The Civil War in the East

2nd New Jersey Infantry Regiment

The Regiment lost 7 officers and 89 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 67 enlisted men to disease. It is honored on the New Jersey Brigade Monument at Gettysburg, a monument at Crampton's Gap on South Mountain and a monument at Antietam.

monument to the New Jersey Brigade at Getysburg monument to the New Jersey Brigade at Antietam monument to the New Jersey Brigade at Crampton's Gap on South Mountain

1861

May 18

Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, N.J. for three years service

May 26

Mustered in under Colonel George W. McLean, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac M. Tucker and Major Samuel L. Buck

June 27

Left State for Washington, D.C. with a full complement of 38 officers and 1,006 enlisted men. Attached to 2nd Brigade, Runyon's Reserve Division, McDowell's Army of Northeast Virginia

July 16-21

Advance on Manassas, Va.

July 21

Battle of Bull Run, Va. (Reserve)

August

Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D.C. attached to Kearney's Brigade, Division of the Potomac

October

Attached to Kearney's Brigade, Franklin's Division, Army of the Potomac

December 31

Colonel McLean resigns. Lt. Colonel Tucker promoted to colonel

1862

January 20

Major Buck promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Henry O. Ryerson of Company B promoted to major

March

Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

March 8-15

Advance on Manassas, Va.

April 1

Advance from Alexandria to Bristoe Station attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, Dept. of the Rappahannock

April 17

Embarked for the Virginia Peninsula

April 19-May 4

Siege of Yorktown, Va. (on transports)

May 7-8

West Point; attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac

June 4

Captain Aaron Young of Company F died of typhoid fever at Belleville, New Jersey

June 25-July 1

Seven days before Richmond

June 27

Battle of Gaines Mill and Garnett's Farm

Colonel Tucker and Captain Charles Danforth are killed

June 28

Golding's Farm

June 30

Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale

July 1

Malvern Hill

Lieutenant Colonel Buck promoted to colonel, Major Ryerson to lieutenant colonel and Captain James Duffy of Company C to major

July - August

At Harrison's Landing

June 16-26

Movement to Fortress Monroe and Manassas, Va.

August 26-September 2

Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia

August 27

Action at Bull Run Bridge, Manassas

Lieutenant Isaac Plume killed

August 30

Battle of Bull Run

August 30-31

Cover Pope's retreat to Centreville

September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

September 14

Battle of Crampton's Gap, South Mountain

From the monument: "Late in the afternoon the Brigade advanced from the fields north and west of Burkittsville, charged up the mountain, carried this point, and followed the enemy to the west foot of the mountain. Loss in the Brigade 40 killed, 134 wounded"

 

Major Duffy transferred to 3rd New Jersey Infantry Regiment as colonel. Captain Charles Wiebecke of Company E promoted to major.

September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The brigade was commanded by its senior colonel, Alfred T. A. Torbert of the 1st New Jersey. The 2nd was commanded by Colonel Samuel L. Buck.

 

From the monument: "The Brigade arrived upon the field from Crampton's Pass about noon, and was formed for a charge upon the Confederate line just North of the Dunkard Church. The order for the charge was countermanded, and the brigade took position across this road, in support of the 6rh Corps Artillery, the right of the brigade in woods North of the road, the left in the open field South, where it remained, under artillery fire, until the morning of the 19th."

 

From the marker: "This stone marks the right of the brigade, when a little after noon it was formed to charge the woods North of the Dunkard Church. The order was countermanded and the brigade moved a short distance to the left to support the Corps Artillery, soon after which Hexamer's Battery engaged and silenced the Confederate Artillery at Dunkard Church."

September 18

Duty at Sharpsburg, Md.

October 29-November 19

Movement to Falmouth, Va.

November 12

Lt. Colonel Ryerson transferred to 23rd New Jersey Infantry Regiment as colonel, Major Wiebecke promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain James Close of Company G to major

December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg

1863

January-April

Duty at Falmouth

January 20-24

"Mud March"

April 27-May 6

Chancellorsville Campaign

April 29-May 2

Operations at Franklin's Crossing

May 3

Battle of Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg

May 3-4

Salem Heights

Captain William Bergen of Company G mortally wounded

May 4

Banks Ford

Colonel Buck disabled whenhis horse falls on him, dislocating his shoulder. He never returns to field service. Lt. Col. Charles Wiebecke takes over the regiment.

June 11-July 24

Gettysburg Campaign

July 2-4

Battle of Gettysburg

Commanded at Gettysburg by Lt. Col. Charles Wiebecke. It brought 405 men to the field and suffered six wounded.

 

From the brigade monument: "First Brigade New Jersey Volunteers. Brig. Gen. Alfred T.A. Torbert, 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 15th Regiments Infantry 1st Brigade, 1st Div., 6th Corps. July 2, in reserve, July 3 and 4 detached from the corps, held this position."

July 5

Fairfield, Pa.

July 10-13

At and near Funkstown, Md.

July

Near Warrenton, Va.

September 15

At Culpeper

October 9-22

Bristoe Campaign

November 7-8

Advance to line of the Rappahannock

November 7

Rappahannock Station

November 26-December 2

Mine Run Campaign

1864

December-May

At Brandy Station

May 3-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James

May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

Captains Henry Callan of Company H and Jacob Bogert of Company K are killed

May 8-21

Spotsylvania

May 12

Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle"

May 14

Lieutenant Colonel Wiebecke killed at Spottsylvania Court House

May 23-26

North Anna River

May 26-28

On line of the Pamunkey

May 28-31

Totopotomoy

May 29

Non-Veterans relieved for muster out. Veterans and Recruits temporarily attached to 15th New Jersey Infantry

June 1-12

Battles about Cold Harbor

June 17-19

Before Petersburg; beginning of Siege of Petersburg

June 21

Non-Veterans mustered out at Newark, N.J. under Colonel Samuel Buck and Major James Close. Veterans and recruits temporarily assigned to 15th New Jersey Infantry under the command of Captain James Penrose of Company F, promoted to major

June 22-23

Jerusalem Plank Road

July 9-11

Moved to Washington, D.C.

July 11-12

Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern Defenses of Washington

July 14-23

Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap, Va.

August 7-November 28

Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign

August 14-15

Strasburg

August 15

Cedar Creek

August 17

Winchester

August 21-22

Charlestown

September 19

Battle of Winchester

September 22

Fisher's Hill

October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek

October

Duty in the Shenandoah Valley

December

Moved to Washington, D.C., then to Petersburg, Va. to continue the Siege of Petersburg

December 20

Reorganized as Company A, 2nd New Jersey Battalion

1865

February 5-7

Dabney's Mills, Hatcher's Run

March 28-April 9

Appomattox Campaign

April 2

Fall of Petersburg

April 3-9

Pursuit of Lee

April 5

Major James McNeely of the 10th New Jersey Infantry Regiment transferred in as lieutenant colonel

April 9

Appomattox Court House. Surrender of Lee and his army.

April 11

New recruits, drafted men and substtutes formed in Trenton as a newly reconstituted Company B.

April 23-27

March to Danville

May 18

March to Richmond, Va.

May 18-June 3

To Washington, D.C.

June 8

Corps Review

June 22

Colonel William Penrose transferred from 15th New Jersey Infantry

July 10

Lt.. Colonel McNeely promoted to colonel and Major Close to lieutenant colonel

July 11

Mustered out at Hall's Hill, Va. under Colonel McNeeley and Lieutenant Colonel Close