Campaign of the Fourteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers

by J. Newton Terrill

Of the number of bounty jumpers under sentence of court martial, John Kelly, from the 67th Pennsylvania, was sentenced to be shot to death with musketry on Friday, the 10th of March. The rest were punished in various ways; some of them were sent to the Rip Raps, and others were to work on the fortifications around Fortress Monroe. As this was the first military execution in the division, it was hoped that he would be pardoned. His friends interposed in his behalf, but all to no purpose, and the order for his execution was given. The morning of Friday, March 10th, dawned clear and bright, and all were impressed with the solemn scene. The division was formed in line at nine o'clock about one mile from camp, to witness the sad event. He had been visited daily by the priest, and was prepared to die. At 10 o'clock he was led from the guard-house by the sergeant in charge of the prisoners from the 14th New Jersey, and the procession moved as follows: First, the band playing the dead march, followed by the prisoner sitting on his coffin with the priest and four pall-bearers, and an escort of twenty men marching with reverse arms to the scene of the execution. The division in line presented arms. After passing the troops, the band and firing party filed to the right, the prisoner and pall-bearers to the left. His sentence was then read to him, and the priest administered the sacrament; but he seemed totally indifferent, and as unmoved as if a spectator. He was then placed on his coffin with his arms and eyes bandaged, and exclaimed, "Fire low, boys, hit me in the heart and kill me at once." The command was given to fire, and eight balls entered his body; each one of them would have proved mortal. Four men were reserved in case he was not killed, but they were not needed, as he was instantly killed, a warning to all deserters. He was placed in his coffin and buried where he fell. The arrangements were conducted by the Provost Marshal, Major Brown; everything was in perfect order, and the division returned to their quarters.

It was now evident to all that the end of the rebellion was near at hand. Johnson was retreating from before Sherman, who, with the forces of Generals Terry and Schofield combined, was sweeping everything before them. Charleston and Wilmington in our hands, and all blockade running stopped, there was no hope for them. The last gun and the last article from England had reached them, and all hopes of foreign intervention long since abandoned. With their men deserting by hundreds, and all communication with Richmond and Petersburg severed, with the exception of two roads, and those insufficient to supply the armies within the defences of the rebel capital; the last raid of Sheridan had done them more injury than any previous one. Our army was large and well equipped, only waiting for the roads to permit an advance. The men dreaded a forward movement, as there was no way of flanking Lee; their works must be assaulted and carried at an immense loss of life if attempted, but a decisive blow must be struck and that soon.

The 17th of March being St. Patrick's day, it was largely celebrated by the Irish brigade, by racing, tumbling and jumping for the amusement of the rest; there were several accidents, and one or two were killed. On the 20th, the 1st division 6th corps was reviewed by General Meade. This was the finest day there had been in some time and the men presented a fine appearance. The New Jersey brigade was admired by all for its precision in marching, and for the noble bearing of the men. Several major-generals were present; also Admiral Porter. General Wheaton, the division commander, was mounted on a superb horse, with a splendid bridle and saddle presented to him by the men. At three o'clock the review was over, and the men marched back to their quarters.

All surplus baggage was now sent to the rear, as instructions for a general movement of the armies operating against Richmond were issued, and all sutlers, purveyors and citizens were ordered to leave within twenty-four hours. General Sherman moved from the White House, crossed the James, and formed a junction with the army of the Potomac in front of Petersburg.

The 14th regiment now numbered three hundred men for duty, commanded by Lieut. Colonel Janeway. The men had but a few months to stay, and were not anxious to again enter an engagement. The orders from Grant were for the men to move on the left, for the purpose of turning the enemy from their position around Petersburg. All preparations were how made for an immediate advance as soon as the weather would permit. The month of March with its colds and rains had nearly passed. Gen. Sherman had reached Goldsboro, and was resting his weary army. Johnson was in command of Hood's army, but like the army of Lee, his men were deserting in large numbers, as they deemed their cause lost; but their leaders determined to hold on to the last, and then, if unsuccessful, to leave the country.

The 6th corps had been so far recruited that it numbered nearly twenty thousand men. After the battle of Monocacy the 14th numbered but ninety-five men for duty. The regiment had been repeatedly recruited, and now, with three hundred men and eighteen officers, was ready for the campaign. A great many of the men had received furloughs, but there were some who had not seen their homes since enlisting. Of the number that had left New Jersey nearly three years before, there but few remained; numbers had been killed, and numbers were at their homes discharged on account of wounds. At the hospitals many poor fellows lay in pain that would willingly rejoin their comrades if able; there were scarcely any of the old boys left that had not been wounded.

On the 23d of March, Lee passed along the whole line of the rebel army, inspecting and reviewing the troops. There was very little display of the old enthusiasm with which his presence was wont to be greeted, as the men were discouraged and saw no farther use of fighting. Desertions were still numerous, and a new arrangement was made by the rebel officers; instead of details from the several regiments as heretofore, a whole regiment was placed at once on picket. They believed that this would prevent desertions. But this new device was wholly without effect, as whole companies would desert at once, bringing with them their arms and equipments.

The troops were all in their respective positions, with no positive orders to move, nor was it scarcely thought that the enemy would dare attack our position. Early on the morning of the 25th of March, when least expected, they assaulted our lines in front of the 9th corps, and so unexpected was the attack, that ere our men could recover from their surprise the enemy had captured Fort Steadman and part of the line to the right and left of it, established themselves and turned the guns of the fort upon us. But the troops on either flank held their ground until the reserves were brought up, and after a desperate battle the enemy was driven back with heavy loss in killed and wounded, and two thousand prisoners. They paid dearly for their advance, as it was their intention to break our lines, if possible. General Meade at once ordered the other corps to advance and feel the enemy in their respective fronts. The campaign had now commenced, which soon ended in the downfall of the rebellion. It was hastened by the enemy, as General Grant would not have moved so soon.

The whole army was now in motion and winter quarters abandoned; pushing forward, the 2nd and 6th corps captured and held the enemy's strongly intrenched picket line with heavy loss. The enemy made desperate attempts to retake this line but without success; our losses were heavy but the enemy's still greater. Ever since General Grant halted in front of Petersburg, General Lee had been watching for some weak point in our lines where he might hope for success, and not waste his men against our strongly fortified line. He took his time because it was necessary to be very careful, he could not afford to lose a chance or a single man and yet this point where he made his attack was apparently on the supposition that Gen. Grant had weakened his lines to help Sherman, as his attack was in heavy force; but the whole affair was a splendid one for us as they were repulsed with great slaughter, their loss in killed, wounded and prisoners amounting to nearly six thousand men, and this at that time was a terrible loss to Lee. The nights were spent with anxiety by the men, lest each morning should bring the report that the enemy had retreated during the night before. It was firmly believed that Lee would retreat, and with Johnson and him combined, a long, tedious and expensive campaign consuming most of the Summer, would become necessary. By moving out of quarters, the army would be in a better condition for pursuit, and would at least by the destruction of the Danville Railroad, retard the concentration of the two armies of Generals Lee and Johnson, and cause the enemy to abandon much material that they might otherwise save.

It was not fully ascertained at first the amount of damage done by the enemy in their attack on the 25th. They had massed four divisions under General Gordon, and when our men were asleep, made a furious attack on our line in front of the 9th corps, capturing the fort and guns, and at the same time they attacked Fort Haskell, but were repulsed with heavy loss. President Lincoln and lady were present, and witnessed the fight at a distance. For several days, the division commanded by General Gordon had held a position in front of the 9th corps, and at midnight they were silently and promptly formed for a charge; everything was now ready, and the order forward was given without raising an alarm or a suspicion. The rebel troops were out safely to their line of works thrown up for the protection of their skirmishers. At a given signal they bounded over these works and rapidly cutting gaps in our Chevaux de Frise, pressed on with a yell towards our lines. The attack being sudden and totally unexpected, and made in almost overwhelming force, caused our skirmish line to give way before our reserves could get up. The rebels, confident of success, pressed on with vigor and succeeded in breaking our line at a point near Fort Steadman; reaching our abattis they poured a terrific volley in our lines, breaking through on the left; they captured the fort by charging from the rear. So rapidly was this accomplished that the officer in command of the fort was captured with a portion of his men. Re-enforcements soon arrived from the other corps, and a terrible volley was poured into the enemy's ranks, who were now bent only on plunder; they could not long remain under such heavy fire and at last were compelled to fall back. Our infantry flanked the fort and cut off a large body of the rebel troops, that were commanded in person by Gen. Gordon, who led the attack. As they fell back they were literally slaughtered by our men, as grape and cannister were poured in their retreating ranks. This was their last hope, and crest-fallen, they fell back to their lines with a loss of over six thousand men.