REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL.

State of New Jersey, Adjutant General’s Office, Trenton,

July 4, 1876.

To His Excellency Joseph D. Bedle, Governor and Commander-in-Chief:

Sir: – I have the honor to submit a special report accompanying the published Official Register of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the War of the Rebellion.

Soon after being commissioned Adjutant General of this State, in April, 1867, I was directed by Governor Marcus L. Ward, to prepare from official sources the military record of every Soldier and Sailor credited upon the quota of this State during the late War. All necessary assistance was furnished me for the proper prosecution of this labor and it was commenced at an early day. While our State had published a very imperfect work in 1863, a large majority of the States soon after the War had issued complete and reliable records, and by a thorough examination of all these volumes a plan for this Record was adopted. During the administration of Governor Theodore F. Randolph, the preparation of this roster history was continued, and a Joint Resolution was passed by the Legislature of 1871, authorizing its publication. Soon after the inauguration of Governor Joel Parker, a contract was made by authority of the Commissioners mentioned in the Joint Resolution to publish the volume, and after considerable delay it was commenced. It has been prosecuted only so fast as the great labor of carefully reading and re-reading the proof, and the verifying of each record would permit. Even with the greatest care the name of a soldier serving more than once during the War, may be spelled very different on different rolls, and there appears to be no way to prove it to be the same individual. I present it now as complete and accurate as it is possible to make it, by a thorough examination and compilation of the data on file in this office and in the War and Navy Departments at Washington.

A few items taken from the official reports of this office during the War period will be of interest. The first troops called into service in this State, was Company “A,” National Guards of Trenton, for special duty by order of Governor Charles S. Olden, dated April 16, 1861.

On the following day the proclamation of Governor Olden was issued, detaching from the Militia of the State, four regiments to serve for three months. The first company mustered in under this call was the Olden Guard, of Trenton, April 23d and within a week thereafter, the regiments were complete and were formed into a brigade, and as such were the first fully organized brigade to reach the National Capital. These regiments were called the 1st, 2d, 3d and 4th Regiments, New Jersey Militia, and afterward designated the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Regiments of Infantry.

The first call for troops to serve for three years or during the War was made May 3, 1861. Under this requisition the First, Second and Third Regiments, Infantry, were organized and were called the First New Jersey Brigade. Under a second call for troops, July 24, 1861, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Regiments Infantry, and Batteries A and B, Artillery, were raised. The Fourth Regiment and Battery A were assigned to the First Brigade, and the remainder formed the Second New Jersey Brigade.

Authority was given by the War Department, September 5th, 1861, to organize a regiment of Riflemen, and under this call the Ninth Regiment Infantry was raised and soon after sent to the field.

During the Fall of 1861, two regiments, one of Infantry and one of Cavalry were organized independent of the State authorities. On the 29th of January and February 19th, 1862 respectively, they were by direction of the War Department placed under the care of the State. The Olden Legion was designated the Tenth Regiment Infantry, and the Halsted Cavalry the First Regiment Cavalry, or the Sixteenth Regiment in the line.

In the year 1862, five other regiments were organized under a fourth call, July 7, 1862, namely: Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Regiments Infantry. The organized, equipped and drilled companies of militia in almost every city and town in the State furnished good material and enabled these regiments to recruit rapidly for active service.

Before the regiments raised under the last call reached the field, a call was made by the President, August 4, 1862, for eleven regiments to be drafted from the Militia of the State, to serve for nine months unless sooner discharged. A disposition to avoid a draft was manifested in all parts of the State and the entire quota under the call was filled by volunteers and placed in camp by September 3, 1862. The regiments thus raised were designated the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first Regiments Infantry.

Under subsequent requisitions the Second Cavalry, called the Thirty-second Regiment, and Third Cavalry, called the Thirty-sixth Regiment, with Infantry Regiments, Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth, Thirty-fifth, Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth and Fortieth, and Batteries of Artillery, C, D and E, were organized and went into active service. The Forty-first Regiment of Infantry was commenced but was discontinued and consolidated with the Thirty-ninth Regiment.

The State therefore furnished during the War, thirty-seven regiments of Infantry, three regiments of Cavalry and one regiment consisting of five batteries of Artillery. At the close of the War they were returned to the State for discharge, excepting the Thirty-fourth Infantry, which was retained in service by the Government until April 30, 1866.

When the Army under General Robert E. Lee, invaded Pennsylvania, in June, 1863, universal alarm was created throughout the entire Northern States. An appeal for military aid was made by Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, to the Governors of neighboring States June 15, 1863 and on the 17th inst., Governor Parker called for volunteers to serve for thirty days, to aid in repelling the invasion. Under this call a full Regiment of Militia, Infantry, and one Battery of Artillery responded. The Twenty-third and Twenty-seventh Regiments Infantry, nine months troops, awaiting discharge, also volunteered for the emergency. A similar call was made by Governor Parker July 12, 1864, when the cities of Baltimore and Washington, were endangered by a threatened invasion of the enemy. The Governor issued a proclamation calling for aid from the Militia, for service in Pennsylvania, Maryland or District of Columbia, to serve for thirty days. One company responded, did the service required, returned to the State and was discharged.

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