2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > New Jersey

The 2nd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry 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.

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

The Regiment was in reserve and suffered no casualties.
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 resigned. Lt. Colonel Tucker was promoted to colonel
1862
January 20 Major Buck was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Henry O. Ryerson of Company B 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 were killed
June 28 Golding’s Farm
June 30 Charles City Cross Roads and Glendale
July 1
Malvern Hill

Lieutenant Colonel Buck was 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 was killed
August 30
Second 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 at Crampton’s Gap: 

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 was transferred to 3rd New Jersey Infantry Regiment as colonel. Captain Charles Wiebecke of Company E was 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 (Second Fredericksburg)
May 3-4
Salem Heights

Captain William Bergen of Company G mortally wounded
May 4
Banks Ford

Colonel Buck was disabled when his horse fell on him, dislocating his shoulder. He never returned to field service. Lt. Col. Charles Wiebecke took over the regiment.
June 11-July 24 Gettysburg Campaign
July 2-4
Battle of Gettysburg

Commanded at Gettysburg by Lt. Col. Charles Wiebecke. The 2nd New Jersey 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 Court House
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
Battle of Cold Harbor
June 17-19
First Assault on Petersburg

Beginning of the 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
Third Battle of Winchester
September 22
Battle of 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 Lieutenant 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