12th New Jersey

United States Regiments & Batteries > New Jersey

The 12th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 9 officers and 168 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 99 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument and marker at Gettysburg and a monument on the Wilderness battlefield.

1862
Organized at Camp Stockton, Woodbury, N.J. Colonel Robert C. Johnson and Lieutenant Colonel John Howard Willets.
September 4 Mustered in
September 7 Left State for Baltimore, Md. Attached to Defenses of Baltimore, Md., 8th Army Corps, Middle Dept.
September 8 Guard duty at Ellicott’s Mills, Md.
December 10 Moved to Washington, D.C.
December 13-17 Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
December 20 At Falmouth, Va.
1863
February 27 Colonel Johnson discharged for disability due to a fall from his horse. Lieutenant Colonel Willets promoted to colonel.
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 1-5
Battle of Chancellorsville

Colonel Willets wounded in his arm and face, and eventually was discharged for disability.
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Maj. John T. Hill. It brought 532 men to the field, losing 23 killed, 83 wounded and 9 missing.

From the monument north of the Angle:

In memory of the men of the Twelfth Regiment New Jersey Infantry Volunteers who upon this field July 2 & 3, 1863, and who elsewhere died under the flag this monument is dedicated by their surviving comrades as an example to future generations.

Buck & Ball, Calibre. 69.

Two charges were made by this regiment on Bliss’s Barn. July 2d & 3d 1863, capturing it.

Lost on this field; killed, 2 officers, 20 men; wounded, 4 officers, 80 men; missing 9, total 115.”

From the marker by the Bliss farm:

Erected by the State of New Jersey, 1888, in honor of the 12th Regiment of volunteers, a detachment of which in the afternoon of July 2nd, 1863, charged the Bliss house and barn here capturing the enemy’s skirmish reserve of 7 officers and 85 men stationed therein. On the morning of July 3, another detachment of the regiment charged, capturing the buildings, one officer and one man, and driving back the skirmish reserve. The regiment lost in their charges 60 officers and men.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap
August-September Duty on Orange & Alexandria Railroad
September 13-17 Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan
September-October Picket duty on the Rapidan
October 9-22 Bristoe Campaign
October 14 Auburn and Bristoe
November 7-8 Advance to line of the Rappahannock
November 26-December 2 Mine Run Campaign
November 28-30 Mine Run
December At Stevensburg
1864
February 6-7 Demonstration on the Rapidan and Morton’s Ford
March Attached to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8 Laurel Hill
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Court House
May 10 Po River
May 12 Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle”
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Cold Harbor
June 16-18 First Assault on Petersburg; Siege of Petersburg begins
June 22-23 Jerusalem Plank Road
July 27-29 Demonstration north of the James
July 27-28 Deep Bottom
August 13-20 Demonstration north of the James
August 14-18 Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom
August 25 Ream’s Station
October 27-28 Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
1865
February 5-7 Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
February John Willian promoted to colonel.
March 25 Watkins House
March 28-April 9 Appomattox Campaign
March 30-31 Boydton and White Oak Roads
April 2 Fall of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 6 Sailor’s Creek
April 7 High Bridge, Farmville
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
May 2-12 March to Washington, D.C.
May 23 Grand Review
June Duty at Washington, D.C.
July 15 Mustered out at Washington, D.C.