USA > New Jersey > Cape May County > The history of Cape May County, New Jersey : from the aboriginal times to the present day > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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
In the Sixth Regiment of Infantry, which left the State for the scene of the war, was Dr. John Wiley, of Cape May Court House, who served as chief surgeon of the regiment dur- ing the war. He was commissioned and mustered into ser- vice on August 17, 1861, for three years, being mustered out September 17, 1864. He was born in Pennsgrove, N. J., in 1815, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1837. Shortly after he settled at Cape May Court House, being for many years county physician. He was chosen by the Board of Freeholders in 1865 county collector and held the office for upwards of twelve years. He died at Cape May Court House on December 24, 1891.
Wilmon Whilldin enlisted as private in Company I, Sixth Regiment, on August 9, 1861, and was mustered into service twenty days later for three years, but, owing to disability, he was discharged at Washington on June 16, 1862. After this he entered the service again in the famous Wilson Raid- ers, which operated during the close of the war around Georgia. Upon the arrival of the Sixth in Washington it
30
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
went into camp at Meridian Hill, and there remained until the early part of December, when the Second New Jersey Brigade, of which the regiment formed a part, was ordered to report under Joseph Hooker.
Company A, Seventh Regiment, as first organized, was composed largely of Cape May men, all of whom enlisted and were mustered into service on August 23 for three years, excepting Thomas Bush and John Reeves, who were en- rolled and mustered into the company on September 15.
Those who entered the company were, and their records of promotion are, as follows :
George W. Smith, first sergeant; sergeant-major of regi- ment January II, '62; second lieutenant of company, June 16, '62; first lieutenant, Company H, October 2, '62; captain Company C, February 23, '62; resigned January 7, '64. Was shot through cheek.
Joseph W. Johnson, private; corporal, June 9, '62; ser- geant, March 1, '63; sergent-major of regiment June I, '63; first lieutenant of company, October 27, '63.
Samuel R. Magonagle, private; quartermaster-sergeant of regiment, September 13, '61; discharged on account of disability, November 21, '61.
James T. Smith, private; corporal, October 12, '61; ser- geant, July 22, '62; wounded in battle of The Wilderness.
William S. Hooper, corporal; sergeant, July 15, '63.
Charles H. Weeks, private; corporal, June 9, '62; ser- geant, July 15, '63.
Thomas L. Van Wrinkle, private; corporal, January I, '64; discharged as paroled prisoner at Trenton on February I, '65. Was taken prisoner and confined in the "Pen" at Andersonville, Ga., suffering many privations.
Swain S. Reeves, private; corporal, June 18, '64.
Jonathan C. Stevens, private; corporal, July 15, '63.
Thomas Bush, private.
Moses W. Matthews, private.
John Reeves, private.
Nicholas T. Swain, corporal; discharged on account of disability at Division Hospital, Budd's Ferry, Md., June 13, '62.
Walter A. Barrows, private; discharged on account of
306
HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
disability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Newark, N. J., November 10, '62.
Lewis H. Cresse, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at Centre Street U. S. Army General Hospital, New- ark, N. J., October 30, '62.
Edward Filkins, private; discharged on account disability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Philadelphia, October 24, '62.
Isaac H. Hall, private; discharged on account of disability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Philadelphia, September 13, '62.
Joseph W. Ireland, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at Washington, May 16, '62.
Thomas Fletcher Jacobs, private; discharged on account of disability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Newark, N. J., August 18, '62.
Levi E. Johnson, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at Baltimore, July 14, '62.
Thomas Keenan, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at White House, Va., May 18, '62.
David T. Kimsey, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Philadelphia, Jan- uary 24, '63.
John W. Kimsey, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at Convalescent Camp, Alexandria, Va., September 4, '63.
Stephen Pierson, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at New York city, October 29, '62.
Ulysses Receaver, private; discharged on account of dis- ability at U. S. Army General Hospital, Philadelphia, No- vember 19, '62.
David Reeves, Jr., private; discharged on account of dis- ability at Budd's Ferry, Va., June 18, '62.
William H. Kirby, private; transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps; re-enlisted May 6, '64; discharged therefrom August 18, '64.
Richard T. Tindall, sergeant; died of typhoid fever at Washington, October 8, '61.
Stephen D. Bennett, private; died at Cape May, May 28,
307
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
'62, of wounds received in battle at Williamsburg, Va., May 5, '62.
Owen S. Clark, private; died at Baltimore, July 20, 63, cf wounds received in battle at Gettysburg, Pa.
Townsend Ireland, private; killed in battle at Williams- burg, Va., May 5, '62.
John Mecray, private; killed in battle at Williamsburg, Va., May 5, '62.
John F. Shaw, private: died of congestion of lungs and measles at Camp Baker, Md., March 12, '62.
Charles J. Silver, private; died at Cape May, May 28. '62, of wounds received in battle at Williamsburg, Va., May 5, '62.
Of these men of Company A the following few re nained to the end and were mustered out of service on October 7, 1864: Joseph W. Johnson, James T. Smith, William S. Hooper, Charles H. Weeks, Swain S. Reeves, Jonathan C. Stevens, Thomas Bush, Moses W. Matthews and John Reeves.
J. Howard Willetts, of Cape May county, was, on October 18, 1861, appointed captain of Company H, Seventh Regi- ment, with which he remained until he was appointed lieu- tenant-colonel of the Twelfth Regiment, on August II, '62. He was born at Dias Creek, November, 18, 1834, and re- moved to Port Elizabeth, Cumberland county, in 1845. He was educated at Pennington Seminary and at West Point Military Academy. He is a grandson of Nicholas Willets, who was in the Legislature in the early part of the century.
He studied medicine after leaving West Point, and gradu- ated from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1858. In 1852 and 1853 he was a member of the Assembly from Cumberland county, and from 1855 to 1858 was State Sen- ator.
At the request of the government that the Seventh Regi- ment be forwarded to the seat of war, seven companies, in- cluding Company A, were dispatched to Washington Sep- tember 19, 1861, and reported for duty the following day. Upon arrival at Washington the regiment went into camp at Meridian Hill, D. C., and there remained until the early part of December, at which time, in connection with the
308
HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Regiments, they were ordered to report to General Joseph Hooker, near Budd's Ferry, Md., where they were brigaded and designated the Third Bri- gade, Hooker's Division.
In the spring of 1862 the work of the regiment began in earnest. "During the month of April," says John Y. Fos- ter, "General McClellan having determined his plans for an offensive movement, the brigade was transferred (with its division) to the Peninsula, General F. E. Patterson being placed in command shortly after its arrival. On the night of the 3d of May Yorktown was evacuated by the enemy, and on the following morning the army was promptly or- dered forward in pursuit, Stoneman leading the advance. About noon Hooker's Division advanced on the Yorktown road to Williamsburg, where the enemy was ex- pected to make a stand, having a strong fort in front of that place, at the junction of several roads, which commanded, with some thirteen connecting works, all the roads leading further up the Peninsula. The Jersey brigade, leaving Yorktown at 2 o'clock, pushed forward with all possible rapidity until II o'clock, when it bivouacked in a swamp some five miles from Williamsburg. The night was in- tensely dark and rainy, the roads were muddy and difficult, and the men were sorely exhausted by labor in the trenches and want of sleep; but, notwithstanding all obstacles and dis- couragements, the troops pressed eagerly forward, all anx- ious to participate in the struggle which was felt to be im- minent. At 2 o'clock on the morning of the 5th the brigade, being in advance, resumed its march, and three hours after, emerging from a forest, came in sight of the enemy's works. The position of the enemy, as described in General Hook- er's report, was one of great strength. After a careful survey of the position, Hooker decided to attack at once, and at half-past 7 o'clock advanced his skirmishers on both sides of the road by which he had come up, at the same time throwing forward two batteries on the right, and send- ing in the Fifth New Jersey as their support. Almost si- multaneously the remaining regiments of the brigade- Sixth, Seventh and Eighth-were sent into the left of the road, occupying a wood in front of a line of field-works.
309
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
At this time the rain was falling in torrents, and the men stood half-leg deep in mire and water. Steadily advancing through the underbrush, the gallant regiments soon came upon the enemy's forces, and at once opened a vigorous fire. Here, for three hours, the conflict raged with desperate fury. Commanding the ground at every point, the fire of the en- emy was pitilessly destructive, and did not slacken for a moment. But the brave fellows into whose faces it was poured stood firmly and unflinchingly-sometimes, indeed, pushed back a little space, but as surely hurling the rebels, bleeding and shattered, back to their works. From the na- ture of the ground there was no opportunity for the bayonet, but the rapid volleys of the heroic troops were scarcely less effective. And thus the battle raged, the enemy reinforced again and again, directing against these three regiments all the fury of their attack; but still for hours the little col- umn stood immovable. At last, however. the enemy, driven now to desperation, rushed forward in overwhelming num- bers, pouring a terrific fire into our whole line. Then, at last, that brave line wavered. The ammunition exhausted, their muskets rusted by the drenching rain, their ranks ter- ribly thinned, exhausted by want of food and a difficult march, these heroes of the day, before this last overwhelin- ing onset, fell slowly back. But they were not defeated. They had held the enemy in check, had frustrated every at- tempt to flank our position, and so had saved the division, which, but for this stubborn resistance, would have been swept in disaster from the field."
Samuel Toombs, in his account of the "Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign," says of the second day of the battle at Gettysburg:
"The Seventh New Jersey Regiment suffered considerably from the artillery fire of the enemy while lying in support of the batteries, a number of men being killed and wounded. At last, when the fighting was the fiercest at Lit- tle Round Top, the Devil's Den and the Wheatfield, the Seventh became exposed to a shower of flying bullets at their backs. The regiment changed front to the left by the right flank, bringing them to face in the lane and moving a few hundred feet over towards the Emmetsburg road, and
310
HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
nearer to Trostle's lane. Just at this time the artillery, in order to escape the advancing lines of Longstreet's hosts, limbered up and came hastening to the rear from the Peach Orchard and from the field. One battery, coming straight toward the Seventh Regiment, caused the right four companies to separate from the line, thus causing a gap, and, to avoid being crushed to death by the reckless drivers of the battery, were forced across Trostle's lane. The artillery became temporarily blocked in the lane, the anxiety of the drivers caused them to lap their horses over the pieces and caissons in front of them, thus effectually preventing the right four companies of the Seventh from rejoining their colors and the other six companies on the south side of the lane. Si- multaneously with this blockade in Trostle's lane came the rebel lines into the sunken road, running from the Emmets- burg pike to Round Top, and, with colors planted on this natural breastwork, they opened a galling fire upon the Seventh New Jersey and the Second New Hampshire, which, falling back from its first position at the extreme angle in the Peach Orchard, had made this its last stand, in the field, about midway between the two roads. The right of the Seventh, which was then the color company of the regiment commanded by Captain Hillyer, rested under a single tree that still stands on the fence line of Trostle's lane. The regiment could not return with any effect the fire of the rebel line, as nothing but the slouch hats of their men were visible; they were unable to lie down in the lane, owing to the blockade of the artillery, and there was no other shelter for the gallant veterans of the Seventh, who had no thought of leaving the field without firing one shot at the enemy, at least, before the guns were safely drawn. Colonel Francine, Lieutenant-Colonel Price and Major Cooper in a few moments saw that it would be impossible to hold the men together inactive, exposed to this concen- trated and galling fire, which in a few moments would be- come deadly, when the rebel riflemen had a more accurate range. Believing that a charge on the double-quick, with hearty Yankee cheers, would check the advance of the en- emy's line and draw his fire from the retreating batteries, at the same time destroying his range, the order was quickly
311
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
given: 'Fix bayonets; forward, double-quick, charge!' and this devoted little band swept across the field with shouts of confidence. As they reached about the prolongation of the line of the Second New Hampshire-which stood like a wall, hopelessly watching its spent, feeble and almost ex- hausted fire against the long line of battle confronting it- the hopelessness of the Seventh's effort was apparent, and all knew that any further advance meant certain annihila- tion for the brave Jerseymen. A halt, a hasty adjustment of the line and a volley at the line of dirty slouch hats in front, was the work of but a minute, and the rattle of the musketry drowned all other sounds, while the smoke to- tally obscured the rebel hats and colors.
"At this point Colonel Francine, Lieutenant Mullery, Ad- jutant Dougherty and over one-third of the Seventh were quickly placed hors de combat. The few who were still able to get away (wounded and unhurt) fell back beyond the Trostle house, where they joined the other four com- panies, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Price, who rallied the scattered fragments and made another stand nearTrostle's dwelling, until he himself fell, shot through the thigh, when the command devolved upon Major Fred- erick Cooper. In falling back from its most advanced po- sition many more were struck by the shower of balls. * * * The losses of the Seventh were severe.
wounded and missing as follows:
"Company A.
"Killed .- Corporal Parker S. Davis, Martin Van Houten, James Flaveger.
"Wounded .- Lieutenant Robert Allen, First Sergeant Frederick Laib (died July 7), Corporal Swain S. Reeves, William H. Kirby, Thomas Brady, Lewis Hoag. Jonathan C. Stevens, Owen S. Clark (died July 20), John Geckler."
These two regiments (the Sixth and Seventh) constituted two of the four regiments composing what was generally known as the Second Brigade, New Jersey Volunteers, and was first attached to the Third Brigade, Hooker's Division; afterwards to the Third Brigade, Second Division, Third Corps; then to the First Brigade, Fourth Division, Second Corps; then to the Third Brigade, Third Division, Second
312
HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
Corps, and at the close of the war was attached to what was. known as the Provisional Corps, Army of the Potomac.
The regiments took part in the following engagements (while Cape May men were in them): Siege of Yorktown, Va., April and May, '62; Williamsburg, Va., May 5, '62; Fair Oaks, Va., June 1 and 2, '62; Seven Pines, Va., June 25, '62; Savage Station, Va., June 29, '62; Glendale, Va.,. June 30, '62; Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, '62; Malvern Hill, Va., August 5, '62; Bristow Station, Va., August 27, '62; Bull Run, Va., August 29 and 30, '62; Chantilly, Va., Sep- tember I, '62; Centreville, Va., September 2, '62; Freder- icksburg, Va., December 13 and 14, '62; Chancellorsville, Va., May 3 and 4, '63; Gettysburg, Pa., July 2 and 3, '63; Wapping Heights, Va., July 24, '63; McLean's Ford, Va., October 15, '63: Mine Run, Va., November 29, 30 and De- cember 1, '63; Wilderness, Va., May 5 to 7, '64; Spottsyl- vania, Va., May 8 to 11, '64; Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12 to 18, '64: North Anna River, Va., May 23 and 24, '64; Tolopotomy Creek, Va., May 30 and 31, '64; Cold Harbor, Va., June I to 5, '64; before Petersburg, Va., June 16 to 23, '64; Deep Bottom, Va., July 26 and 27, '64; mine explosion, Va., July 30, '64; North Bank of James River, Va., Au- gust 14 to 18, '64; Fort Sedgwick, Va., September 10, '64, and Poplar Spring Church, Va., October 2, '64.
Of Captain George W. Smith it is said that he was a brave soldier. He was born in Cincinnati in 1828, being the grandson of Thomas Smith, who came from England to Maryland in 1750. The oldest son was Thomas, father of the captain, who died in Cincinnati from cholera in 1832. The youth was then left to toil for himself with his two brothers, James T. and William. In 1844 the widowed mother and sons removed to Philadelphia, where George learned the painter's trade. In 1850 they came to Cape Is- land. In 1861 he was elected Alderman of Cape Island, but went to war before serving out his term. On June 17 he became first lieutenant of the "Cape Island Home Guards," and shortly after entered the service, as noted be- fore. He was wounded at Chancellorsville May 3, 1863, which was the cause of his resignation from the service on January 7, 1864. When the advance was being made upon
313
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
Richmond and just before the Seven Days' battle, he was in command of Companies A and G. At the battle of Mal- vern Hill he commanded the regiment because every other commissioned officer had been killed or wounded. He brought the regiment safe to Harrison's Landing.
Shortly after resigning Captain Smith came home, and was, in March, elected a member of the City Council. In 1871 and 1872 lie was Sergeant-at-Arms of the New Jersey Senate.
He organized Company H, Sixth Regiment, New Jersey
i.
-
GEORGE W. SMITH.
State Guards, and Was made its first captain, June 4, 1875, He was elected major of the regiment on September 21, 1882, and lieutenant-colonel on October 11, 1885. He re- signed the last-named position on March 14, 1887, and has since been in private life. He was postmaster at Avalch during his brief residence there. He was for twenty-five years superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday-school at Cape May City. In politics he was a Re- publican, but in later years has been a member of the Pro- hibition party. His brother, William, who was one time
314
HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
captain of the "Cape Island Home Guards," served in a Pennsylvania regiment, and was killed in the battle of Get- tysburg.
Company C, of the Ninth Regiment Infantry, New Jer- sey Volunteers, contained the following persons, who en- rolled and were enlisted on September 20, 1861, for three years of service: David D. Burch, Samuel D. Corson, Jo- seph F. Craig, Enoch W. Hand, Job Heritage, Richard Heritage and Augustus Spalding, all privates. Burch re- enlisted January 18, '64, and was appointed corporal De- cember 3, '64, and sergeant May 14, '65. Corson and Spalding also re-enlisted on January 18, '64, and Richard Heritage two days following. Benjamin B. Garrison was mustered into the service on May 22, 1863, and Jeremiah Garrison on April 13, 1864, each as a private, for three
years. Samuel Hearon and John High, of Cape May county, who had enlisted, and were mustered in Company E, same regiment, on April 8, 1865, for one year, were trans- ferred to Company C, while John C. Garrison, who en- listed on March 16, '65, for one year in Company B, was transferred to Company C also. Benjamin B. Garrison died of typhoid fever at the hospital of the Third Division, Twen- ty-third Army Corps, Greensboro, N. C., May 17, 1865, and was buried at Raleigh National Cemetery, N. C., Sec- tion 23, Grave 6. All the others served out their enlist- ments or were mustered out of service as follows: Enoch W. Hand, December 7, '64; Joseph F. Craig and Job Heri- tage, the next day; David D. Burch, Samuel D. Corson, Jeremiah Garrison, John C. Garrison, Richard Heritage, Samuel Hearon and John High, July 12, '65, and Au- gustus Spalding, August 7, '65.
The Ninth Regiment took part in the following engage- mei :: Roanoke Island, N. C., February 8, '62; Newberne, N. (' March 14, '62; Fort Macon, N. C., April 25, '62; Young' Cross Roads, N. C., July 27, '62; Rowells' Mills, N. C., November 2. '62; Deep Creek, N. C., December 12, '62; South Wert Creek. N. C., December 13, '62; before Kinston, N. C., December 13, '62; Kinston, N. C., Deceni- ber 14, '62; Whitehall, N. C., December 16, '62; Goldsboro, N. C., December 17, '62: Comfort Bridge, N. C., July 6,
315
OPENING OF THE CIVIL WAR.
"63; near Winton, N. C., July 26, '63; Deep Creek, Va., 5 .! - ruary 7, '64; Deep Creek, Va., March I, '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; be- fore Petersburg, Va., June 20 to August 24, '64; Gardner's Bridge, N. C., December 9, '64; Foster's Bridge, N. C., December 10, '64; Butler's Bridge, N. C., December 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.
Colonel James Stewart, Jr., of the Ninth, in a letter to Governor Joel Parker from Carolina City, N. C., October 15, 1864, says of Enoch W. Hand, who, with others, were bearers of State , colors, that they "were severely wounded by bearing them at the battles of Newberne and Goldsbor- ough, N. C., and Drury's Bluff, Cold Harbor and Peters- burg, Va."
In the Tenth Regiment, which was raised under author- ity from the War Department, and without the consent of the Governor of New Jersey, and was recruited at Beverly, were Richard H. Townsend, in Company B, and Silas Hoff- man, in Company I. Townsend enlisted on September 28, 1861, and two days later was mustered in as first sergeant of the company. He enlisted for three years, but was commis- sioned April 9, '63, and was mustered in as second lieutenant of Company C, Twelfth Regiment, on June 30. '63. Hoffman ·enlisted and was mustered in as a private in Company I on November 8, 1861. for three years. He re-enlisted on January 3, 1865, and served until July 1, 1865, when he was mustered out of service. The earlier services of the regi- ment were around Washington. After May 15, 1863, the regiment took part in the principal engagements in which the Sixth and Seventh Regiments participated.
CHAPTER XXIII. FIRST NEW JERSEY CAVALRY.
In the First New Jersey Cavalry the following from Cape- May county enlisted: Henry W. Sawyer, William B. El- dredge, Caleb L. Warner, John H. Warner and Harry L. Gilmore, in Company D, and Jacob E. Johnson, in Com- pany B.
Henry W. Sawyer was commissioned second lieutenant of Company D, and mustered into service on April 14, 1861, for three years, and on April 7, 1862, was promoted to first lieutenant; was promoted to captain of Company K on Oc- tober 8, 1862, and commissioned major of the regiment October 12, 1863, but was not mustered into this office until August 31, 1864. He was mustered out of service on July 24, 1865.
Henry Washington Sawyer was born in Lehigh county,. Pa., May 16, 1829. In youth he received a plain education, and, as he was advanced in years, he learned the carpenter's trade. In 1848 he removed to Cape Island, where he worked at his trade until the Rebellion broke out. On April 15. 1861, when President Lincoln issued his proclama- tion calling for volunteers, he was among the first to offer his services. As there was no regimental organization or company ready, or likely to be ready for two weeks in this State at that time, Mr. Sawyer went to Trenton, saw Gover- nor Olden, and offered his services to the Union cause. At. that time the rebels had possession of Baltimore, and inter- cepted all mail and telegraphic communications with Wash- ington city. Governor Olden accepted his services and sent him to the latter city, with dispatches to Simon Cameron, then Secretary of War, which Sawyer faithfully delivered .. On the 19th of April (midnight) he was chosen one of the guards to protect the Capitol, there being but one company of regular cavalry in Washington. On the 20th five com-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.