History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 22

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140

USA > New Jersey > Sussex County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 22
USA > New Jersey > Warren County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 22

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COMPANY A.

Capt. C. A. Shimer, Lient. George C. Justice, Sergt. Paul Kuhl, killed; Sergt. William B. Dungan, wounded; Sergt. Lucieu A. Voorhees, killed; Corp. John F. Servis, wounded; Corp. Jonathan P. Collins, killed ; Corp. Joseph Runkle, wounded.

Privates.

David Allgard, missing; David Anthony, Jacob Apgar, killed; William B. Bryan, Jacob Bryan, John Butler, John Burns, wounded ; Jacob Beam, wounded and missing; John Brogan, killed; George S. Beaver, wounded; Audrew Closson, Isaac Dayton, Joseph Dawes, Juhu Evans, missing; Joseph Everitt, killed; William Golick, wounded; George P. Henderson, killed; Lewis Higgins, missing; William L. Higgins, wounded ; Silas Ilockenberry, killed; Lemuel Iluckenberry, wounded; Moses Ilousel, missing; John W. Heury, wounded and missing; Herwan Hembold, killed; Garret Hogan, missing; Henry P. Johnson, John Moser, Van Meter P. Hammet, George Kessler, wounded; Cornelins 1. Nevius, William N. l'eer, killed; James C. P'almer, John Rouch, Robert Sorter, Juseph Sulli- van, wounded ; Ilenry C. Smith, Charles Scherer, killed; Charles E. Smiley, Theodore Stammnets, wounded ; John Stante, missing ; Abram Trauger, l'eter I. Tenbroeck, wounded.

COMPANY B.

Capt. J. S. MeDanolls, wonuded; Sergt. E. B. Nicholas, wounded in thigh; Surgt. Samuel B. Dauly, wounded in leg; Sergt. C. W. Beegle, Corp. D. Sharp, wounded ; Corp. John L .. Young, killed.

Prirates.

John II. Allen, wounded in hand; James D. Baylor, killed; W. K. Bar- ker, wounded; T. H. Barker, missing; F. M. Beegle, wounded ; George Bilby, wounded dangerously ; H. II. Carr, Thos. Dougherty, wounded ; James Egbert, missing; Frank S. Fernald, killed; II. J. V. Ileed, A. G. King, wounded; Charles Hand, wounded in knee; William Lippincott, wonuded mu leg; Thomas Mitchell, wounded-in hand; John Mott, wounded; Jared P. Minton, missing; John O. Martin, killed ; William Schenck, wounded in head : Clinton Swick, wounded in kuce; A. R. Skiuner, wounded; William Siduer, killed; Juhu Sherer, Patrick Timmons, woumled; Charles K. Vought, Geo. Vossler, killed; O. W. Vossler, wounded und missing; S. S. Van Ness, Wounded ; George Welter, killed ; John A. Wilson, wounded.

COMPANY C:

Capt. Lewis Van Blarcom, wounded and missing; Lieut. William W. Vau Voy, Sergt. John Van Houten, killed; Sergt. Israel D. Lum, wounded ; Corp. William Trelense, wounded and missing; Corp Mannel Johnson, wounded ; Corp. John A. Cliff, missing; Color- Sergt. Samuel Rulaudon, killed.

Privates.

Alfred M. Armstrong, wounded; William Bailey, William D. Briggs, missing ; Samuel D. Doty, Lewis L. Duvis, wounded ; Edgar A. Far- raul, John Guy, killed ; Charles II. Guerin, Deunis Heffron, George Ilull, wounded; Jeremiah Haycock, Andrew J. Jennings, killed; Moses Laramie, missing; John Miller, Edwin C. Reger, John Rutan, killed ; Lewis Turuer, Silas Trowbridge, wounded.

COMPANY D

Cupt. James Walker, killed; Sergt. William Doland, woumled in arm; . Corp. Sanford Simmons, wounded seriously ; Corp. Peter Gundermun, wounded; Corp. Wilbur F. Harris, Corp. George Dennis, killed; Corp. James II. Terwilleger, missing.

* From n " Historical Sketch of the Fifteenth Regivient New Jersey Volunteers," by a member of the regiment.

SUSSEX AND WARREN IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION

Pricates.

Wesley M. Ayres, mis-Ing : John Bowman, wounded slightly ; Albert L. Curmer, wounded; Leonard Decker, killed; WHlium C. Dickerson, missing; Alphteus Decker, John Enwery, wounded; Martin Fred- erleks, killed; Lorenzo D. Fulford, missing ; George T. Fallin, Patrick Hughes, killed; John Hopkins, Stephen Hunkins, Alm, Hendershot, David Hendershot, John Hubbard, wounded; Alfred B. Jackson, Abruhum Johnson, missing, Barnard Johnson, wounded and mise- Ing; Wilson T. Labar, Austin Merker, wounded; John Moran, killed; James Mangun, missing; Patrick Mullen, killed; John M. Minion, missing; Joseph E. Rogers, William Stuart, George W. Stripps, Jacob South, winded; lsauc Sharp, William S. Woveter, missing; William A. Wurd, killed.

COMPANY F.

Capt. Ellis Hamilton, Lieut. Jumes W. Penruse, Sergt. Etos G. Budd, Sergt. Phineas K. Skellinger, Sergt. Lewis H. Salmon, Corp. Alunz > Heddin, Corp, Josoph K. Crater, Corp. Charles L. Milligan, Corp. W. II. K. Emmuna, Corp. Peter J. Sutton, wounded.

Priraten,

Joseph Anthony, Henry 1. Berry, wounded ; Charles Covert, George 1) Foulds, killed; Isalah Frutchy, James M. Ingle, Alorshans Jacobus. David C. Lantz, Whitfield Lake, James Latteret [ Latourette], An- drow J. Opdyke, Frank 1. O'Nell, wounded ; Jacob A. Peckwell, killed; Andrew F. Salmon, Lawrence I. Wise, wonuded; Elias Wil- ·liamsolı, killını.

COMPANY G.

Lient. Henry M. Fowler, wounded and mis-Ing; Sorgt. William E. Trim- mer, killed; Sorgt Jucob J. Lafr, wounded; Sergt. William M. Thompson, killed; Sorgt. Jacob F. Thatcher, Corp. John Bocock, wounded ; Corp. John Garren, ml-sing.

I'ricales,

William Ashcroft, Nathan Culver, wounded ; George Haney, Cornelius King, missing; Jumes C. Myers, wounded; Mimvon G. Pedrick, mis- sing; John Reisinger, wounded; John M. Smith, Levi Stull. killed ; William I). Wyckoff, George D. Wagoner, wounded.

COMPANY H.

Seigt, John B. Lunger, killed; Sergt. James Donnelly, wounded; Corp. Junies O. Dufford, Corp. Albert D. Greely, killed, Corp. John Mon- der, Corp. William G. Bailey, wounded.

Prirules,

Wmn. E. Archer, killed; William Black, wuunded, neck ; W'm. J. Bodine, William S. Cearfos, killed; William Crotstey, Garner H. Deremer, wounded ; Isnac K. Deremer, missing; Gourge Duttold, wonuded ; Jacole D. Gurretoon, killed; David Hoffman, wounded; William Howard, missing ; Edward K. Kitchell, wounded; Jucob L. Lunger, wounded, hand; James Murphy, killed; Isaac Medick, wounded, uim off; Abraluun Rush, WilHat Seguine, John Shick, wounded; Juseph B. Steele, killed; Samuel Trimmer, wounded, hund ; Simon W. Van Horn, wounded.

COMPANY I.

Sergt. James E. Cole, wounded und mising; Sergt. Charles C. Simpson, Corp. John K. Frotz, Corp. Willinen Weed, killed; Corp. William II. t'ase, unlesing.

Prienles.

Nicholas V. Bennett, wounded; Etward Durdis, killed; John Dinkr, wuunded ; Annnnias Prake, wounded, breast; Nathan Ente, would In wovon pouces; Muses Fenner, missing ; John Gunderman, billed ; Anstin Gunderman, wounded, leg; Henry [. Hendershot, wonmed ; Nelson S. Hurdick, wounded, slight ; John A. Hunterdon, wemalrd ; David Moore, killed (wounded and missing) ; Henry Martin, Elijah l'elton, wounded ; William N. Padget, missing; John D. Padget, wounded ; Ira M. Stuart, womited, hand ; Ephraim Shay, wounded; Allied J. Taylor, wounded and missing.

COMPANY K.

Sergt. Martin C. Van Gilder, Sergt. James W. Mullery, Corp. Peter Smith, Corp. James Cusstdy, wounded.

Privaten.

laane By ram, wounded, head ; Monmouth Boyd, wounded, arm and slite ; Chilvon Brown, wounded; Seaman Conklin, pissing; Juhn Card. Jr., wounded ; Daniel I .. Coy kendall, William Flannigan, Benjamin

M. lough, ml-ing; Montecal W. Huddly, wwwmaled. arm; Lewis L. Kent, killed ; James bary, missing ; sidney N. Monks, killed ; Jerne Mullery, wounded, dangerously ; Bowd in Mildaugh, Isanc J'mul- dock, wounded; Frederlek Van Riper, wounded, hip.

Capt. Hamilton and many others in the above list reported as " wounded" subsequently died of their in- juries.

Moving southward in the flank movement to Peters- burg, the regiment became engaged at the North and South Anna Rivers, at Hanover Court-house, at Tol- opotomy, and at Cold Harbor. On the last-named field it suffered a loss of twenty-five. "In the charge," says Foster, "the Fifteenth and Tenth Regi- ments reached a position on a hilloek, which they held when the line was broken on either side of them, and which they began to intrench upon at sundown. On this little hillock they remained for the greater part of the next ten days, and from it many never came alive. The firing from the enemy was almost con- stant, and whenever a man raised his head above the surface he was almost certain to be struck. . . . The dust, the great heat, the confined space, and the dead bodies buried just under the surface soon rendered the place most offensive. Day after day passed, line after line of works was constructed, the number of dead and wounded increased, but still the regiment was not taken from this horrible place till, on the night of the 12th [June], it marched for James River."

In the subsequent campaign in the Shenandoah valley the Fifteenth took conspicuous part and fully sustained its reputation. It fought at Strasburg and at Winchester, losing seventy men in the two engage- ments. At Opequan it lost about fifty men, killed and wounded. On the 21st of August it lost seven- teen more. It behaved gallantly at Fisher's Hill of the 220, and took part in the pursuit of the flying enemy to Staunton.

October 19th, at Cedar Creek,-the famous battle- field to which Sheridan rode "from Winchester, twenty miles away,"-after parts of the Eighth and Nineteenthi Corps had been surprised and routed, " the Sixth Corps moved rapidly by a flank across the track of their advance, and the JJersey brigade occu- pied the most advanced and difficult position, holding it firmly under severe fire." In this action all the color-guard except three were slain. Col. Campbell was wounded, and Maj. Lambert Boeman (previously of the Fifteenth, but then in command of the Tenth New Jersey ) was killed. Corp. Mowder fell dead, and the rebels seized the State color- from his stiff- ening hand. This, the only flag the regiment ever lost, was retaken that night, and returned next day to the Fifteenth. This was the last fight of the Fit- teenth in the Shenandoah valley. In December it rejoined, with its corps, the Army of the Potomac before Petersburg. It was never again heavily en- gaged, though a participant in the final assault of April 2, 1865. Upon the surrender of Lee the Fit-

SUSSEX AND WARREN COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

teenth was sent to Danville, Va., from whence. after five or six weeks' bivouac, it was, in the latter part of May, transported to Trenton, N. J., where it was dis- banded, and the surviving members (eighteen officers and three hundred and ninety-eight enlisted men) re- turned to their homes .*

The number of deaths which occurred in the regi- ment during its term of service was: From disease, ninety-nine; from wounds, two hundred and forty- seven ; in rebel prisons, fifteen; total, three hundred and sixty-one.

On Tuesday, Oct. 19, 1880, the sixteenth anniver- sary of the battle of Cedar Creek, in which the Fif- teenth New Jersey Infantry Regiment had a proud participation, was celebrated at Hackettstown, War- ren Co., and for the first time its members met to- gether since they had been mustered out of service. It was a memorable occasion,-one of the most pleas- ant social reunions that has ever been witnessed in this part of the State. Among the several hundred veterans present were Gen. (late Lieut .- Col.) Edward L. Campbell, Maj. E. W. Davis, Chaplain A. A. Haines, Adjt. Edmund D. Halsey, Capt. James S. MeDanolds, Capt. James Penrose, Capt. Lewis Van Blarcom (who lost a leg at Spottsylvania), Sergt. Lar- ison, and Corp. Jacob Stutz, of Company F, who each captured at Spottsylvania a Confederate flag. Chap- lain Haines, of Hamburg, this county, was appointed historian and requested to prepare a complete history of the regiment. A permanent organization was efected, with the following officers : President, Gen. E. L. Campbell; Secretary, Adjt. E. D. Halsey ; Treasurer, Chaplain A. A. Haines. A few prefatory sentences from the address delivered on this occasion by the latter are presented :

"COMRADES,-After fifteen years we meet again ! How impressive are the circumstances which call us together! We who gather to-day, the survivors of that noble regiment that eighteen years ago New Jersey sent forth to the battle-field, are but a little band. In war and in peace has death been making inroads upon our ranks, and the brave and the noble have been leaving us. Yet what band of men are bound together by more hallowed associations? Ten- der and strong are the ties that link us. Words fail, and tongues of mortals cannot speak of the emotions that come from our full hearts and choke our utter- ance and blind our eyes, as we clasp hands once more and listen to well-remembered voices. We have passed through more than the mere baptism of blood. In thirty-six battles have bullets and shells been hurled in deadly fire upon our battalions. In thirty- six battles have we seen our comrades pour out their precious blood for the land they loved, and often from

* Officers and enlisted men originally mustered. 947 Officers and enlisted mien subsequently gained. 924

Total strength of the regiment .. 1871

Officers and enlisted men mustered out May, 1865. 410

A loms, during its te:m of service, of. 1455

our own wounds have the red drops fallen on the Vir- ginia soil. Few regiments ever suffered so heavy losses in actual killed and disabled on the field of battle. We never turned onr backs on the foe; and, when other regiments might break, though torn and bleeding, we never yielded a position we were sent to hold."

II .- THE TWENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.

The Twenty-seventh New Jersey Infantry Regi- ment was raised in Morris and Sussex Counties, the latter furnishing as full companies those bearing the letters A, D, H, and K, and one-third or more of com- panies E and F, being fully the one-half the regi- ment. It rendezvoused at "Camp Frelinghuysen," Newark, and was mustered in Sept. 3, 1862, for nine months' service. The full strength of the command was one thousand and eighty-eight members, em- braced in eleven companies. Its "officers and men, alike in physical strength and robust capacities of en- durance, were equal to any in the service."

It left the State for the field Oct. 9, 1862, heing at that time officered as follows: Colonel, George W. Mindil; Lieutenant-Colonel, Edwin S. Babcock; Major, Augustus D. Blanchet; Adjutant, William H. Lambert; Quartermaster, James B. Titman ; Surgeon, John B. Richmond, M.D .; Assistant Surgeon, J. H. Stiger, M.D. ; Chaplain, Rev. John Fanll. Its com- panies were at the same time commanded by Capts. Charles F. Fernald (A), John T. Alexander (B), David S. Allen (C), Thomas Anderson (D), George W. Crane (E), Daniel Bailey (F), James Plant (G), Samuel Dennis (H), Alfred H. Condict (I), Edward S. Baldwin (K), and Henry F. Willis (L).

It arrived in Washington October 11th, and on the 29th of that month crossed into Virginia, going into camp near Alexandria. December 10th it was as- signed to the Second Brigade, First Division, Ninth Army Corps.

On the 12th of December it crossed the Rappahan- nock, and was for the first time exposed to the fire of the enemy. Although not brought into close conflict, the regiment was sufficiently exposed to test the bravery and trustworthiness of its officers and men.

In February, 1863, the Twenty-seventh proceeded to Newport News via Aquia Creek, and there went into camp, establishing it in city style with eleven streets, each graded and guttered and bordered by sidewalks. Although but the temporary home of the regiment, it was the comment of all visitors and the pride of its members.

March 19, 1863, the regiment broke camp, and at the landing disembarked on the steamer " John A. Warner" for Baltimore; thence it moved by rail to Parkersburg, W. Va., and by steamer to Cincinnati, Ohio, where it was reviewed by Gen. Burnside, who had been assigned to the command of the Department of the Ohio. The Twenty-seventh then procceded to Lexington, and was the first Eastern regiment to

SUSSEX AND WARREN IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION.

move into Central Kentucky in aid of our cavalry, who, weak in numbers, were heroically struggling against the advancing forces of the enemy. The re- mainder of March and the fore-part of April were spent in marches and in support of the Union cavalry in their operations in the vicinity of Heckman's Bridge, Stanford, ete. At Stanford the Twenty- seventh was joined by the regiments with which it was brigaded in Virginia. This infantry force moved, on the evening of April 26, 1863, to Somerset, Ky., there joining a cavalry expedition which, under com- mand of Col. Wolford, was sent out to repel the rebel marauders from the southern counties of the State. Returning from this, the object accomplished, the regiment met with a sad calamity in crossing the Cumberland River, near Somerset, Ky., on the 6th of May. "As the flat containing almost the last detach- ment of the Twenty-seventh-some fifty men-had reached the middle of the stream, the men who were pulling it across suddenly and unaccountably loosened their hold of the rope, and the boat, swinging around broadside to the current, drifted rapidly down the stream towards the lower rope, by which the artillery were crossing. . . . As they neared it a number of the men leaped up suddenly to grasp it ; the sudden rush to the one side and the abrupt cheek to the progress of the flat caused it to dip, fill with water, and pre- cipitate the men headlong into the river. . . . A few managed to reached the shore, . . . but the gallant and veteran officer Capt. Alexander, with thirty-two men, was carried to the bottom and drowned." .. . Of those who perished, three were from Walpack and one from Stillwater, Sussex Co.

The term of service of the Twenty-seventh expired June 3, 1863, but it continued in the field until the 15th," when it took up its homeward march, and was mustered out of service at Newark, N. J., July 2, 1863.

CHAPTER XV.

SUSSEX AND WARREN IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION (Continued).

I .- THE HARItIS LIGHT CAVALIY.

Two companies of the Harris Light (Second New York) Cavalry were raised by Gen. (then Lieut .- Col.) Judson Kilpatrick almost exclusively in Sussex County. The larger part of Company A was re- cruited by Lieut. George V. Griggs, of Newton. This company was filled up to the required number after reaching New York by a few enlistments in the city and several recruits from the vicinity of Orange,

N. J. Company B was raised to the full standard before leaving Newton. Henry Grinton took an active part in raising this company, and was made its first lieutenant. Edwin F. Cooke, son of Rev. Syl- vester Cooke, of the Clove Presbyterian Church, was selected by Gen. Kilpatrick to be captain of Com- pany B.

The men were enrolled at the Cochran House, in Newton, on the morning of Ang. 5, 1861, and left for New York on the afternoon train under charge of Kilpatrick. A large crowd of people assembled at the depot to bid them farewell, but few, if any, re- alized the important part they were to play in the great war, and that, however brilliant their services might be, New York, and not New Jersey, would re- ceive the credit.

Upon arriving in New York the men were quar- tered at the Westchester House for the night, and the next morning were duly mustered into the United States service for three years or during the war. Lieut. Griggs returned to Sussex to gather more re- cruits, Capt. Cooke to settle his affairs at home, and the men were sent, August 9th, to form a camp of instruction at Searsdale, under Capt. A. N. Duffie, who had been appointed to Company A, and who had previously seen service in the French army. A young Englishman by the name of George Tall re- ported for duty as second lieutenant, and was assigned to Company B. Lieut. Griggs also reported at the camp with a sufficient number of men to fill his com- pany. Two companies from Connecticut, under charge of Capt. W. II. Mallory, joined the camp, and others followed in quick succession. Late in August the "Sussex squadron" (as it was always called) and the Connecticut squadron were taken by Kilpatrick to Washington, where, east of the Capitol, he estab- lished a camp, which he called "Camp Sussex." Ilere the regiment rapidly filled up, and was fully organized, with J. Mansfield Davies as colonel, Kil- patrick as lieutenant-colonel, and Henry E. Davies, Jr., as major. Companies A and B were detailed to ac- company the brigade of Col. E. D. Baker, the white- haired senator, to Poolesville, Md., where they wit- nessed, but did not participate in, the battle of Ball's Bluff. It was these men who, leaving their horses on the Maryland side, went over in the miserable mud- scows and brought away the body of the noble old patriot, and all night long busied themselves in bring- ing off the wounded. Capt. Cooke also spent the night in ministering to the wounded, and was highly praised for his humanity.

Gen. Baker had won the hearts of the Sussex squad- ron by a characteristic art of generosity. Learning that no paymaster had been sent to these men, he rode into their camp one day shortly before his death and. through Capts. Duffie and Cooke, distributed to them, as a loan, several hundred dollars of his own money.

After the Ball's Bluff battle the two companies were returned to the regiment, which had been as-

* Ou arriving at Cincinnati, Juno 17th, Information was received ot the threatoned invasion of Pennsylvania hy Gen. twee. The regiment then tendered its services to the President of the United States to nalet In repelling the proposed rebel movement, and they were accepted. It remained in the vicinity of Pittsburgh and Harrisburg for ten days, and nutil the danger had passed. It then continue its homeward journey.

SUSSEX AND WARREN COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

signed to the division of Gen. Irwin McDowell, and had gone into winter camp across the Potomac, on Arlington Heights.

Under a new law of Congress authorizing cavalry regiments to have battalion organizations, Capts. Duffie and Mallory were promoted majors, and the Sussex squadron, with Companies I and K, was as- signed to Maj. Duffie, and was named the Third Bat- talion. To fill the vacant captaincy of Company A, a sergeant named Luke McGwin, from Gen. Stone- man's old company in the regular army, was ap- pointed. A long and dangerous attack of typhoid fever nearly ended and sadly delayed Lieut. Griggs' promotion.

Capt. McGwin was a hard man. Notwithstanding his own long service in the ranks, he apparently had no feeling for his men. In his efforts to bring their discipline to absolute perfection he incurred the hatred of the entire company. Unlike his old com- rade, Sergt. Benjamin C. Berry, who came at the same time to be captain of Company K, he had neither the respect of his men nor the friendly regard of his brother-officers. Throughout the winter the drill and discipline of the entire regiment were very severe, but the men, and especially the Sussex squad- ron, wanted to learn to be good soldiers, and did not object to rigid discipline so long as it did not descend to cruelty. Kilpatrick desired the men to be thor- oughly drilled and disciplined, but he had very decided notions about a high dashing spirit being necessary to a good cavalryman. He was mortally offended by McGwin's treatment of his company, and the latter left the regiment. Lieut. Southard was then pro- moted captain of Company A.

So proficient in drill had the regiment become that at Mcclellan's grand review at Bailey's Cross-Roads it was selected to make a sham charge before Abra- ham Lincoln and the numerous distinguished specta- tors who had come out of the national capital to see the splendid pageant of an army of one hundred thousand soldiers-infantry, artillery, and cavalry -- moving, in full view, on a broad open plain.

At the first advance on the works of Manassas, in March, 1862, the Harris Light Cavalry and the Sixth United States Cavalry constituted Mcclellan's escort. The Harris Light entered the burning works in time to drive out a small rear-guard, but there was little fighting.

When Gen. Mcclellan transferred the Army of the Potomac to the Peninsula, the Harris Light remained with McDowell and led the first advance on Freder- icksburg, in April, 1862. Within a few miles of Fred- ericksburg, about April 12th, the first hard fighting was done by the regiment. The enemy were steadily forced back during the afternoon to near Falmouth, oppposite Fredericksburg, when a grand charge was made by the Confederate cavalry, which Kilpatrick promptly met by a counter-charge, that broke their lines and cleared the way to Falmouth for our stcad-

ily-advancing infantry, which pressed on to the front and went into bivouac. The Harris Light lost several men in this engagement, among them Lieut. Decker, a very promising young officer, who was killed in the charge. At midnight the Harris Light, under Kil- patrick, and the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, under Col. George D. Bayard (also a Jerseyman), moved out to the left and attempted to pass around the ene- emy's right flank, but, being misled into an ambush by a traitorous guide, encountered a terrible fire from infantry behind hastily-erected breastworks, and were bloodily repulsed. The long winter's discipline was well repaid by the coolness and rapidity with which the regiment responded to every order, except that one stentorian command given at the first repulse by Kilpatrick : "Fetch up the artillery !" There was no friendly artillery within several miles, but all un- derstood Kilpatrick's well-meant intention to scare the rebels, and even in that first bloody night's work men laughed at it like hardened veterans. A squad- ron of the First Pennsylvania and some companies of the Harris Light charged clear through the rebel lines, reformed beyond them, and charged back to their own ; but it was found that the enemy were too strong for the cavalry, and a retreat was ordered. The dead and wounded were brought off the field. The infantry entered Falmouth, and the rebel com- mander was compelled to destroy the bridge across the river and fall back behind Fredericksburg to save the city from the fire of McDowell's artillery. Here a solemn funeral service was performed over the first of the Harris Light killed in battle, and the men of both cavalry regiments learned that the Northern pa- pers had exalted them all to the rank of heroes.

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History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 22

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1140

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140