| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
13th New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Thirteenth Infantry. — Col, Ezra A. Carman; Lieut.-Cols., Robert S.
Swords, Samuel Chadwick, John Grimes, Frederick H. Harris; Majs., George A. Beardsley,
David A. Ryerson. This regiment was mustered in at Camp Frelinghuysen, near Newark, Aug.
25, 1862, and remained in camp until the 31st, when it started for Washington, reaching
that city on Sept. 2 and being at once sent into camp near Fort Richardson, Arlington
Heights. Its first engagement was at the battle of Antietam, where the entire loss of the
regiment was 7 killed, 70 wounded (of whom 11 afterward died) and 25 missing. At
Chancellorsville it behaved admirably throughout, again showing that it was made of royal
stuff. The loss of the regiment in killed and wounded during the three days' fighting was
some 130, being nearly one-half the number taken into battle. At Gettysburg the 13th
— its splendid fighting qualities being now universally recognized — was again
placed, with Col. Carman in command, in a peculiarly exposed position, but though on duty
for 14 hours lost only 21 men — 1 killed and 20 wounded. In the fall of 1863 the
regiment was transferred to Tennessee and in the following spring started with Sherman's
army upon the Atlanta campaign. The first serious engagement in which it participated was
that of Resaca, and although the men of the regiment fought with great steadiness
throughout, the loss was much less than might have been expected, amounting to 4 killed
and 23 wounded. Pushing forward in pursuit, the 20th corps came up with the enemy posted
in fortifications, upon the hills south of Cassville, where the skirmishers of the
regiment again became engaged, but without any serious loss. At Dallas, the 1st division
was ordered to the left to reinforce Geary, the 13th being by order of Gen. Hooker
deployed on the right of the line as skirmishers, and it soon drove in that part of the
enemy's line, with a loss of only 6 men wounded, including Lieut. -Col. Grimes and Lieut.
George Baitzel, of Co. C — the former wounded in the hand and the latter in the left
arm. The 13th was then pushed steadily forward, fighting as it advanced and losing several
men, including Lieut. Peter M. Ryerson, of Co. C, who was mortally wounded on June 16. At
the battle of Kolb's farm, sheltered by hastily-constructed breastworks, the regiment
escaped without the loss of a single man killed, and only 6 were wounded. The regiment had
2 men killed at Nancy's creek and at Peachtree creek it lost 6. It was on constant duty
during the siege of Atlanta, the loss of the regiment in the campaign which ended in the
capture of the besieged city being 100 in killed and wounded. At Sandersville, Ga., the
regiment had 3 men wounded, one only slightly, and was very highly complimented for its
conduct in the affair. When nearing Savannah the regiment formed in line in a swamp, in
water from one to two feet deep, and when orders were given the men advanced with a yell
in face of a galling fire from the Confederate guns, but the enemy soon evacuated the
works and escaped towards Savannah, only 2 or 3 prisoners being taken. In the entire march
and campaign from Atlanta to and including the capture of Savannah, the regiment lost only
6 men, 3 wounded and 3 captured. At Averasboro, N. C, the 13th passed through a deep
swamp, driving the Confederate skirmishers rapidly into their works and halting some 200
yards from their position, where a line of earthworks was hastily thrown up after a severe
engagement in which it lost 2 men killed and 22 wounded, many of the latter severely. At
Bentonville, the last battle of the war in which Sherman's army participated, the conduct
of the 13th was of the most gallant character. On June 26 the last man of the command was
mustered out, and the regiment, which on so many fields had fought bravely and well for
the flag of the Fathers, ceased to exist. The total strength of the 13th was 1,438, and it
lost during its term of service, by resignation 32, by discharge 152, by promotion 49, by
transfer 410, by death 106, by desertion 178, not accounted for 1, mustered out, 510. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|