The First New Jersey Brigade (also called the First Jersey Brigade and Kearny's New Jersey Brigade) is the common name for an

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 ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

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 ...

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 mar ...

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 conscript ...

s in the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

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 Confede ...

. Its official designation through most of its service was as the 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 ...

Beginnings and early service

Through the course of the Civil War, the brigade was composed entirely of units from

, the only Union brigade during the war to be constituted as such. Its origins were on May 4, 1861, when New Jersey was directed by the Federal government to fill a quota of three infantry regiments to serve a three-year term of enlistment. Recruitment took place for the new regiments all over the state, and on May 21, 1861, the

1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry The 1st New Jersey Infantry Regiment was an American Civil War Union Army regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac. 1st New Jersey Infantry Regiment was recruited and mustered into Federal service in May 1861, an ...

was mustered into the Union Army at Camp Olden in

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.Maj. Theodore T. S. Laidley of the United States

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

. The 1st New Jersey was then followed into Federal service by the 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry (May 28, 1861) and the 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. On June 28, 1861, the three newly created three-year regiments began the journey to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, where in June they were joined with a brigade of three-month enlistment

New Jersey Militia The New Jersey Line was a formation within the Continental Army. A "New Jersey Line" was the quota of numbered infantry regiments that the Congress of the Confederacy assigned to New Jersey at various times. New Jersey Line, 1776 The first two ...

regiments to form a

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

commanded by

Brig. Gen. 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 ...

Theodore Runyon. This was the first time the New Jersey regiments officially formed the brigade. During the

First Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

Campaign, most of the brigade saw service in the field guarding train hubs, supply depots and roadways, being considered too "green" to be reliable in combat. However, a few companies of the 1st and 2nd New Jersey Infantries were directed to help stem the retreat at

Centreville, Virginia Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 73,518 as of the 2020 census. Centreville is approximately west of Washington, D.C. History Colonia ...

, after the Confederates routed General

Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War. In 1862, he was given command ...

's forces at

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...

, on July 21, 1861. They were unsuccessful, and many officers and men retreated in the route as well. In August 1861, the 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was recruited and added to the First New Jersey Brigade after its muster into service. From that point on, the four regiments and their later remnants would serve together until the end of the war and their final discharge.

Later service

As the war progressed, more regiments were added to the brigade, but in keeping with its tradition, they were New Jersey units. In September 1862, the nine-month enlistment unit 23rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry and the three-year 15th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry were added, with the 23rd New Jersey serving until June 1863 and the 15th New Jersey serving until the end of the war. On April 19, 1864, the 10th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry "Olden's Legion" was added. In March 1865 the 40th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry—the last raised by the state—was brigaded with the original units. The brigade saw its first pitched battle rather late, as it fought in the June 27, 1862,

Battle of 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 ...

during the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comman ...

. There it sustained heavy casualties, with most of the 4th New Jersey being captured by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces. The 4th New Jersey's men were subsequently released in a prisoner exchange and returned to their lines, but they lost the Model 1861 Springfield Rifles they'd been carrying. Since none were available to rearm the regiment, they were issued old .69 caliber smoothbore muskets. It then fought in the Second Bull Run Campaign, where it blundered into the entire Confederate army corps commanded by Major General Stonewall Jackson, and at Crampton's Gap during 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 ...

, where it redeemed its honor by making a triumphant charge up the hill. The 4th New Jersey managed to reequip itself with .58 caliber rifles dropped by the Confederates. Later engagements included Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Strasburg, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek.

Regiments

First New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: June 1861 – June 3, 1864
153 killed or died of wounds and 99 died of disease or accidents Second New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: June 1861 – May 21, 1864
96 killed or died of wounds and 69 died of disease or accidents Third New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: June 1861 – June 3, 1864
157 killed or died of wounds and 81 died of disease or accidents Fourth New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: June 1861 – June 22, 1865
161 killed or died of wounds and 105 died of disease or accidents Tenth New Jersey Infantry "Olden Legion"
Service in brigade: April 19, 1864 – June 22, 1865
93 killed or died of wounds and 190 Died of disease or accidents Fifteenth New Jersey Infantry "Fighting Fifteenth"
Service in brigade: September 30, 1862 – June 22, 1865
240 killed or died of wounds and 132 died of disease or accidents. Twenty-Third New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: October 8, 1862 – June 27, 1863
35 killed or died of wounds and 55 died of disease or accidents Fortieth New Jersey Infantry
Service in brigade: February 2, 1865 – July 13, 1865
2 killed or died of wounds and 17 died of disease or accidents

Commanders

The brigade's first commander was Brig. Gen.

Philip Kearny Philip Kearny Jr. (; June 1, 1815 – September 1, 1862) was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly. Early life and c ...

, whose training and discipline molded the regiments into an effective fighting unit. He was succeeded by George W. Taylor, who was colonel of the 3rd New Jersey Infantry. Taylor was promoted to brigadier general soon after assuming command of the brigade. After being mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run, the leadership of the brigade went to

Alfred Thomas Torbert Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert (July 1, 1833 – August 29, 1880) was a career United States Army officer, a Union Army General commanding both infantry and cavalry forces in the American Civil War, and a U.S. diplomat. Early life Torb ...

, who was serving as colonel of the 1st New Jersey Infantry. Subsequent commanders were Col. Henry Brown (3rd New Jersey), Col. William H. Penrose (15th New Jersey), and Cpt. Baldwin Hufty (4th New Jersey).

Medal of Honor recipients

Six soldiers from the First New Jersey Brigade received 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 valo ...

for bravery: *1st Lieutenant William Brant, Jr. – 1st New Jersey Veterans Battalion *Corporal Charles Ferren Hopkins – 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry *Corporal Edmund English – 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry *Sergeant John P. Beech – 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry *Captain Forrester L. Taylor – 23rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry *Private

Frank E. Fesq Private Frank Emil Fesq (April 4, 1840 – May 6, 1920) was a German soldier who fought in the American Civil War. He received the United States' highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during the Third Battle ...

– 40th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry

Monuments

A large monument dedicated to the First New Jersey Brigade stands on Weikert Hill in the

Gettysburg National Military Park The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP propert ...

, marking the general location where the brigade was positioned during the battle.

References

* Baquet, Camille, "''History of the First Brigade, New Jersey Volunteers (Kearny's First New Jersey Brigade) from 1861 to 1865''", 1910. *Bilby, Joseph G. and Goble, William C., "''Remember You Are Jerseymen: A Military History of Jersey's Troops in the Civil War''", Longstreet House, Hightstown, June 1998. . *Foster, John Y., "''New Jersey and the Rebellion: History of the Services of the Troops and People of New Jersey in Aid of the Union Cause''", Newark, New Jersey 1868. *Gottfried, Bradley M., "''Kearny's Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade in the Civil War''", Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, September 2005. *Stryker, William S., "''Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War 1861–1865''", Trenton, New Jersey, 1876. *Toombs, Samuel, "''New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign, From June 5th to July 31st, 1863''", Orange, New Jersey, 1888. {{Fairfax County in the American Civil War Units and formations of the Union Army from New Jersey New Jersey in the American Civil War 1861 establishments in New Jersey Military units and formations established in 1861 Union Army brigades