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6th New
Jersey Infantry
| Regimental History |
| Sixth Infantry. — Cols., James T. Hatfield, Gershom Mott, George C.
Burling; Lieut.-Cols., Simpson R. Stroud, John P. Van Leer, Stephen R. Gilkyson ; Majs.,
Theodore W. Baker, John Willian. This regiment was organized under the provisions of an
act of Congress, approved July 22, 1861, and was fully organized, equipped and officered
by Aug. 19, at which time it was mustered into the U. S. service at Camp Olden, Trenton,
for three years. It left the state on Sept. 10, with 38 officers, 860 non-commissioned
officers and privates, a total of 898. Upon arrival at Washington the regiment went into
camp at Meridian hill, and remained there until the early part of December, at which time
it was ordered to report to Gen. Hooker, near Budd's ferry, Md., where it was brigaded
with the 5th, 7th and 8th N. J., composing what was generally known as the 2nd New Jersey
brigade, the 3d brigade, Hooker's division. At the battle of Williamsburg, Va., the
brigade was sent into the left of a road and occupied a wood in front of a line of
field-works. Among the killed was Lieut. -Col. John P. Van Leer, and among the wounded
were a large number of officers. At the battle of Fair Oaks the 5th and 6th moved forward
under Col. Starr, cutting their way through a mass of panic-stricken fugitives, the loss
of the 6th being 7 killed and 14 wounded. The next morning the two regiments advanced and
occupied the ground recovered from the enemy, where they remained until June 25, being
almost constantly on duty at the front. In the combat at Savage Station, the New Jersey
brigade was not directly engaged, but the 6th regiment had 2 men wounded by shells. At
Bristoe Station Col. Mott was badly wounded in the fore-arm, and in the series of
engagements, ending at Chantilly on Sept. 1, 1862, the regiment suffered a total loss of
104 men. Going into camp at Alexandria, the brigade remained undisturbed until Nov. 1
when, Lee having been driven from Maryland, it proceeded towards Bristoe Station, where it
arrived on the 4th, the 5th and 6th regiments being in advance. For the Chancellorsville
affair in the spring of 1863, the New Jersey brigade, which at that time included the 2nd
New York and 115th Penn. regiments, as well as the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th N. J., all under
command of Gen. Mott, crossed the Rappahannock on Friday, May 1. The losses of the 6th
during the engagement amounted to 6 killed, 59 wounded and 8 missing, Col. Burling being
among the wounded. At the time of the battle of Gettysburg the 115th Pa. and 2nd N. H.
regiments were attached to the brigade, which was under the command of Col. Burling, Gen.
Mott not having recovered from his wound received at Chancellorsville. At the battle of
the Wilderness, at 5 o'clock in the morning of the second day, six regiments of the
brigade advanced, the 5th, 6th and 11th N. J. being placed under Col. Sewell. In the
assault at Spottsylvania the brigade was in the front line, the 6th acting as skirmishers.
The total losses of the regiment during the months of May and June, 1864, amounted to 16
killed, 99 wounded, 8 missing. In Aug. and Sept., 1864, a large number of recruits were
forwarded to the regiment, and with those who had reenlisted and those whose term of
service had not expired, were assigned to what was known as Cos. A, B and C, 6th
battalion, until Oct. 12, 1864, at which time they were transferred to and consolidated
with the 8th regiment. By reason of such transfer the 6th regiment as an organization
ceased to exist. The total strength of the regiment was 1,485, and it lost, by resignation
26, by discharge 364, by promotion 53, by transfer 314, by death 180, by desertion 209, by
dismissal 3, not accounted for 157, and 179 were mustered out at the end of the regiment's
term of service. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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