15th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New Jersey

The 15th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment lost 8 officers and 232 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 131 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War. It is honored by a monument at Salem Church, Virginia, on the New Jersey Brigade monument at Gettysburg, and by a monument on the Spotsylvania battlefield.

1862
July-August Organized at Camp Fair Oaks, near Flemington, New Jersey. Companies A&G were recruited in Hunterdon, B&H in Warren, C&F in Morris, D, I&K in Sussex County, and E in Somerset.
August 25 Mustered in 925 officers and men for three years service under Colonel Samuel Fowler, Lieutenant Colonel Edward L. Campbell and Major James M. Brown.
August 27 Left State for Washington, D.C.
September At Tennallytown, D.C. Constructed Fort Kearny.
September 30 Moved to Frederick, Md. then to Bakerville, attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
October 29-
November 19		 Movement to Falmouth, Va.
December 12-15
Battle of Fredericksburg

Major Brown was wounded.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
January-April Duty near Falmouth, Va.
February 26 Major Brown resigned.
March 6 Colonel Fowler resigned due to physical disability caused by severe typhoid fever. He would die in January of 1865.
April 10 William H. Penrose, Adjutant of the 3rd United States infantry, was transferred to the 15th New Jersey and promoted to colonel.
April 27-May 6 Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 2 Operations at Franklin’s Crossing
May 3
Battle of Maryes Heights (Second Fredericksburg)

Colonel Penrose took command of the brigade as senior colonel, and Lieutenant Colonel Campbell took command of the regiment.
May 3-4
Salem Heights

From the monument at Salem Church:

To commemorate the services of the 15th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel William H. Penrose, U.S.A., engaged two hours on this line of battle on the Federal side.
May 3rd, 1863.

Loss:
41 killed, 109 wounded, 4 missing.
May 4 Banks’ Ford
May 12 Captain Daniel R. Burrell of Company I, 7th New Jersey Infantry was transferred to the 15th New Jersey.
May 21 Major Burrell resigned.
May 24 Captain Lamber Boeman of Company A was promoted to major.
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
June 27 Colonel Penrose resumed command of the regiment.
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

Commanded by Colonel William H. Penrose. It brought 441 men to the field and lost three wounded.
July 5-24 Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap, Va.
July 5 Fairfield, Pa.
July 10-13 At and near Funkstown, Md.
July-September In camp near Warrenton
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 Duty at Brandy Station
May 3-June 15 Campaign from the Rapidan to the James
May 5-7
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Spotsylvania Court House
May 9 Colonel Penrose took command of the brigade as senior colonel after General Sedgwick was killed and several officers moved up the chain of command, leaving Lieutenant Colonel Campbell in command of the regiment.
May 12
Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle”

The monument on the west side of the Mule Shoe states,

Erected by the State of New Jersey
to mark the portion of the Confederate line held by the 14th Georgia
Regiment and assaulted May 12, 1864, by the
15th Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry,
commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Edward L. Campbell

Engaged, 429. Loss – 116 Killed; 153 Wounded; 38 Missing.
May 23-26 North Anna River
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31 Totopotomoy
June 1-12
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 17-19 First Assault on Petersburg; Siege of Petersburg begins
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, D.C.
July 14-23 Pursuit of Early to Snicker’s Gap
July 17-18 Snicker’s Ferry
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
Third Battle of Winchester
September 22
Battle of Fisher’s Hill
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

Colonel Penrose and Lieutenant Colonel Campbell were both wounded in the arm, and Captain Ebenezer Davis of Company A was wounded. Major Boeman was killed temporarily commanding the 10th New Jersey Regiment.
October-December Duty in the Shenandoah Valley. Colonel Penrose returned to regimental command and Lieutenant Colonel Campbell was detailed to General Meade’s staff while recovering from his wound.
December Moved to Washington, D.C. then to Petersburg, Va. and Siege of Petersburg
1865
January 31 Captain Ebenezer Davis of Company A was promoted to major.
February 5-7 Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run
February 26 Colonel Penrose took command of the brigade.
March 28-
April 9		 Appomattox Campaign
April 2 Assault and capture of Petersburg
April 3-9 Pursuit of Lee
April 9
Appomattox Court House

Surrender of Lee and his army.
April 23-27 March to Danville
May 18-June 3 March to Richmond, Va. then to Washington, D.C.
June 8 Corps Review
June 22 Mustered out at Hall’s Hill, Va.