Historical sketch of the Fifteenth Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers First Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps

The Fifteenth New Jersey Volunteers emerged from the rugged hill country of the Garden State, drawing its ranks from free‑holding families and small‑town youths who prized education, local reputation, and a deep attachment to the land they tended. Their officers, already seasoned by a year of service, imposed a strict discipline that quickly forged a corps of men noted for both intellect and steadfast patriotism. The sketch paints a vivid picture of how this close‑knit community transformed into a fighting unit, emphasizing the physical vigor and moral fiber that set them apart from other volunteer groups.

Mustered in late August 1862, the regiment hurried to the front just as the Union faced the crisis of Pope’s defeat and Lee’s push toward Pennsylvania. Their first assignment involved laboring day and night to erect fortifications at Tenallytown, Maryland, before being attached to the veteran First Jersey Brigade and marching into the Antietam battlefield. A month of intensive drilling at Bakersville honed their newly minted soldiers into a disciplined force, laying the foundation for the distinguished service that would follow.