The 1st New Jersey Cavalry Regiment was a
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
regiment from the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
that participated in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
Organization and Unit History
The 1st New Jersey Cavalry Regiment was organized at
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.[United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...]
on August 14, 1861, by
William Halstead
William Halstead (June 4, 1794 – March 4, 1878) was an American Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey at large in the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1839, and again from 1841 to 1843.
Halstead was born in Eliza ...
, a former congressman who served as first Colonel of the regiment.
William Halstead
''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates from ...
''. Accessed October 31, 2007.
Twelve enlisted soldiers of the regiment performed actions which later earned them the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
. These men included:
*Sgt. James T. Clancy, C Company - Vaughan Road
Vaughan Road is a road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a contour collector road that is parallel to a Subterranean river, buried Urban stream, creek to the north called Castle Frank Brook. Vaughan Road begins on Bathurst Street (Toronto), Bathu ...
, 1 October 1864
*Cpl. William B. Hooper, L Company - Chamberlain's Creek, 31 March 1865
*Pvt. Lewis Locke, A Company - Paine's Crossroads, 5 April 1865
*Sgt. William Porter, H Company - Sayler's Creek, 6 April 1865
*Sgt. John C. Sagelhurst
John Christopher Sagelhurst (June 1, 1841 - May 10, 1907) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Sagelhurst received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor. Sagelhurst's medal was won for h ...
, B Company - Hatcher's Run, 6 February 1865
*Sgt. David Southard
David Southard (1845 – May 6, 1894) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Sailors Creek
Civil War Service
He enlisted in th ...
, C Company - Sayler's Creek, 6 April 1865
*1st Sgt. George W. Stewart, E Company - Paine's Crossroads, 5 April 1865
*Pvt. Christian Streile, I Company - Paine's Crossroads, 5 April 1865
*Sgt. Charles Titus, H Company - Sayler's Creek, 6 April 1865
*Sgt. Aaron B. Tompkins
Aaron Blake Tompkins (February 2, 1844–November 27, 1931) was a cavalry soldier who received the Medal of Honor while serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Military career
Blake joined the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Cavalr ...
, G Company - Sayler's Creek, 5 April 1865
*Sgt. Charles E. Wilson, A Company - Sayler's Creek, 6 April 1865
*Sgt. John Wilson, L Company - Chamberlain's Creek, 31 March 1865
The regiment was mustered out at Cloud's Hills, Virginia, on July 24, 1865. During its service it lost 12 Officers and 116 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 185 Enlisted men by disease; for a total of 317.
Successor Unit
The 102nd Cavalry Regiment, part of the New Jersey Army National Guard
The New Jersey Army National Guard consists of more than 6,000 Citizen-Soldiers. The New Jersey Army National Guard is currently engaged in multiple worldwide and homeland missions. Units have deployed to Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Germ ...
, was originally designated the 1st New Jersey Cavalry Regiment. It was composed of existing cavalry troops throughout the state when it was established in 1913. While it is informally considered to be the successor to the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Cavalry, the official lineage was not carried over due to the nearly half-century lapse in regimental structure.
See also
* List of New Jersey Civil War Units
References
External links
*
Units and formations of the Union Army from New Jersey
1861 establishments in New Jersey
{{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub