5th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteer Infantry

Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, N.J., and mustered in August 22, 1861. Left State for Washington, D.C., August 29, 1861. Attached to Casey's Provisional Division, Army of the Potomac, to October, 1861. 3rd Brigade, Hooker's Division, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to November, 1864.

SERVICE

·    Duty in the Defenses of Washington, D. C., till March, 1862.

·    Expedition to Lower Maryland November 3-11, 1861.

·    At Meridian Hill till December, and near Budd's Ferry, Md., till April, 1862.

·    Seizure of Cockpit Point March 10.

·    Moved to the Virginia Peninsula April 5-8.

·    Siege of Yorktown April 10-May 5.

·    Battle of Williamsburg May 5.

·    Battle of Fair Oaks or Seven Pines May 31-June 1.

·    Duty near Seven Pines till June 25.

·    Seven days before Richmond June 25-JuIy 1.

·    Action at Oak Grove, near Seven Pines, June 25.

·    Savage Station June 29.

·    Glendale June 30.

·    Malvern Hill July 1.

·    At Harrison's Landing till August 15.

·    Movement to Centreville August 15-26.

·    Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 26-September 2.

·    Action at Bristoe Station or Kettle Run August 27.

·    Battles of Groveton August 29; Bull Run August 30; Chantilly September 1.

·    Duty in the Defenses of Washington, near Alexandria, till November 1.

·    Movement to Falmouth, Va., November 1-28.

·    Duty at Falmouth November 28-December 11.

·    Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15.

·    At Falmouth till April 27, 1863.

·    "Mud March" January 20-24.

·    Operations at Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church February 5-7.

·    Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6.

·    Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5.

·    Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24.

·    Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3.

·    Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap July 5-24.

·    Wapping Heights, Manassas Gap, Va., July 23.

·    Duty near Warrenton till October.

·    Bristoe Campaign October 9-22.

·    McLean's Ford October 15.

·    Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8.

·    Kelly's Ford November 7.

·    Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2.

·    Payne's Farm November 27.

·    Duty near Brandy Station till May, 1864.

·    Demonstration on the Rapidan February 5-7.

·    Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15.

·    Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Spottsylvania May 8-12; Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21.

·    Assault on the Salient, "Bloody Angle," May 12.

·    Harris Farm, Fredericksburg Road, May 19.

·    North Anna River May 23-26.

·    Ox Ford May 23-24.

·    On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28.

·    Totopotomoy May 28-31.

·    Cold Harbor June 1-12.

·    Before Petersburg June 16-18.

·    Siege of Petersburg June 16 to November 6, 1864.

·    Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23.

·    In trenches before Petersburg till July 12.

·    In Reserve Camp July 12-26.

·    Demonstration north of the James July 27-29.

·    Deep Bottom July 27-28.

·    Demonstration north of the James August 13-20.

·    Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18.

Non-Veterans mustered out at Trenton, N.J., September 7, 1864.

·    Ream's Station August 25.

·    Fort Sedgwick September 10.

·    Duty in trenches before Petersburg in lines from Fort Morton to Fort Alexander Hays September 10 to October 1.

·    Poplar Springs Church October 1.

·    Yellow House October 2-5. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, October 27-28.

·    Fort Morton November 5.

·     

Consolidated with 7th New Jersey Infantry November 6, 1864.

Regiment lost during service 12 Officers and 126 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 85 Enlisted men by disease. Total 223.

Battle Report Filed By Col. S. H. Starr, of the

5th Regiment, NJVI

HDQRS. THIRD BRIGADE, HOOKER'S DIVISION,
Camp near Seven Pines, six miles from Richmond, Va., June 4, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report the part taken by this brigade in the affair with the enemy on the 1st instant.

Two regiments of the brigade, the Seventh and Eighth New Jersey, were sent back as a guard for the depot of supplies at Bottom's Bridge, and took no part in the engagement. The other two, the Fifth and Sixth New Jersey, under General Patterson, marched forward from our late camp late on the afternoon of the 31st ultimo. General Patterson was very ill and unable to take active command, but accompanied us in the advance. The road and fields on both sides of the road were thronged with flying regiments from the battle ground, 2 or 3 miles in front, through whose routed and disorderly masses I was compelled to force my way with bayonet and saber.

At 7 a.m. on the 1st instant the Fifth and Sixth New Jersey marched forward (General Patterson being still very ill), and were actively engaged from about 7.15 a.m. to 9.45 a.m., two and a half hours, with the enemy, the Fifth Regiment having 4 privates killed, 3 officers and 51 non-commissioned officers and privates wounded and 2 privates missing; total, 60. I have the honor of transmitting herewith a list of their names. The loss of the Sixth Regiment has not yet been reported to me, but is considerably less.(*)

General Hooker was himself a witness a part of the time of the behavior of the two regiments under my command, and to him I leave the comment thereon. Credit being but reluctantly accorded this brigade for its services, its members look inward and upward for their reward.

The Fifth and Sixth Regiments have been for four days and nights under arms, in battle, reconnaissance, and in holding the most advanced position on this flank of the army. They are still under arms, and see no prospect of an hour's rest for days to come. They have been exposed night and day to deluges of rain, and have suffered every species of privation incident to an army in an enemy's country; but among the greatest of their sufferings may be ranked the intolerable stench to which they have been and are exposed, arising from the unburied dead bodies of men and horses that were and are thickly scattered over the ground for hundreds of acres around. I have caused to be buried all my men's strength and time enabled them to bury, but I suffer many to lie unburied not many hundred yards distant.

The following-named officers deserve particular mention for their coolness under fire: Maj. John Ramsey, Capts. W. J. Sewell, E. C. Hopper, and Roswell 8. Reynolds, Lieuts. T. Kelly, E. P. Berry, T. P. Large, and others, of the Fifth Regiment; Col. G. Mott, Lieutenant-Colonel Burling, and Lieutenant Crawford, of the Sixth Regiment. All these came under my personal observation. For want of information I am unable to name any others of the Sixth Regiment.

Lieut. G. S. Russell, Fifth Regiment, my adjutant, was compelled to retire from the field during the action on account of Hiness. While in action his bearing met my approval. Captain Gould, Fifth Regiment, also from the same cause, withdrew by my permission, but bore himself well during the engagement. First Sergt. WilliamNewman, Fifth New Jersey Volunteers, commanded the company after Captain Gould withdrew from the field, and deserves high commendation.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

 S. H. STARR,

Colonel, Fifth New Jersey Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.

 Capt. Jos. DICKINSON,

 Assistant Adjutant-General,
Headquarters Division.