15th Regiment, New Jersey Infantry

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: US_Civil_War

Active August 1862 to 1865
Allegiance Union
Branch Infantry

Background

The Fifteenth Regiment was organized at Flemington, New Jersey in July and August 1862. Three companies were recruited in Sussex County (D, I & K), two in Warren (B & H), two in Hunterdon (A & G), two in Morris (C & F) and one in Somerset (E), and all were composed of men of superior physical strength and capacities of endurance. The regiment was mustered into the United States services on the 25th of August and on the 27th left for Washington, numbering nine hundred and twenty-five officers and men, Colonel Samuel Fowler commanding. Reaching the Capital it encamped at Tennallytown, where it remained for about a month, engaged in drill and acquiring discipline for future service. While here, the men were also employed upon the defenses of Washington, slashing timber, making military roads, and throwing up earthworks - Fort Kearny being constructed entirely by their labor. By the time the 15th was formed all regiments were created for 3 years service. Most would reenlist to become "Veteran" regiments when and if their time came.

Engagements

December 11-15, 1862 - Battle of Fredericksburg
April 30 - May 6, 1863 - Battle of Chancellorsville
July 1-3, 1863 - Battle of Gettysburg, but the regiment was not actively engaged
July 5-24, 1863 - Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap
July 5, 1863 - Fairfield, Pennsylvania
July 10-13, 1863 - At and near Funkstown, Maryland
May 5-7, 1864 - Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-12, 1864 - Spottsylvania
May 12 - Assault on the Salient (the "Bloody Angle")
May 12-21, 1864 - Spottsylvania Court House
May 23-26, 1864 - Battle of North Anna
June 1-12, 1864 - Battle of Cold Harbor
June 17-22, 1864 - Before Petersburg, Virginia
August 7-November 28 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Original regimental commanders

Colonel Samuel Fowler
Lieutenant-Colonel Edward L. Campbell
Major James M. Brown
Adjutant William P. Peymour
Quartermaster Lowe Emerson
Surgeon Redford Sharp
Assistant Surgeon George R. Sullivan
Assistant Surgeon George Trumpore
Chaplain Alanson A. Haines

Original company commanders

Company A - Captain Lambert Boeman
First Lieutenant Thomas P. Stout
Second Lieutenant John R. Emery
Company B - Captain Alfred S. Burt
First Lieutenant Charles M. Fairelo
Second Lieutenant Charles R. Paul
Company C - Captain Ira J. Lindsely
First Lieutenant Erastus H. Taylor
Second Lieutenant Samuel R. Connett
Company D - Captain James Walker
First Lieutenant Lewis Van Blarcom
Second Lieutenant James S. MacDanolds
Company E - Captain John H. Vanderveer
First Lieutenant Stephen H. Bogardus
Second Lieutenant Ellis Hamilton
Company F - Captain George C. King
First Lieutenant Owen H. Day
Second Lieutenant John H. Vanderveer
Company G - Captain William H. Slater
First Lieutenant Henry S. Crater
Second Lieutenant John D. Trimmer
Company H - Captain Andrew J. Wright
First Lieutenant William D. Cornish
Second Lieutenant James Bentley
Company I - Captain James H Simpson
First Lieutenant Cornelius C. Shimer
Second Lieutenant William W. Van Voy
Company K - Captain George W. Hamilton
First Lieutenant William H. Edsall
Second Lieutenant John Fowler

Statistics

This regiment suffered higher casualties than any other infantry regiment from New Jersey.

Officers killed or wounded: 8
Officers died of disease, etc.: 1
Enlisted men killed or wounded: 239
Enlisted men died of disease, etc.: 98
Other: 15

---

15th Regiment, New Jersey Infantry

Overview:Organized at Camp Fair Oaks, near Flemmington, N. J., and mustered in August 25, 1862. Left State for Washington, D. C., August 27, 1862. At Tennallytown, D. C., till September 30, constructing Fort Kearney. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, and Army of the Shenandoah, to June, 1865,

Service:Moved to Frederick, Md., September 30, 1862, thence to Bakerville and joined Army of the Potomac. Duty in Maryland till October 29. Movement to Falmouth, Va., October 29-November 19. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. Duty near Falmouth, Va., till 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' Ford May 4. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 2-4. Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va., July 5-24. Fairfield, Pa., July 5. At and near Funkstown, Md., July 10-13. In camp near Warrenton till September 15, and at Culpeper till 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. Duty at Brandy Station till May, 1864. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania 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 17-19. Siege of Petersburg till July 9. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23. Moved to Washington, D. C., July 9-11. Repulse of Early's attack on Fort Stevens and the northern defences of Washington, D. C., July 11-12. Pursuit of Early to Snicker's Gap July 14-23. Snicker's Ferry July 17-18. 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 till December. Moved to Washington, D. C., thence to Petersburg, Va., December. 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. Assault and capture 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 till May 18. March to Richmond, Va., thence to Washington, D. C., May 18-June 3. Corps Review June 8. Mustered out at Hall's Hill, Va., June 22, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 232 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 131 Enlisted men by disease. Total 372. ^[1]

Fox's History

The Fifteenth left the State Aug. 27, 1862, with 947 officers and men. Colonel Fowler was forced to resign within a few months on account of ill health, and died before the close of the war. He was succeeded by Penrose, then a Lieutenant in the Third United States Infantry. Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell had served with honor in the Third New Jersey, and, as Colonel Penrose was in command of the brigade much of the time, led the Fifteenth in most of its battles. The regiment joined the Army of the Potomac at Harper's Ferry on October 1, 1862, and was assigned to the First Jersey Brigade, Brooks's (1st) Division, Sixth Corps; it remained in the First Division during its entire term of service. It was under fire at the first battle of Fredericksburg, sustaining a small loss, but in the second battle at that place--Salem Church--it lost 24 killed, 126 wounded, and 4 missing. On May 4, 1864, the regiment crossed the Rapidan with 15 officers and 429 muskets available in action; nearly 300 of these fell at Spotsylvania, the muster-out rolls bearing the names of 116 who were killed or mortally wounded there. In two weeks the command was reduced to 6 officers and 136 muskets. The remnant of the regiment fought under Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, where they sustained another terrible percentage of loss at Cedar Creek; Major Lambert Boeman was killed in that action. The rolls of the Fifteenth were swelled by large accessions of conscripts and substitutes who joined in the winter of 1864-5, but not until most of the fighting was over. The loss of life fell largely on the old regiment.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database
2. ↑ Taken from; William F. Fox, Lt. Col. U. S. V., Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865: A Treatise on the extent and nature of the mortuary losses in the Union regiments, with full and exhaustive statistics compiled from the official records on file in the state military bureaus and at Washington 1888