The 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

in the

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 ...

during 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 ...

Service

Three months regiment

The 4th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was first organized at Trenton,

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 ...

for three months service on April 27, 1861. The regiment was attached to Runyon's New Jersey Brigade, Defenses of Washington, to June 1861. 1st Brigade, Runyon's Reserve Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia, to July 1861. Left New Jersey for Annapolis, Maryland, May 3. Reported to General Butler May 5, then moved to Washington, D.C., arriving there May 6. At Meridian Hill until May 24. Occupation of Arlington Heights, Va., May 24. Construction of Fort Runyon. Duty on line of Alexandria & Loudon Railroad until July 16. Advance on Manassas, Va., July 16-21. Battle of Bull Run July 21 (reserve). The 4th New Jersey Infantry mustered out of service July 31, 1861.

Three years regiment

The 4th New Jersey Infantry was reorganized at Camp Olden in Trenton for three years service on August 19, 1861 under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

James H. Simpson James Hervey Simpson (1813–1883) was an officer in the U.S. Army and a member of the United States Corps of Topographical Engineers. Early years He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on March 9, 1813, the son of John Simpson and Mary Bru ...

. The regiment was attached to Kearney's Brigade, Division of the Potomac, to October 1861. Kearney's Brigade, Franklin's Division,

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, to March 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division,

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...

, to April 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Department of the Rappahannock, to May 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division,

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

, Army of the Potomac and Army of the Shenandoah, to July 1865. The regiment was surrounded at

Gaines Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the inconc ...

and most of its men taken prisoner. After the Seven Days Battles, they were freed by the Confederate authorities in a prisoner exchange. The 4th New Jersey had been armed with M1861 Springfield rifles, however upon returning from captivity, the authorities in Washington had no rifled muskets to rearm the regiment with, thus they were given outdated .69 smoothbore muskets. The regiment was forced to use them until the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posses ...

in September, when they rearmed themselves with Enfield rifles dropped by retreating Confederates. Left New Jersey for Washington, D.C., August 20, 1861. Duty in the defenses of Washington, D. C., until March 1862. Advance on Manassas, Va., March 8-15, 1862. Advance from Alexandria to Bristoe Station April 7-11. Embarked for the Virginia Peninsula April 17. Siege of Yorktown April 19-May 5 (on transports). West Point May 7-8. Reconnaissance to East Branch Chickahominy June 7 (Companies D, F, and I). Seven Days Battles before Richmond June 25-July 1: Battles of Gaines's Mill June 27, Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale June 30, Malvern Hill July 1. At Harrison's Landing until August 16. Movement to Fort Monroe, then to Manassas, Va., August 16-26. Pope's Campaign in northern Virginia August 26-September 2. Bull Run Bridge, Manassas, August 27. Second Battle of Bull Run August 30. Cover Pope's retreat to Centreville August 30-31. Maryland Campaign September 6-22. Battles of Crampton's Pass, South Mountain, September 14. Battle of Antietam September 16-17. At Sharpsburg, Md., until October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg December 12-15. At Falmouth until April 27, 1863. "Mud March" January 20-24. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Operations at Franklin's Crossing April 29-May 2. Battle of Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg, May 3. Salem Heights May 3-4. Banks's Ford May 4. Gettysburg Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 2-4. Guarding ammunition train July. In camp near Warrenton, Va., until September 15, and at Culpeper Court House until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Rappahannock Station November 7. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. At Brandy Station to May 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battle of the Wilderness May 5-7. Spotsylvania May 8-12. Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 17-18. Siege of Petersburg until July 9. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Moved to Washington, D.C., June 9-11. Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the northern Defenses of Washington July 11-12. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-23. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Strasburg August 14-15. Cedar Creek August 15. Winchester August 17. Charlestown August 21-22. Battle of Winchester September 19. Fisher's Hill September 22. Battle of Cedar Creek October 19, Duty in the Shenandoah Valley until December. Moved to Washington, D.C., then to Petersburg. Siege of Petersburg December 1864 to April 2, 1865. Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run, February 5-7, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Danville April 23-27 and duty there until May 18. Moved to Richmond, Va., then to Washington, D.C., May 18-June 3. Corps review June 8. The 4th New Jersey Infantry mustered out of service July 9, 1865 at Hall's Hill, Virginia.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 266 men during service; 5 officers and 156 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 103 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel James H. Simpson - resigned August 24, 1862 to resume his duties as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the

Corps of Topographical Engineers The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers was a branch of the United States Army authorized on 4 July 1838. It consisted only of officers who were handpicked from West Point and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal ...

* Colonel William B. Hatch - commanded the regiment at the Battle of Gaines's Mill while at the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

after Col. Simpson and 400 men from the regiment were captured; promoted to colonel August 26, 1862 and mortally wounded in action at the Battle of Fredericksburg * Colonel

William Birney William Birney (May 28, 1819 – August 14, 1907) was an American professor, Union Army general during the American Civil War, attorney and author. An ardent Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, he was noted for encouraging thousands ...

- promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

May 22, 1863 * Colonel David Vickers - mustered out May 18, 1865 * Colonel Edward L. Campbell *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Charles Ewing - commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Ebenezer Davis - commanded at the Battle of Fort Stevens * Captain Baldwin Hufty - commanded at the Battle of Fisher's Hill, Third Battle of Winchester, and Battle of Cedar Creek

Notable members

* Sergeant John P. Beech, Company B -

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. ...

recipient for action at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Reenactors

The 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry portrays the group at many reenactments. They do fundraiser events and living histories in various parks and battlefields. Full information and updates on this year's schedule can be found at: http://4thnj.org/.

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * Forbes, Eugene. ''Diary of a Soldier, and Prisoner of War in the Rebel Prisons'' (Trenton, NJ: Murphy & Bechtel Printers), 1865. eprinted in 1995, ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

4th New Jersey Infantry monument at South Mountain

4th New Jersey Infantry monument at Antietam

4th New Jersey Infantry monument at Gettysburg
Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1861 Units and formations of the Union Army from New Jersey