USA > New Jersey > New Jersey and the rebellion : a history of the service of the troops and people of New Jersey in aid of the Union cause, Pt. 1 > Part 37
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and rifle pits, in view of the possibility of an attack. Here the regiment was placed in Brigadier-General Gordon's (Third) Brigade, . Second Division, of what was then known as "Banks' Old Corps"-under command of General Mansfield. On the evening of the 6th, the command (with the rest of the corps,) crossed the Potomac at Aqueduct Bridge, and on the following day, continuing its march, camped about two miles beyond Rockville, where it remained until the 9th, when. the enemy having retired, it again moved forward with the army, leaving behind the sick, and a few men to guard the property, which was subsequently taken to Washington. A large part of this regimental property was never afterwards recovered, which, in some respects was a decided advan- tage, since, being in such quantity as to require thirty-two army wagons to transport it, its care must have seriously impeded the movements of the command. Moving forward from day to day, the regiment, on the 13th, reached the vicinity of Frederick, Mary- land, which had been entered the day previous by General Burn- side. Our army was now rapidly coming up, and concentrating for a grapple with the enemy who had massed his troops for the struggle. On the 14th, the battle of South Mountain was fought, resulting in the expulsion of the rebels from the strong position which they had seized. The Thirteenth moved at eight o'clock in the morning, marching for sixteen hours, with frequent halts, the roads being obstructed with trains of artillery, and the troops, there- fore, moving on by-roads and across fields, over the Catoctin Hills west of Frederick, and through the beautiful Middletown Valley until, at sunset, the flash of guns on the opposite range showed the position of the enemy. During the night, the rebels retreated through Boonsborough, moving rapidly towards the Sharpsburg peninsula of the Potomac, leaving their dead, and in many cases their wounded, on the field. On the 15th, our army moved out in pursuit. During the 16th, the Thirteenth remained in the vicinity of Keedysville, cooking rations and obtaining rest, in preparation for the battle now anticipated. The rebels at this time were posted on the right or westerly bank of Antietam Creek, occupying the hills and ridges in front of Sharpsburg, which they had fortified. About
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midnight, orders were received to move immediately, and the Thirteenth, crossing the creek in the utmost silence, took position with the reserves, on the right. Here the men lay down, and were awakened at daybreak by the firing of the pickets, who had come into collision. In a few minutes the regiment was put in motion, " and going further to the right, was posted as a support to a battery. Then, the battle having meanwhile opened with great violence, the Thirteenth (with the Second Massachusetts,) was ordered to advance towards a piece of woods, out of which Hooker and Sumner had already been driven. Moving forward through a corn-field, in line of battle, the command soon reached the Hagerstown road at a point some distance north of the Dunker Church, passing over the fence into the road, in full view of the enemy, who at once opened a pitiless fire. Fortunately, our men were somewhat protected by a fence, but they could not long face the withering fire directed against them. Captain H. C. Irish, while gallantly attempting to cross a second fence, west of the road, at the head of his company, was shot and instantly killed, and a large number of the regiment were speedily placed hors du combat. The enemy, who was pro- tected by ledges of rock, still continuing his fire, the regiment broke. and in confusion fell back a distance of some three or four hundred yards, to the shelter of another strip of woods. Here, after a time, it was re-formed under General Gordon's order, and after giving three rousing cheers, again advanced as a support to General Greene, who had entered the woods, (near the Dunker Church.) skirting the Hagerstown pike on the west .? Entering the woods,
2 As enabling the reader better to understand the operations of the regiment, i: may be stated that its position, on the opening of the engagement, was about half a mile east of the Hagerstown road, which runs northwardly from Sharpsburg. The Dunker Church stands in the edge of a piece of woods on the west side of this road. and about one mile north of Sharpsburg. The enemy at the time of the first advance held the woods around and north of the church, and commanded most of the ground. somewhat rolling in its formation, in his front-that is, east of the pike at that point. At the time of the second advance, the enemy had been partly driven from the woods around the church, but still had a force concealed in a ravine near its farther edge, so that when the Thirteenth, pushing past the church, entered the woods, it soon became exposed to the assault of the concealed foc, who, marching out of the ravine, attacked with great violence, rendering any further advance on our part impossible.
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the command went into position on Green's right, where it remained for some time, the men behaving creditably, and only retiring when assailed by an overwhelming force of the enemy, who, suddenly marching up from a ravine, grounded arms, as if in token of sur- render, and then-having, by this stratagem caused a cessation of our fire-opened with murderous ferocity on our flank, rendering a retreat inevitable. The entire loss of the regiment was seven killed, seventy wounded, (of whom eleven afterwards died,) and twenty-five missing.3 General George H. Gordon, in his report of this battle, says : " The Second Massachusetts and Thirteenth New Jersey were put in motion, and pushed forward with great alacrity, sufficiently far to find that the troops to be supported had retired. They were received with a galling fire, which they sustained, and returned for a brief period, then fell back upon their supports."
* " Having received an urgent call from General Green, to send him any reinforcements I might have, and could spare, I directed the Thirteenth New Jersey to support him. This regiment, for the first time under fire, moved coolly, and in an orderly manner, towards General Green's position ; and I am much gratified to report that the General has spoken to me of their conduct, in terms of high commendation." In another part of his report, he says: "In this battle, officers and men behaved with most praiseworthy intrepidity and coolness. The Thirteenth New Jersey (Colonel Carman,) being new troops, might well stand appalled at such exposure, but they did not flinch in the discharge of their duties. I have no words but praise for their conduct. They fought like veterans, and stood shoulder to shoulder with those who had borne the brunt of war on the Peninsula, in the Shenandoah Valley, and from Front Roval to the Rapidan. They were led by those who inspired them with courage, and they followed with a determination to conquer or die." This is high praise for raw and inexperienced troops, going
' The following is Colonel Carman's report:
"SEPTEMBER 18, 1862.
"I have the honor to report that the Thirteenth Regiment was engaged yesterday in the great battle at this place. For raw troops, worn out by constant marching, they did nobly, and it gives me pleasure to say that we were recipients of much praise from general officers, who witnessed our participation in the struggle."
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into battle when exhausted by long marches : and the men of the Thirteenth were justly proud of the eminence they had thus attained in the esteem and confidence of their superiors.
In this battle, the fruits of which Mcclellan unaccountably neglected to gather, General Mansfield was killed, and the com- - mand of the corps devolved upon Brigadier-General A. S. Wil- liams, that of the division (First,) upon General Gordon, and of the brigade (Third,) upon Colonel Ruger, of the Third Wisconsin Regiment. The Thirteenth, under command of the Lieutenant-Colonel, remained in position on the battle-field during the night succeeding the battle, expecting that in the morning the engagement would be renewed. But the day passed without assault, though the enemy lay immediately in our front, engaged in robbing our dead and his own of their shoes, and so supplying his unshod veterans. As the next morning, however, dawned over the ghastly field, it was discovered that the rebels had with- drawn across the river. On the 19th, the regiment was ordered to move, and passing over a part of the battle-field, proceeded towards Harper's Ferry, halting, on the 20th, four miles from Sandy Hook, Maryland, where it remained until the 23d, when it went into camp on Maryland Heights. Here it remained for some weeks, suffering much from sickness, the men being engaged in cutting timber, preparatory to the erection of strong fortifications on the slopes and summit of the mountain. During the greater part of the time the regiment remained at this point it was without tents; shelter tents, however, finally arrived, and the condition of the troops was much improved. While here, Lieutenant Carman was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of Company E, vice A. M. Matthews promoted to be First Lieutenant of Company K. and First Lieutenant Hopkins was made Adjutant. On the 27th of October, the regiment was visited by President Lincoln, and on the 30th, under orders from headquarters, it left its camp and marched up the Potomac River to the mouth of Antietam Creek : thence marching through Sharpsburg and encamping three miles west of that town, in the direction of Shepherdstown. Here the regiment performed picket duty on the northeast side of the river.
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covering a portion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal-the rebels picketting on the opposite side of the river. On the 12th of November, one-half of the regiment (right wing,) moved one mile nearer Sharpsburg, Lieutenant-Colonel Swords commanding this wing, and Major Chadwick commanding the other-Colonel Car- man occupying a position about midway between the camps. The regiment continued in this position, doing heavy picket duty, in common with the rest of the brigade, until the 10th of December, when it moved to Harper's Ferry, crossing at that point on the morning of the 11th, and moving by way of Hillsborough, Lees burg and Fairfax Station to a point beyond the Occoquan Creek, where (December 16th,) intelligence of Burnside's failure at Fredericksburg was received, and the column rapidly counter- marched to Fairfax Station. This march from Harper's Ferry was, for the most part, over miserable roads, and the men suffered greatly, being exposed to snow-storms and every possible discom- fort. Remaining at the station until the 26th, the regiment was moved to the north side of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, moving thence, on the following day, to Wolf Run Shoals, on Occoquan River, only to return, however, on the 27th, and again advance on the 4th of January, (1863,) with the Third Wisconsin to the river named. Here the two regiments performed picket duty for a fortnight, when (on the 20th,) they moved forward by way of Dumfries to Stafford.Court House, near which, on the 25th, they went into winter-quarters. During the winter the Thirteenth was engaged in drill and other routine duties, and, although exposed to many severe storms, was comparatively comfortable- General Hooker having been appointed to the command of the army, it was re-organized and every possible effort made to improve its tone and spirit. During the winter, Lieutenant-Colonel Swords sent in his resignation, and on the 5th of February, left the regi- ment, Major Chadwick being appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, and Captain Grimes made Major. During February, four companies of the regiment (E, F, G and HI,) were detached and sent, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Chadwick, to a point upon Aquia Creek, called White House Landing, for fatigue work, unloading
41
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NEW JERSEY AND THE REBELLION.
stores, &c. The Lieutenant-Colonel becoming ill, the command devolved upon Captain Harris. On the 30th of March, one of the detached companies returned to the regiment, being followed by the three others on the 5th of April.
At length, Hooker, having matured his plans for an offensive movement, on the 27th of April, set his columns in motion, con- centrating on Chancellorsville. Breaking camp at five o'clock in the morning, the Thirteenth marched out with its corps (the Twelfth) in the advance, and pressing rapidly forward, at daylight on the 29th crossed the Rappahannock at Kelley's Ford, thence moving to Germania Ford on the Rapidan. Here a small party of rebels engaged in constructing a bridge were captured, and the river was forded without opposition, the bridge being at once com- pleted and used in crossing by the troops who had not yet come up. "ivouacking about a mile from the river, the whole regiment was iced on picket, but promptly, on the 30th, resumed the advance- ordon's Brigade forming the rear-guard of the corps. Reaching the plank road running from Fredericksburg to Orange Court House, near the old Wilderness Tavern, the regiment pushed for- ward to the Chancellor House, where, after various movements, it bivouacked in line of battle on the south side of, and nearly parallel to, the plank road, in such position as to cover it effectually. On the following morning, (May 1st,) the corps was pushed towards the United States Ford, to co-operate in the crossing of the Third Corps -the skirmishers soon becoming heavily engaged. During the early part of this engagement, Colonel Carman was injured, and the command devolved upon Major Grimes. The object of the movement having been accomplished, the brigade returned to its old position, south of the plank road, where it remained under arms during the night. Early on the 2d, orders were received to build breastworks with abattis in front, which was rapidly done-a strong line of works being thrown up, extending from the Rappa- hannock east of United States Ford on the left, for a distance of some four miles to the right of the Eleventh Corps, which was without protection. That corps being on the right of the Twelfth. the line presented a convex front to the enemy ; and had the right
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of the Eleventh been properly protected, the line must have been a very strong one. During the afternoon, there was heavy firing on the left, and about five o'clock, under a belief that the enemy was retreating, the Twelfth Corps was moved out of the breastworks in pursuit. Soon after, however, Stonewall Jackson, with his corps of twenty-five thousand men, made a furious attack upon the exposed right flank of the army, surprising and driving the Eleventh Corps in great confusion down the Chancellorsville road. The Twelfth Corps was at once re-called, and a new line formed facing the west, running at right angles to the plank road and the breastworks built in the morning-part of which were now occupied by the enemy. "Stand steady, old Third Brigade," cried the commander, as the masses of the fugitives swept down from the field; and bravely and steadily it obeyed the order, the Thirteenth behaving admirably throughout. So immovable was our line, and so terrible the fire rom Best's Battery of the corps, (and not of the Third Corps, as epresented in cotemporary accounts,) that the headlong advance of the enemy was speedily checked. Finally, the conflict abating, opportunity was afforded for re-arranging the line, which was done by drawing it in and extending the right wing to the Rappahan- . nock, so that each wing now rested on a river. During the fighting of the afternoon, Major Grimes was wounded, and the command devolved upon Captain Beardsley, assisted by Captains Ryerson and Harris. Here, as on subsequent fields, Captain Beardsley displayed the highest soldierly qualities, and won the cordial encomiums of both inferiors and superiors.
During the earlier part of the night, there was constant picket- firing, and from time to time heavy artillery firing, shells from our batteries passing over the heads of our men. Stonewall Jackson, while moving along his skirmish line, was mortally wounded nearly in front of the line of the Third Brigade-dying eight days after- wards. From midnight until about four o'clock on the morning of the 3d, there was comparative quiet, but with the break of day the firing was resumed, and soon the enemy pushed forward in heavy columns to the attack, infesting our whole front with sharpshooters, but directing his most violent assaults against the position held by
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the Twelfth and Third Corps. At this time the Thirteenth was supporting the Twenty-seventh Indiana, one of the regiments of the brigade, and was peculiarly exposed. Subsequently, the ammu- nition of the Second Massachusetts being exhausted, the Thirteenth was advanced to its relief, occupying its position for some two hours, and fighting with the greatest desperation throughout, in the face of a storm of missiles that would have appalled less resolute men. During this time, the rebels in front of the regiment were relieved three different times, thus keeping fresh men constantly in line. Many of our men, meanwhile, had exhausted their ammuni- tion, and in some cases were only supplied from the cartridge-boxes of the killed, the officers gathering up all within reach, and so enabling the line to keep up its fire. About eight o'clock, having suffered severely, the regiment was relieved and rejoined its brigade in the rear." But it had again shown that it was made of royal stuff. The loss of the regiment in killed and wounded during the three days' fighting was some one hundred and thirty, being nearly one-half the number taken into battle. Among the wounded were Major Grimes, shot in the thigh; Adjutant T. B. Smith, shot in the arm ; Second Lieutenant George G. Whitfield, of Company D, who afterwards died ; First Lieutenant James F. Layton, of Company G; Captain Charles H. Bliven, of Company H; Captain Ambrose Matthews, of Company I. During the height of the action, the regiment occupied a peculiarly-exposed position, but the men and most of the officers carried themselves with the utmost gallantry and coolness-repelling the furious assaults of Stonewall Jackson's veteran troops in every instance, and even advancing our line a considerable distance. In this advance, the regiment took a small number of prisoners. When ordered to retire, the men moved up towards the Chancellor House, in full range of a rebel battery. whose missiles wounded a number, but did not in the least demora !- ize the command. After joining the brigade, the regiment moved with it about two miles towards United States Ford, where its
+ The regiment by which the Thirteenth was relieved soon after gave way, being unable to hold the position which the Jerseymen had successfully maintained again -: all comers.
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ammunition was replenished, when, having rested, it again marched to the front and formed in anticipation of an attack from the enemy. Shortly after noon, however, the firing ceased, and the regiment was not again engaged-the corps, late in the evening, moving to a new line which had been entrenched by the Eleventh Corps. Here the Thirteenth occupied the extreme left of the line at Scott's Dam, on the Rappahannock. The breastworks not being finished, the men were obliged to complete them during the night and following day. In the meantime, heavy firing was going on below, which was continued during the day and night, signaling the attack by the enemy, in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, upon General Sedg- wick, who, being driven back, Hooker determined to re-cross the river, which he did on the night of the 5th, the entire army being on the north side on the following morning. During this move- ment, a steady rain poured down upon the toiling army, but the men moved wearily on through mud and water, and at night encamped in position-the Thirteenth occupying the familiar camp at Stafford Court House. Thus ended the Chancellorsville cam- paign.
After some suffering, incident to the disastrous nature of the campaign, the Thirteenth was re-clothed and supplied with neces- sary comforts, and fell once more into the routine duty of the camp. Meanwhile, Lee had moved to the Upper Potomac, menacing Mary- land and Pennsylvania, and on the 13th of June, Hooker put his columns also in motion. Marching by way of Dumfries, Drains- ville and Leesburg, (where it rendered important service in constructing works,) to Edwards Ferry, the Thirteenth crossed the Potomac at that point on the 26th, and pushing forward with the corps, reached Gettysburg July 1st. Fighting had already com- menced, and our troops as they came up, were hurriedly placed in position, the Twelfth Corps holding the extreme right, facing Johnson's Division of Ewell's Corps. During the night, the Third Brigade threw up breastworks, and in other ways prepared for the conflict. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy moved in strong force against Sickles on the left, and a sanguinary struggle ensued, Longstreet struggling desperately to seize Round Top,
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justly regarded as vital to the maintenance of our position. Sickles being sorely pressed, the Third Brigade cf the Twelfth Corps was sent to his relief, but did not reach the first line before the enemy gave way. The Thirteenth, however, lost a few men wounded. Meanwhile, Ewell had assailed our right wing in supe- rior force, and upon returning to its original position, the regiment found a part of the corps line of earthworks in possession of the enemy. Darkness, however, coming on, active operations were suspended, and the weary troops, flinging themselves upon the ground sought in troubled sleep a renewal of vigor for the work before them.
Day broke at last, and with its earliest light, the Twelfth Corps pushed forward to retake its lost rifle pits, which, after a sharp conflict, was successfully accomplished, and the line re-established. From this time until one o'clock, there was comparative quiet. broken only now and then by firing here and there, while the enemy was making his dispositions, and posting his batteries for the final struggle. At length, at the hour named, the signal was given, and one hundred and fifteen guns opened upon our position, over one hundred guns from our side making prompt reply. Of all the artillery duels of the war, this was the grandest. For nearly two hours, the combat deepened and thundered along the bills, until at last, all their preparations complete, the rebel infantry swept out from behind their batteries, and in long lines moved to the assault of Cemetery Hill. Then ensued a conflict which no pen can describe; a conflict so terrific, so grand in its displays of heroism. so matchless in the stubborn tenacity with which loyal and rebel alike clung to the coveted position, that only those who saw it, or were participants in it, can ever appreciate its intensity or sublimity. The Thirteenth-its splendid fighting qualities being now univer- sally recognized-was again placed, with Colonel Carman in command, in a peculiarly-exposed position, but though on duty for fourteen hours, fortunately only lost twenty-one men-one killed an i twenty wounded. Among the wounded were Captains Ryerson at .. 1 Arey, and Acting Adjutant C. W. Johnson. Henry Downing. " Company G. the only member of the regiment killed, was buried
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within our entrenchments. Later in the day, the rebel attack having failed, the regiment was sent to the right, with two others, to support a cavalry reconnoissance, but did not become engaged. On the morning of the 4th, the enemy having withdrawn, the Thirteenth returned to its former position in line, where it remained until the 7th, when it joined in the pursuit, reaching John's Cross Roads, near Hagerstown, on the 11th. Here it remained until the 13th, when, the rebels having hurried across the Potomac with a loss of one thousand five hundred prisoners, the advance was resumed ; marching to Sandy Hook, the river was crossed on the 19th, and the pursuit continued around the Blue Ridge, and thence into the Loudon Valley-the regiment encamping at Snickerville, where it remained until the 23d. Thence it moved to Warrenton Junction. going thence to Kelley's Ford, on the Rappahannock, where, on the 31st, a campaign of seven weeks, in which the men had marched four hundred miles and helped to fight the decisive battle of the war, was happily terminated.
The regiment remained at this place for several weeks, being employed in picket and guard duty, with daily drills, &c. On the 15th of August, three regiments of the brigade (Second Massachu- setts, Third Wisconsin and Twenty-Seventh Indiana,) were sent to the city of New York, to support the authorities in their efforts to suppress the draft riots. General Ruger, brigade commander, accompanying these troops, the command of the remainder of the brigade devolved upon Colonel Carman, Captain Beardsley com- manding the Thirteenth. On the 15th, General Meade having de- termined to assail the enemy at Culpepper Court House, our army crossed the Rappahannock-the Thirteenth crossing at Kelley's Ford, and marching to Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan, where it en- camped in the woods. Here its pickets were posted near the river, in a position of great danger, being almost immediately under the guns of the enemy, stationed in a fort on the south side of the river, and exposed also to his infantry fire. Picket-firing, however, soon ceased, both armies desisting from this very unnecessary and mur- derous style of warfare. But the Thirteenth had fought its last battle with the Army of the Potomac. While General Meade was
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