October 16, 2024 • 20 mins
At the Battle of the Wilderness, 5-7 May 1864, 2LT Camille Baquet and the 1st New Jersey marched to the aid of the V Corps which discovered the Confederate 2nd Corps along the Orange Turnpike. The thick vegetation of the Wilderness meant the Jerseymen fought blind, unable to see the Confederate lines in front of them or in some cases the lines of adjacent Union regiments.
Sources used for this episode:
Camille, Baquet. History of the First Brigade, New Jersey Volunteers, from 1861 to 1865. Trenton: MacCrellish & Quigley, State Printers, 1910. https://www.loc.gov/item/13009241/.
Scott, Robert N. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. ser. 1, vol. 36, pt: 1: Reports. Washington: Government Printing Press, 1891. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924097311744&view=1up&seq=3.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:22):
Hello, everyone.
My name is bill Conklin.
And welcome to first personcivil war podcast.
Which retails the stories of thesoldiers and officers on the
ground, in the battles of thecivil war.
Episode 35 is entitled.
Second Lieutenant Camille back aand the first New Jersey at the
(00:45):
battle of the wilderness.
And relies on his book.
History of the first brigade,New Jersey volunteers.
From 1861 to 1865.
Which he published in 1910.
Camille Archibald Baca was bornin Burlington, New Jersey in
(01:06):
1842 and was about 18 years old.
When the civil war began unableto join a New Jersey regiment,
Camille back, a traveled toPhiladelphia where he enlisted
into company.
I have the 16th Pennsylvaniacavalry on 13, September, 1862.
Private backache and theregiment, man, the defenses
(01:29):
around Washington DC.
When in April of 1863, nowSergeant Bacca.
I received a promotion to secondLieutenant and company a of the
first New Jersey.
The first, second and third NewJersey volunteers mustered into
service in may of 1861 andformed the core of what became
(01:52):
the first New Jersey brigade.
Present at first bull run.
The brigade continued at servicewithin the army of the Potomac
at the seven days battles,Antietam and Fredericksburg.
With second Lieutenant Baca andthe ranks of the first New
Jersey at Chancellorsville andGettysburg.
(02:13):
As the years passed and thecasualties mounted the first New
Jersey brigade maintained stateidentity.
And by may of 1864, it consistedof the first second.
Third fourth.
10th.
And 15th, New Jersey volunteers.
And was the first brigade.
I commanded by Colonel Henry W.
(02:35):
Brown.
In Brigadier general ratiorights, first division of major
general John Sedgwick's sixthcore of the army of the Potomac.
Commanded by major generalGeorge Meade.
Lieutenant general Ulysses Sgrant.
Now commander of all unionarmies in the field plan to
(02:57):
advance against the Confederacyand several places in 1864,
which included a multi-prongedadvance into Virginia.
The army of the Potomac part inthis plan was to fight general
Robert E.
Lee and his army of NorthernVirginia, wherever it may be and
destroy it.
Given the importance of thisassignment, Lieutenant general
(03:19):
grant accompanied the army atthe Potomac from the spring of
1864 until the end of the war.
Which meant he was in tacticalcommand.
The army of the Potomac beganits March in early may.
And second Lieutenant Bacaprovided insights on how
permanent this departure was notonly to the first New Jersey,
(03:41):
but the entire sixth core.
The exacting inspections,issuing of supplies to the rank
and file and review of thetroops gave the assurance of the
near-miss of the expectedcampaign.
On the 3rd of May orders wereissued to the Corps commanders
to break up camp at midnight andto have the troops ready to move
(04:03):
before the Dawn of the fourth.
Long before daylight, the buglesounded to Reveley and soon
after the call to pack up wasblown.
In a few minutes, thousands ofsmall fires where a glow.
The fuel made up of the beddingand discarded accumulations of
winter quarters by the light oftheir fires knapsacks were
(04:25):
packed, overcoats and blanketsrolled and coffee made.
The sixth core cross the rapidDan river at your man of Ford.
And entered a region west of thetown of Fredericksburg known as
the wilderness.
Characterized by dense woods andundergrowth, the wilderness was
already seen to the battle ofChancellorsville fought exactly
(04:48):
one year prior.
By the night of the fourth,second Lieutenant backache and
the first New Jersey campedabout one mile south of the Ford
in vicinity of Lieutenantgeneral Grant's headquarters,
having just completed a longMarch.
The men of the regiment weretense.
Little sleep visited the men whosat around their small campfires
(05:12):
and groups talking in low tones,smoking some writing letters by
the lights of campfires And tomany repacking their knapsacks.
The next morning, a collectionof rejected luxuries and even
comforts were scattered over thecampground that would have
filled two or three wagons.
Every conceivable thing used bysoldiers was to be found there.
(05:35):
The men were reluctant tosacrifice their treasures.
But one day's March satisfiedthem.
Breakfast was hurried for theroar of musketry in front, told
the men that the campaign wasopened.
And that they would be calledupon to do their share.
On the morning of five May, 1864elements of the fifth core
(05:58):
departed the wilderness Tavern.
Their camp for the night andmarched west down the orange
turnpike.
Approximately two miles down theroad, the fifth core, discover
the Confederate second core andimmediately engaged.
The battle of the wilderness hadbegun.
The sixth core minus its thirddivision, which still guarded
(06:21):
German of Ford marched down theSpotswood road intending to form
on the fifth.
Core's right.
Flank.
As the first New Jersey formedin line of battle.
Second Lieutenant Baca noted howdifficult it was to move the
regiment through the densefoliage.
The order to move forward asquickly as possible was passed
(06:42):
down the line.
Uh, charge could not have beenmade as the undergrowth was so
dense and the trees so closetogether that it was impossible
to keep formation.
The regiments of the brigade haddifficulty in keeping in touch
with each other.
And the fourth regiment wasentirely separated from it.
(07:03):
The brigade advanced severalhundred yards when it
encountered Confederatesharpshooters, which forced the
first New Jersey brigade to layon the ground.
The firing from the sharpshooters eventually died down
and the brigade continued itsadvance at around noon, the
sixth core finally located thefifth core and extended the line
(07:24):
of battle north.
Though, within range of theConfederates.
Second Lieutenant Baca notedthat the visibility of the enemy
was limited to his immediatefront.
Some firing was done by thebrigade.
But as no enemy could be seen,it died down to now and then a
shot as the men fancy, they sawmoving objects or caught sight
(07:46):
of sharp shooters.
The line was advanced severaltimes during the day to not only
keep the lines intact, but totake advantage of the enemy,
retiring, to secure theabandoned positions.
It was only after advancingseveral hundred paces that dead
Confederates were found.
Indicating where their line hadbeen.
(08:08):
During the afternoon.
A fresh brigade, arrived andrelieved the Jersey men.
Who took up a reserve position,just 30 paces in the rear.
Though by second LieutenantBaquets account fighting was
rather sparse.
But constant.
And the first New Jerseyalongside the entire brigade ran
low on ammunition.
(08:30):
Orders from Colonel brown to besaving of their cartridges, gave
the men some uneasiness as theyimmediately concluded that
reserve ammunition was not athand.
At five o'clock.
Uh, charge was made by theenemy.
Not long after the first NewJersey brigade had been
relieved.
The Confederates came on withgreat dash in spirit.
(08:52):
Charging right up to the lowbreast works that the Jersey men
had thrown up.
And which were on fire inseveral places.
The first line stood theirground firmly and poured a hot
fire into the rebel rankscausing great confusion and
disabling.
Many of them.
The deadly fight lasted 20minutes or more when the enemy
(09:14):
seeing so many of their menkilled in wounded.
Gave way and retired.
Disappearing in the thicket ofthe undergrowth.
The Jerseymen stood in line,ready to make a rush forward as
soon as called upon.
Though it held firm, there wasan air of tension in the union.
Mine.
During the battle ofChancellorsville the sixth core
(09:36):
to not fight in the wildernessas they were further east around
Fredericksburg.
But they were fully aware of howthe Confederates emerged from
the woods on the 11th chorus,right.
Flank and routed them.
Second Lieutenant backachealready gave us one clue to the
mood of the men the night prior.
And on the night of five may, itwas much worse.
(09:59):
At night, it seems as if everytwig held a whipped, poor will a
kind of bird.
And as if one vied with all therest in the rapidity of their
peculiar call.
At three o'clock in the morningwhile the men were asleep, lying
on their arms.
Something caused a part of theline to rise up as one man and
(10:19):
rush for the rear.
They went 10 or 15 steps andthen stopped.
They returned immediately to theline and laid down again.
No one could explain what causedthe stampede.
But it was noticed that everyman had his rifle while he left
his overcoat blankets andknapsack behind.
(10:42):
Knight combat was rare duringthe civil war, but if a regimen
stayed on or near the frontline, sleeping on your arms was
a normal act for soldiers.
One must remember that these menjust fought for almost an entire
day without seeing the lines ofthe enemy, not to mention the
entirety of their own lines.
(11:02):
It is no wonder that several menbecame skiddish as night fell.
The near zero visibility duringthe day.
Now turn tonight.
If the Confederacy chose toattack in the dark.
They could also rely on theconstant call of hundreds of
whipped, poor wills to masktheir movements through the
dense undergrowth.
(11:23):
Given the low visibility of thewilderness and the fact that
second Lieutenant Baca witnessedthis at all meant that the
skiddish men probably belongedto the regiment, which replaced
them during the fights of theday before.
It is also assumed that theleadership of this unidentified
group of men brought them to ahalt.
Calm them down and got them backinto the line.
(11:46):
Ready for the second day offighting.
On six may the third division,which consisted of just two
brigades.
Rejoined the sixth core aftercompleting its task of guarding
German, a Ford.
This division second brigadereinforced the brigade north of
second Lieutenant backache andthe first New Jersey.
(12:07):
Alongside these men came muchneeded ammunition, wagons.
And the Jerseymen fullyreplenished their cartridge
boxes and knapsacks withapproximately 90 rounds per man.
Both sides skirmished for mostof the day.
And it was the sharpshootersthat became the most deadly men
on the battlefield.
(12:29):
Second Lieutenant back aremained with the main line the
entire day.
And by that evening, the unionskirmishers finally returned to
their lines with the reports ofmass Confederates.
The brigade was ready to repelthe charge.
And we're looking ahead to fireat the first enemy to come and
site.
(12:49):
When a tremendous discharge ofmusketry on the rights of the
brigade, drew their attention.
The weird rebel yell, accompanythe discharge and the men of the
first brigade saw vast crowd ofConfederates pouring over the
half built breast works in frontof Seymour's brigade.
On which they were at work whenthe enemy charged.
(13:11):
It was sad afterward that thepickets were, but a few yards in
front of their line and that thebrigade had stacked arms and
Nutriments to be able to workmore effectively on their
entrenchments.
Brigadier general John B.
Gordon managed to scout theright flank of the union mind
(13:31):
during the day.
And he correctly deduce that hisbrigade rested on the sixth
course.
Right.
Flank.
He reported this to his divisioncommander.
And receive permission toadvance on this flank with
another per gate and support.
Until he called the halt at duskA line of skirmishers covering
(13:52):
this flank of the enemy readilygave way and surprised by this
sudden and figure us attack thetroops on his right deserted
their trenches and fled.
Repeated efforts were made bybrigade commanders to change
front and check our advance.
These commands were rapidlybroken and scattered.
(14:13):
The advance of my brigade wassteady and uninterrupted until
the approach of darkness.
Caught up in this Confederateflank attack and unable to stop.
It was second Lieutenantbackache and the first New
Jersey.
A wild scramble for the rear andsued and the rebels pursuing
(14:34):
kept up a fierce fire upon theretreating troops.
Shalers brigade was struck bythe flanking force of Gordon's
Confederate brigade and doubledup on the mass of disorganized
regiments of Seymour's brigade.
The right to the Jersey brigadewas broken.
And forest back by the stampedeand the men backed off towards
(14:55):
the left and rear.
So as to present as decent, afront to the enemy as possible,.
This line stopped the furtheradvance of Gordon's men who
probably thought they had doneenough in capturing two union
generals and about 600 men fromSeymour's Shalers and the first
Jersey brigades.
(15:16):
The sixth core formed a newline, further down the orange
turnpike And then secondLieutenant backache in the first
New Jersey reached this line,the fighting on the second day
ceased.
The regimen served on theskirmish line the next day and
saw a little fighting on thisfinal day of the battle of the
wilderness.
But they had already sufferedgreatly.
(15:38):
Of the total casualtiessustained by the New Jersey
brigade.
The first New Jersey accountedfor almost one half.
17 officers and men died.
106 wounded.
And 39 captured.
Though, not explicitly stated bysecond Lieutenant Baca.
This means that his regiment wason the right flank of the
(16:00):
brigade.
Which broke and fled to the rearbefore reforming, but the rest
of the sixth core.
The battle of the wilderness wasinconclusive.
And instead of withdrawing hisarmy to rest and refit,
Lieutenant general grant optedto marches, army, south and
east, and continued to hammeraway at the army of Northern
(16:23):
Virginia.
Second Lieutenant back aremained with the first New
Jersey through Spotsylvaniacourthouse and called Harbor.
Went on 23, June, 1864.
Just one day prior to theofficial end of the Overland
campaign around Petersburg.
His term of enlistment expired.
And he returned to New Jersey.
(16:46):
Before ending this episode, Iwould like to touch on an
unintended legacy of theOverland campaign.
After the civil war, the usgovernment published the
multi-volume series.
The war of the rebellion, acompilation of the official
records of the union andConfederate armies.
Which has proved one of the mostinfluential sources for
(17:08):
historians as it containsreports, not just from the
generals after a battle.
But all the way down toregimental hand artillery,
battery commanders.
But with the Overland campaign,the reports are sparse and
heavily summarized.
With each episode, I incorporatea report from the opposing side
(17:29):
that mostly corroborates what asoldier or officer wrote in his
own book.
But these reports requiredowntime for leadership to
gather their thoughts and putpen to paper.
This important time after thebattle of the wilderness.
And most of the battles of theOverland campaign was absent.
As from four may the 24, June,1864.
(17:52):
There was constant fighting ormarching and therefore, no time
to write.
This meant that the only sourcethat mentioned the first New
Jersey was from the divisioncommander, which heavily
summarized the fighting.
While the only usefulConfederate report was that of
Brigadier general Gordon and hisflank attack.
(18:14):
This is why personal accountslike second Lieutenant Baquets
are important to understandinghow the battle of the wilderness
or any battle of the civil warunfolded.
Second Lieutenant Baquets bookhistory of the first brigade,
New Jersey volunteers from 1861to 1865.
(18:35):
Incorporated multiple firstperson accounts on the
battlefield.
As well as the history of alleight regiments of the brigade.
Published in 1910.
It was the first comprehensivebook about this brigade.
The work here presented isintended to fill a space in the
history of new Jersey's soldier,sons here too for neglected.
(19:00):
That's so long, a time haselapsed since the deeds recorded
were performed to before anyrecord of them was attempted,
must be attributed to themodesty of the men who made that
record on the battlefields ofVirginia, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania.
This unfortunate modesty haslost the Raiders of this work.
Many incidents of personalbravery and sacrifice that would
(19:24):
have given both interest andcharm to it.
Thank you for listening to the35th episode, the link to second
Lieutenant Baquets book is nowavailable on the podcast
website.
First person, civil war,podcast.com.
On Facebook, Instagram, X, andLinkedIn.
(19:47):
This week, you will find apicture of Camille backache and
the colors of the first NewJersey.
Alongside other colors from thefirst New Jersey brigade.
In two weeks time, cadet FrankPreston.
Cadet captain of company B.
Virginia military Instituteinfantry, battalion.
(20:09):
Provides next episodes.
First person account.
At the battle of new market.
My name is bill Coughlin.
And thank you for listening tofirst person civil war podcast.
Hello, everyone.
My name is bill Conklin.
And welcome to first personcivil war podcast.
Which retails the stories of thesoldiers and officers on the
ground, in the battles of thecivil war.
Episode 35 is entitled.
Second Lieutenant Camille back aand the first New Jersey at the
(00:45):
battle of the wilderness.
And relies on his book.
History of the first brigade,New Jersey volunteers.
From 1861 to 1865.
Which he published in 1910.
Camille Archibald Baca was bornin Burlington, New Jersey in
(01:06):
1842 and was about 18 years old.
When the civil war began unableto join a New Jersey regiment,
Camille back, a traveled toPhiladelphia where he enlisted
into company.
I have the 16th Pennsylvaniacavalry on 13, September, 1862.
Private backache and theregiment, man, the defenses
(01:29):
around Washington DC.
When in April of 1863, nowSergeant Bacca.
I received a promotion to secondLieutenant and company a of the
first New Jersey.
The first, second and third NewJersey volunteers mustered into
service in may of 1861 andformed the core of what became
(01:52):
the first New Jersey brigade.
Present at first bull run.
The brigade continued at servicewithin the army of the Potomac
at the seven days battles,Antietam and Fredericksburg.
With second Lieutenant Baca andthe ranks of the first New
Jersey at Chancellorsville andGettysburg.
(02:13):
As the years passed and thecasualties mounted the first New
Jersey brigade maintained stateidentity.
And by may of 1864, it consistedof the first second.
Third fourth.
10th.
And 15th, New Jersey volunteers.
And was the first brigade.
I commanded by Colonel Henry W.
(02:35):
Brown.
In Brigadier general ratiorights, first division of major
general John Sedgwick's sixthcore of the army of the Potomac.
Commanded by major generalGeorge Meade.
Lieutenant general Ulysses Sgrant.
Now commander of all unionarmies in the field plan to
(02:57):
advance against the Confederacyand several places in 1864,
which included a multi-prongedadvance into Virginia.
The army of the Potomac part inthis plan was to fight general
Robert E.
Lee and his army of NorthernVirginia, wherever it may be and
destroy it.
Given the importance of thisassignment, Lieutenant general
(03:19):
grant accompanied the army atthe Potomac from the spring of
1864 until the end of the war.
Which meant he was in tacticalcommand.
The army of the Potomac beganits March in early may.
And second Lieutenant Bacaprovided insights on how
permanent this departure was notonly to the first New Jersey,
(03:41):
but the entire sixth core.
The exacting inspections,issuing of supplies to the rank
and file and review of thetroops gave the assurance of the
near-miss of the expectedcampaign.
On the 3rd of May orders wereissued to the Corps commanders
to break up camp at midnight andto have the troops ready to move
(04:03):
before the Dawn of the fourth.
Long before daylight, the buglesounded to Reveley and soon
after the call to pack up wasblown.
In a few minutes, thousands ofsmall fires where a glow.
The fuel made up of the beddingand discarded accumulations of
winter quarters by the light oftheir fires knapsacks were
(04:25):
packed, overcoats and blanketsrolled and coffee made.
The sixth core cross the rapidDan river at your man of Ford.
And entered a region west of thetown of Fredericksburg known as
the wilderness.
Characterized by dense woods andundergrowth, the wilderness was
already seen to the battle ofChancellorsville fought exactly
(04:48):
one year prior.
By the night of the fourth,second Lieutenant backache and
the first New Jersey campedabout one mile south of the Ford
in vicinity of Lieutenantgeneral Grant's headquarters,
having just completed a longMarch.
The men of the regiment weretense.
Little sleep visited the men whosat around their small campfires
(05:12):
and groups talking in low tones,smoking some writing letters by
the lights of campfires And tomany repacking their knapsacks.
The next morning, a collectionof rejected luxuries and even
comforts were scattered over thecampground that would have
filled two or three wagons.
Every conceivable thing used bysoldiers was to be found there.
(05:35):
The men were reluctant tosacrifice their treasures.
But one day's March satisfiedthem.
Breakfast was hurried for theroar of musketry in front, told
the men that the campaign wasopened.
And that they would be calledupon to do their share.
On the morning of five May, 1864elements of the fifth core
(05:58):
departed the wilderness Tavern.
Their camp for the night andmarched west down the orange
turnpike.
Approximately two miles down theroad, the fifth core, discover
the Confederate second core andimmediately engaged.
The battle of the wilderness hadbegun.
The sixth core minus its thirddivision, which still guarded
(06:21):
German of Ford marched down theSpotswood road intending to form
on the fifth.
Core's right.
Flank.
As the first New Jersey formedin line of battle.
Second Lieutenant Baca noted howdifficult it was to move the
regiment through the densefoliage.
The order to move forward asquickly as possible was passed
(06:42):
down the line.
Uh, charge could not have beenmade as the undergrowth was so
dense and the trees so closetogether that it was impossible
to keep formation.
The regiments of the brigade haddifficulty in keeping in touch
with each other.
And the fourth regiment wasentirely separated from it.
(07:03):
The brigade advanced severalhundred yards when it
encountered Confederatesharpshooters, which forced the
first New Jersey brigade to layon the ground.
The firing from the sharpshooters eventually died down
and the brigade continued itsadvance at around noon, the
sixth core finally located thefifth core and extended the line
(07:24):
of battle north.
Though, within range of theConfederates.
Second Lieutenant Baca notedthat the visibility of the enemy
was limited to his immediatefront.
Some firing was done by thebrigade.
But as no enemy could be seen,it died down to now and then a
shot as the men fancy, they sawmoving objects or caught sight
(07:46):
of sharp shooters.
The line was advanced severaltimes during the day to not only
keep the lines intact, but totake advantage of the enemy,
retiring, to secure theabandoned positions.
It was only after advancingseveral hundred paces that dead
Confederates were found.
Indicating where their line hadbeen.
(08:08):
During the afternoon.
A fresh brigade, arrived andrelieved the Jersey men.
Who took up a reserve position,just 30 paces in the rear.
Though by second LieutenantBaquets account fighting was
rather sparse.
But constant.
And the first New Jerseyalongside the entire brigade ran
low on ammunition.
(08:30):
Orders from Colonel brown to besaving of their cartridges, gave
the men some uneasiness as theyimmediately concluded that
reserve ammunition was not athand.
At five o'clock.
Uh, charge was made by theenemy.
Not long after the first NewJersey brigade had been
relieved.
The Confederates came on withgreat dash in spirit.
(08:52):
Charging right up to the lowbreast works that the Jersey men
had thrown up.
And which were on fire inseveral places.
The first line stood theirground firmly and poured a hot
fire into the rebel rankscausing great confusion and
disabling.
Many of them.
The deadly fight lasted 20minutes or more when the enemy
(09:14):
seeing so many of their menkilled in wounded.
Gave way and retired.
Disappearing in the thicket ofthe undergrowth.
The Jerseymen stood in line,ready to make a rush forward as
soon as called upon.
Though it held firm, there wasan air of tension in the union.
Mine.
During the battle ofChancellorsville the sixth core
(09:36):
to not fight in the wildernessas they were further east around
Fredericksburg.
But they were fully aware of howthe Confederates emerged from
the woods on the 11th chorus,right.
Flank and routed them.
Second Lieutenant backachealready gave us one clue to the
mood of the men the night prior.
And on the night of five may, itwas much worse.
(09:59):
At night, it seems as if everytwig held a whipped, poor will a
kind of bird.
And as if one vied with all therest in the rapidity of their
peculiar call.
At three o'clock in the morningwhile the men were asleep, lying
on their arms.
Something caused a part of theline to rise up as one man and
(10:19):
rush for the rear.
They went 10 or 15 steps andthen stopped.
They returned immediately to theline and laid down again.
No one could explain what causedthe stampede.
But it was noticed that everyman had his rifle while he left
his overcoat blankets andknapsack behind.
(10:42):
Knight combat was rare duringthe civil war, but if a regimen
stayed on or near the frontline, sleeping on your arms was
a normal act for soldiers.
One must remember that these menjust fought for almost an entire
day without seeing the lines ofthe enemy, not to mention the
entirety of their own lines.
(11:02):
It is no wonder that several menbecame skiddish as night fell.
The near zero visibility duringthe day.
Now turn tonight.
If the Confederacy chose toattack in the dark.
They could also rely on theconstant call of hundreds of
whipped, poor wills to masktheir movements through the
dense undergrowth.
(11:23):
Given the low visibility of thewilderness and the fact that
second Lieutenant Baca witnessedthis at all meant that the
skiddish men probably belongedto the regiment, which replaced
them during the fights of theday before.
It is also assumed that theleadership of this unidentified
group of men brought them to ahalt.
Calm them down and got them backinto the line.
(11:46):
Ready for the second day offighting.
On six may the third division,which consisted of just two
brigades.
Rejoined the sixth core aftercompleting its task of guarding
German, a Ford.
This division second brigadereinforced the brigade north of
second Lieutenant backache andthe first New Jersey.
(12:07):
Alongside these men came muchneeded ammunition, wagons.
And the Jerseymen fullyreplenished their cartridge
boxes and knapsacks withapproximately 90 rounds per man.
Both sides skirmished for mostof the day.
And it was the sharpshootersthat became the most deadly men
on the battlefield.
(12:29):
Second Lieutenant back aremained with the main line the
entire day.
And by that evening, the unionskirmishers finally returned to
their lines with the reports ofmass Confederates.
The brigade was ready to repelthe charge.
And we're looking ahead to fireat the first enemy to come and
site.
(12:49):
When a tremendous discharge ofmusketry on the rights of the
brigade, drew their attention.
The weird rebel yell, accompanythe discharge and the men of the
first brigade saw vast crowd ofConfederates pouring over the
half built breast works in frontof Seymour's brigade.
On which they were at work whenthe enemy charged.
(13:11):
It was sad afterward that thepickets were, but a few yards in
front of their line and that thebrigade had stacked arms and
Nutriments to be able to workmore effectively on their
entrenchments.
Brigadier general John B.
Gordon managed to scout theright flank of the union mind
(13:31):
during the day.
And he correctly deduce that hisbrigade rested on the sixth
course.
Right.
Flank.
He reported this to his divisioncommander.
And receive permission toadvance on this flank with
another per gate and support.
Until he called the halt at duskA line of skirmishers covering
(13:52):
this flank of the enemy readilygave way and surprised by this
sudden and figure us attack thetroops on his right deserted
their trenches and fled.
Repeated efforts were made bybrigade commanders to change
front and check our advance.
These commands were rapidlybroken and scattered.
(14:13):
The advance of my brigade wassteady and uninterrupted until
the approach of darkness.
Caught up in this Confederateflank attack and unable to stop.
It was second Lieutenantbackache and the first New
Jersey.
A wild scramble for the rear andsued and the rebels pursuing
(14:34):
kept up a fierce fire upon theretreating troops.
Shalers brigade was struck bythe flanking force of Gordon's
Confederate brigade and doubledup on the mass of disorganized
regiments of Seymour's brigade.
The right to the Jersey brigadewas broken.
And forest back by the stampedeand the men backed off towards
(14:55):
the left and rear.
So as to present as decent, afront to the enemy as possible,.
This line stopped the furtheradvance of Gordon's men who
probably thought they had doneenough in capturing two union
generals and about 600 men fromSeymour's Shalers and the first
Jersey brigades.
(15:16):
The sixth core formed a newline, further down the orange
turnpike And then secondLieutenant backache in the first
New Jersey reached this line,the fighting on the second day
ceased.
The regimen served on theskirmish line the next day and
saw a little fighting on thisfinal day of the battle of the
wilderness.
But they had already sufferedgreatly.
(15:38):
Of the total casualtiessustained by the New Jersey
brigade.
The first New Jersey accountedfor almost one half.
17 officers and men died.
106 wounded.
And 39 captured.
Though, not explicitly stated bysecond Lieutenant Baca.
This means that his regiment wason the right flank of the
(16:00):
brigade.
Which broke and fled to the rearbefore reforming, but the rest
of the sixth core.
The battle of the wilderness wasinconclusive.
And instead of withdrawing hisarmy to rest and refit,
Lieutenant general grant optedto marches, army, south and
east, and continued to hammeraway at the army of Northern
(16:23):
Virginia.
Second Lieutenant back aremained with the first New
Jersey through Spotsylvaniacourthouse and called Harbor.
Went on 23, June, 1864.
Just one day prior to theofficial end of the Overland
campaign around Petersburg.
His term of enlistment expired.
And he returned to New Jersey.
(16:46):
Before ending this episode, Iwould like to touch on an
unintended legacy of theOverland campaign.
After the civil war, the usgovernment published the
multi-volume series.
The war of the rebellion, acompilation of the official
records of the union andConfederate armies.
Which has proved one of the mostinfluential sources for
(17:08):
historians as it containsreports, not just from the
generals after a battle.
But all the way down toregimental hand artillery,
battery commanders.
But with the Overland campaign,the reports are sparse and
heavily summarized.
With each episode, I incorporatea report from the opposing side
(17:29):
that mostly corroborates what asoldier or officer wrote in his
own book.
But these reports requiredowntime for leadership to
gather their thoughts and putpen to paper.
This important time after thebattle of the wilderness.
And most of the battles of theOverland campaign was absent.
As from four may the 24, June,1864.
(17:52):
There was constant fighting ormarching and therefore, no time
to write.
This meant that the only sourcethat mentioned the first New
Jersey was from the divisioncommander, which heavily
summarized the fighting.
While the only usefulConfederate report was that of
Brigadier general Gordon and hisflank attack.
(18:14):
This is why personal accountslike second Lieutenant Baquets
are important to understandinghow the battle of the wilderness
or any battle of the civil warunfolded.
Second Lieutenant Baquets bookhistory of the first brigade,
New Jersey volunteers from 1861to 1865.
(18:35):
Incorporated multiple firstperson accounts on the
battlefield.
As well as the history of alleight regiments of the brigade.
Published in 1910.
It was the first comprehensivebook about this brigade.
The work here presented isintended to fill a space in the
history of new Jersey's soldier,sons here too for neglected.
(19:00):
That's so long, a time haselapsed since the deeds recorded
were performed to before anyrecord of them was attempted,
must be attributed to themodesty of the men who made that
record on the battlefields ofVirginia, Maryland, and
Pennsylvania.
This unfortunate modesty haslost the Raiders of this work.
Many incidents of personalbravery and sacrifice that would
(19:24):
have given both interest andcharm to it.
Thank you for listening to the35th episode, the link to second
Lieutenant Baquets book is nowavailable on the podcast
website.
First person, civil war,podcast.com.
On Facebook, Instagram, X, andLinkedIn.
(19:47):
This week, you will find apicture of Camille backache and
the colors of the first NewJersey.
Alongside other colors from thefirst New Jersey brigade.
In two weeks time, cadet FrankPreston.
Cadet captain of company B.
Virginia military Instituteinfantry, battalion.
(20:09):
Provides next episodes.
First person account.
At the battle of new market.
My name is bill Coughlin.
And thank you for listening tofirst person civil war podcast.
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