lieutenant ; com. Feb. 19, 1863 ; private of Co. I., Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry ; pro. to second lieutenant; res. Nov. 12, 1863.
Oscar II. Westlake, first sergeant; enl. May 29, 186I ; pro. to second lieutenant Co. N Ang. 13, 1862.
John Miller, Arst sergeant ; enl. May 29, 1861 ; pro. froni sergeant Sept. 1, 1862 ; must. out June 23, 1864.
John C. Wiggins, sergeunt ; cul. May 29, 1861 ; pro. to second Hentonant Co. C Nov. x, 1861.
Richard Carstily, sergeant : enl. Juno 21, 1841 ; must. out June 23, 1864. Lewis S. Fisher, sergeant ; onl. May 29, 1861 ; pro. to second Hentenant Co. IF July 2, 1862.
Julin T. Space, sorgennt ; enl. May 29, 1861 ; must. out June 23, 1804. Augustus fintecho, sergeant ; onl. May 23, INGI ; must. out June 23, INGA. Peter T. Vanslerveer, sergenuit ; enl. May 20, 1861; disch. for disability Nov. 25, 1862.
James Toomer, sergeant ; enl. May 20, 15G1 ; disch. for disability Sept. 9, 1863.
Theodore McCoy. sergeant : enl. May 20, 1>61; killed nt Crampton's Pass, Md., Sept. 14, 1x62.
John S. Judd, sergeant; enl. May 29, 1861 ; dled of wounds May 30, 1561 David T. Runyon, corporal ; onl. May 29, Isol ; must. out June 23, 18GI Philip French, corporal; enl. May 29, Isel; must. out June 29, 1565 ;
ro-onl Der. 30, 1×61; served in Co. C, Fifteenth Regiment, and to A, Think Battery.
George W. lamme, corporal ; enl. May 20, 186] ; not must, ont with com- Juany.
Jasper Van Du-kirk, corporal; enl. May 29, Isol; not must. out with company.
Carelius Van Zandt, corporal ; enl. May 201, Iso1 ; diab. for disability (h 1. 7, 1862.
124
HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.
Henry V. Lowe, corporal; eul. May 29, 1861; disch. for disability Oct. 31, 1862.
Jacob Crater, corporal ; enl. May 29, 1861 ; died of wounds at Fredericks- burg, Va., May 24, 1864.
Christopher Hoagland, corporal; enl. May 29, 1861 ; killed at Spottsyl- vania Court-house, Va., May 12, 1864.
William Fuller, corporal; enl. May 29, 1861 ; died of disease Sept. 11, 1863. George W. Himes, musician ; enl. May 29, 1861 ; must. out June 23, 1864. John Burkmeyer, musician ; enl. May 29, 1861; died March 22, 1864. Benjamin F. Shinn, wagoner; eul. May 25, 1861 ; must. out June 23, 1864.
Martin Blanchard, wagoner; enl. May 29, 1861 ; died of fever Sept. 22, 1862.
Privates .*
Peter S. Alleger.
Woodhull Amerman, disch. for disability Nov. 18, 1862.
Samuel Apgar, disch. from hospital Ang. 26, 1863.
Martin Bush.
Miller G. Bell, disch. for disability Sept. 12, 1863.
Philip W. Bunn, disch. for disability May 15, 1862.
John V. Dennett, missing in action May 10, 1864; recorded at War De- partment as died at that date.
George C. Cummings, enl. June 24, 1801 ; re-enlisted ; must. out June 29, 1865.
Ananias M. Conover, disch. for disability Feb. 16, 1863.
James Doyle, paroled prisoner; must. ont Jan. 19, 1865.
Daniel Dickson, disch. for disability May 15, 1862.
Abraham P. Drost, disch. for disability Oct. 24, 1862.
John Duryea, disch. to join regular army Dec. 12, 1862.
John J. Deitz, killed in action at Gaines' Farm, Va., June 27, 1862.
Joseph Dunham, died of fever Oct. 17, 1861 ; buried at Alexandria, Va. William S. Forgus, disch. for disability Oct. 29, 1862.
George Fenner, trans. to Co. C, Fifteenth Regiment; re-enl. Dec. 30, 1863.
William Fenner, enl. Jan. 25, 1864; missing in action May 10, 1864; supposed dead.
Edward Gaylord, not mustered out with company.
Smitlı D. Gibbons, enl. June 20, 1861 ; not mustered out with company. Philip Goodheart.
Joachim Gulick.
Andrew Getherd, trans. to Veteran Reserve Corps; disch. therefrom March 19, 1864.
Jacob Hauck, re-enl. Dec. 30, 1863; must. out Jnne 29, 1865. Thomas Hines.
Joseph Homan, re-enl. Dec. 30, 1863; must. out June 29, 1865. James Hymer.
Valentine Holla, disch. for disability March 29, 1802.
Charles Hill, not mustered out with company.
Adam Job, killed in action at Gaines' Farmi, Va., June 27, 1862. Michael Kaley, died in camp March 26, 1863.
John Keiser, died of wounds Sept. 10, 1862; huried at Alexandria, Va. Nicholas Kortzendorfer.
Frederick Kretchman.
Adam Kuhn, Jr., enl. Jan. 25, 1864; recruit; must, out June 29, 1865.
Elias C. Kulp, re-enl. Dec. 30, 1863 ; must. out June 29, 1865.
Lewis Kahler, disch. for disability July 16, 1862.
John Kelley, disch. for disability April 2, 1863.
William Latourette, disch. for disability Dec. 24, 1862.
Charles Leonhart, enl. Sept. 20, 1861; disch. for disability Jau. 23, 1863. Christopher Lynch, disch. for disability March 16, 1863. Michael V. D. Lawrence,
Henry Ladingburg, trans. to Veteran Reserve Corps.
Augustus C. Lindsley, trans. to Signal Corps; disch. therefrom Aug. 16, 1865.
John Lederman, killed in action at Gaines' Farm, Va., June 27, 1862. William Littell, died of wounds May 24, 1863.
Robert Leslie, enl. Jan. 6, 1862; not must. out with company.
Joseph MeNear, killed in action at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863. Francis MeKeunn, re-enl. ; must. out June 29, 1805.
Benjamin Mabey, disch, for disability May 24, 1864. Sumnel Meyers, disch. to join regular army Jan. 27, 1863.
John Meyers, trans. to Vet. Res. Corps; disch. therefrom May 28, 1861. William Norton, disch. for disability March 27, 1863.
Tunis IE. Orr, disch. on account of wounds April 14, 1863. Stephen Overton.
* The privates all enlisted May 20, 1861, and were mustered out June 23, 1864, unless otherwise stated.
Michael C. O'Neil, not must. out with company.
Samuel Phillips, not must. out with company.
Rudolph P. Pashoud, disch, for disability May 16, 1862.
Thomas E. Reeder, enl. Jan. 26, 1864; must. out June 29, 1865. Louis C. Riddle. Henry Rockafellow.
Charles Schill.
Joseph Seal. William Skillman.
Charles Spangler, re-enl. Dec. 30, 1863 ; must. out June 29, 1865.
Lewis C. Scull, enl. Sept. 20, 1861 ; disch. for disability Sept. 12, 1863. Samuel D. Solomon, enl. June 25, 1861 ; disch. for disability Jau. 19, 1863. William Southard, disch. for disability Nov. 4, 1861.
Peter Smith, enl. July 1, 1861 ; not must. out with company.
Dennis Suee, not must. out with company.
William Steinka, killed at Salem Heights, Va., May 3, 1863. John B. Templeton.
Clark D. Todd, enl. June 20, 1861 ; disch. for disability March 2, 1863.
John Thompson, trans. to Vet. Res. Corps ; disch. therefrom May 30, 1864. Samuel Tyler, enl. Sept. 25, 1861 ; trans. to Co. C, Fifteenth Regimeut. Joseph T. Walter, disch. for disability Aug. 11, 1862.
Andrew Watson, enl. Sept. 21, 1861; not must. out with company. Frank Wheeland.
E. Augustus Wilson, must, out June 17, 1865.
John Williamson, disch. for disability May 15, 1862. Caleb Woodruff, killed at Manassas, Va., Aug. 27, 1862.
Joseph T. Young, re-enl. ; must, ont June 29, 1865.
David Young, traus. to Vet. Res. Corps; died of fever April 27, 1864.
CHAPTER XII.
FIFTH AND SIXTH INFANTRY REGIMENTS.
Hunterdon County furnishes a Company for each Regiment-Officers of the Fifth and Sixth Infantry-Leave " Camp Olden"-Form a Part of the Second New Jersey Brigade-Assigned to duty as the Third Bri- gade, in Hooker's Division-Movements on the Potomac-Dattle of Williamsburg-Fair Oaks-Losses in the Peninsula Campaign-En- gaged at Bristow Station, Chantilly, etc .- Unflinching Bravery at Get- tysburg-Superb Behavior at Spottsylvania Court-house-Other en- gagements-Muster-out-Rosters of Co. A, Fifth Infantry, and Co. H, Sixth Infantry Regimente.
THE Fifth and Sixth Regiments of New Jersey in- fantry contained each one company raised in Hunter- don County. As these two regiments served together in the same brigade, and as the histories of their cam- paigns are consequently very nearly identical, they are here given together in one narrative.
These regiments, as also the Seventh and Eighth, were raised under a requisition made by President Lincoln on the 24th of July, 1861, three days after the great disaster at Bull Run. The Fifth was mustered into the service under Col. Samuel H. Starr, the other regimental officers being: Lieutenant-colonel, Ger- shom Mott; major, William S. Truex ; adjutant, Cald- well K. HIall; surgeon, James C. Fisher; assistant surgeon, Addison W. Woodhull; quartermaster, James F. Rusling. The regimental officers of the Sixth were : Colonel, James T. Hatfield; lieutenant-colo- nel, Simpson R. Stroud ; major, John P. Van Leer; adjutant, Leonard J. Gordon ; quartermaster, Joseph Woodward ; surgeon, John Wiley ; assistant surgeon, Redford Sharpe. The commissioned officers of A company of the Fifth were: Captain, Ashbel W. Angel; first lieutenant, Charles A. Angel ; second
125
FIFTH AND SIXTH INFANTRY REGIMENTS.
lieutenant, Theodore P. Large. Those of HI company of the Sixth (also from Hunterdon) were: Captain, James Bird; first lieutenant, Samuel G. Stockton ; second lieutenant, Jonas F. Hull. Both these com. panies were raised at Lambertville, Hunterdon Co.
The Fifth Regiment left Camp Oklen on the 29th of Angust, and reported for duty in Washington on the following day. The Sixth left Camp Olden Sep- tember 10th, and reported in Washington on the Hith. The Seventh and Eighth Regiments left the State on the 19th of September and Ist of October, respect- ively, and the four regiments were brigaded together as the Second Brigade of New Jersey troops, under Col. Starr, of the Fifth, as brigade commander. The first camp was made at Meridian Hill, near Wash- ington.
Abont the Ist of December the brigade was moved to Budd's Ferry, Md.,-a point about forty-five miles below Washington,-and there assigned to duty as the Third Brigade of the division of Gen. Hooker. This division Jay at that time encamped at various points extending from Mattawoman Creek to Liverpool Point, on the Potomae. On the south side of that river, opposite the position of Hooker's division, were formidable Confederate batteries at Shipping Point, Cockpit Point, and Evansport, these having been erected for the purpose of closing the navigation of the river. But the evacuation of Manassas by the rebels made it inexpedient for them to hold these batteries, and they were accordingly abandoned about the 8th of March. Upon this fact becoming known, a detachment of five hundred men of the Fifth Regi- ment, under Lieut .- Col. Mott, crossed the river under orders from Gen. Hooker to seize and occupy the po- sition which the Confederates had evacuated. This was the first important duty performed by the men of this brigade. The detachment temporarily occupied the position, capturing four pieces of artillery and a large amount of stores, which had been abandoned by the enemy in his hasty retirement.
After this expedition the brigade remained quietly encamped until the first week in April, when, with the division, it was transferred to the York River, Virginia, and landed near the mouth of Cheeseman's ('reck, where it was placed under command of Brig .- Gen. F. E. Patterson, the division being incorporated with the Army of the Potomac and destined to take part in all the important movements of that army in its Peninsular campaign against Richmond. Its first position was in front of the strong works of the enemy at Yorktown.
Early in the morning of Sunday, May 4th, it was found that the t'onfederate line stretching southward from Yorktown to the mouth of Warwick River had been abandoned, and thereupon the Union army was put in motion in pursuit of the enemy, who was re- treating towards Richmond. The Second New Jer- sey Brigade entered Yorktown, and at about two o'clock moved out from that place on the Williams-
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