Campaign of the Fourteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers

by J. Newton Terrill

The month of December had nearly passed, and the holidays were rapidly approaching; the cold storms of winter kept the men pretty close, the weather being too bad to permit drilling. Christmas and New Years were very dull, the men receiving two months pay and new clothing, and the officers drinking their good whiskey.

Gen. Carr's headquarters were in a large white house, opposite John Minor Botts', two miles from Brandy Station, and about a quarter of a mile from the division. As there were several ladies visiting the Potomac army, a grand ball was given and preparations made accordingly. An addition was built to the house by men detailed from the division and everything was arranged in perfect order; the room was handsomely decorated with flags and evergreens. The night of January 25, 1864, the ball was given, and everything passed off pleasantly; it was very largely attended, but the privates were not allowed to enter; the ladies were elegantly dressed. The 1st New Jersey Brigade Band, and 87th Pennsylvania were engaged, and the music was excellent. The tickets were ten dollars; dancing was kept up until morning; the supper was magnificent, costing two thousand dollars; cooks were sent from Washington, and everything that could be had; trains of cars coming up during the afternoon loaded with officers bringing their ladies with them. The leading generals of the Potomac army were present, the most prominent among them being Meade, Warren, Hancock, French and others. They enjoyed themselves very well, but the most of them were better at fighting than at dancing.

Nothing occurred to disturb the dull monotony of camp life during those long Winter months, everything going on as usual; re-enlisted men returning, others going in their places. On the morning of February 6th, the troops received marching orders, to pack up with three days' rations and hold themselves in readiness to move, as a reconnoissance in force was ordered to find out the whereabouts of Lee's main force. At five o'clock in the afternoon the command was given to start; the 3d corps commanded by Gen. Birney, Gen. French being home on leave of absence. The Provost Guard and 122d Ohio were left to guard the camp and headquarters; the 3d division in advance; raining hard. The weather had been very pleasant for some time, until orders were given to move, when a storm suddenly came up and continued for three days. The first corps met and engaged the enemy at Culpepper Ford, and after a brisk engagement of several hours, our forces retired, being unable to cross the river. The reconnoissance discovered Lee in position, his line extending from the Rapidan to Orange Court House. The troops marched eight miles, remaining in line of battle two days south of Culpepper, when they returned to their old quarters, the 1st corps losing about two hundred men in killed and wounded, but bringing in several prisoners with them. All was again quiet in camp; everything dull. On the 25th the paymaster again arrived, paying the men two months' pay. Colonel Cook from New Jersey was present, taking home for the soldiers thousands of dollars. The division was now reviewed by Gen. French, near Brandy Station, several ladies being present; it was composed of three brigades, numbering six thousand men. On the 28th, the weather being extremely fine, a reconnoissance was again ordered by the 6th corps, moving out early in the morning with three days' rations; the other corps were ordered to hold themselves in readiness if needed. Nothing, however, was discovered, the enemy refusing to leave their entrenchments; on the 3d of March the corps returned, having been gone three days.

On the 29th of March the regiment was again mustered in for pay by Col. Truex; every two months was muster, this being the eleventh time since our enlistment. The men were formed in line, and their arms and accoutrements examined, each man answering to his name; if not accounted for he could not be mustered, nor could he receive his pay.

In view of the coming campaign, it was found necessary by the authorities at Washington to place at the head of the army a general, giving him full command of all the forces then in our armies, to rank as Lieutenant General. Congress was for some time unable to decide which of our generals was the most competent. General Grant, then in command of the southwestern army was finally chosen, and ordered to report immediately at Washington. The hero of Vicksburg, of Port Hudson, and of Pittsburg Landing, was placed in chief command, with a commission as Lieutenant General, wearing three stars.

From an early period in the rebellion Grant had been impressed with the idea that active and continuous operations of all troops that could be brought into the field, regardless of season and weather, were necessary for a speedy termination of the war. The past two years had led us to believe that the resources of the enemy and his numerical strength were far inferior to ours, but as an offset to this, we had a vast territory hostile to the government to garrison, and long lines of river and railroad communications to protect to enable us to supply the operating armies. The army in the east and west had thus far acted independently and without concert, like a baulky team, no two ever pulling together, enabling the enemy to use to great advantage his inferior lines of communication for transporting troops from east to west, re-enforcing the army most vigorously pressed, and enabling them to furlough large numbers during seasons of inactivity on our part, to go to their homes and do the work of producing for the support of their armies. It was now the firm conviction of our leading men that no peace could be had that would be stable and conducive to the happiness of the people, both North and South, until the military power of the South was entirely broken.

On the 16th of March General Grant arrived at Brandy Station and proceeded immediately to the headquarters of Gen. Meade. After reviewing the different corps, he rapidly re-organized the army. The 3d corps was broken up, and placed in different corps; our division was placed in the 6th corps as 3d division; the 14th had been in the 3d corps eight months; what had been an organization so long was now no more. Gen. French was relieved from the front and ordered to report at Washington, and placed in command of the troops near Baltimore. The Potomac army now consisted of but three corps, 2d, 5th and 6th, of thirty thousand each. The 2d corps was commanded by Hancock; the 5th by Warren, and the 6th by Sedgwick; General Meade still retained his position as commander of the Potomac army, receiving his orders from Grant. Sherman was placed in chief command in the southwest, and proved himself a successful commander.

The 3d division, which heretofore consisted of three brigades, was now formed in two brigades; the 1st was commanded by General Morris, consisting of the 14th New Jersey, 10th Vermont, 106th and 151st New York, and 87th Pennsylvania. The 2nd brigade was commanded by Col. Keifer, afterwards Brigadier General, and composed of the 110th, 122d and 126th Ohio regiments, the only western troops in the Potomac army; the 6th Maryland, 67th and 138th Pennsylvania troops, now commanded by General Prince, the former commander of the 2d division, General Carr reporting at Washington. The officers all met at headquarters preparatory to the breaking up of the corps, and indulged in a jolly time; groups were taken by artists, and after spending the day in mirth, they returned to their quarters at night. Birney's old division lay in camp near the 6th corps; they were ordered to join the 2d corps, and our division to take their camp and join the 6th corps. Gen. Prince was relieved, and General Ricketts placed in command of the division. Heavy rains now came on and the order to change camp was countermanded until April 1, when the division moved. The 14th regiment had built a new camp, every tent on a line, and each one of an exact size; pine trees were planted, and it was decided by General Meade to be the handsomest camp in the Potomac army. The men were very sorry to leave, and some of them threatened to burn their tents; the quarters we were to occupy were in a poor place, far from the main road and very lonesome, but as soldiers we were accustomed to such things, often putting up tents and then compelled to leave them in a hurry.

General Grant, having now assumed command, determined to bring the war to a close as soon as possible. As it was too early for a forward movement, the troops were permitted to remain in camp another month. Grant, in consultation with his officers forming their plans for the coming campaign, having every confidence in Meade, they were constantly together. Grant first determined to use the greatest number of troops practicable against the armed forces of the enemy, preventing him from using the same force at different seasons against first one and then the other of our armies, by ordering all armies to move at the same time, he superintending each movement, his headquarters with the Potomac army.

During the month of April, 1864, several men from the division banded together and formed negro minstrels, building a house of logs covered with canvass. Twenty-five cents was charged for admittance; part of the proceeds were for the benefit of the Sanitary Commission; the house was crowded each evening, as it was sometime since the men had seen anything of the kind.