Campaign of the Fourteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers

In the summer of 1862 a group of New Jersey farmers, merchants and craftsmen answered the nation’s call, gathering on the historic fields of Freehold to form the Fourteenth Regiment. Under the steady hand of their commander, the volunteers endured rigorous drills, strict discipline and the everyday rhythms of camp life—guard rotations, night‑time rounds, and shared meals in Sibly tents. Their letters and laughter soon gave way to a solemn resolve as they prepared to leave the comforts of home for a war that would scar the very soil of their country.

Marching northward, the regiment entered the maelstrom of the Potomac’s battles, from the heated clashes of the Maryland Campaign to the tangled woods of the Wilderness. Through mud‑soaked marches, fever‑ridden nights and fierce firefights, the soldiers learned the stark reality of combat while holding fast to the patriotism that first drove them to enlist. Their first‑hand accounts capture the grit, camaraderie, and uneasy bravery of men thrust into a conflict that would test the Union’s very soul.