Part 15

On Monday, the 29th, the roads were in better condition, and the troops moved out. The day was cool, marching in eight hours twenty miles to Fredericksburg, arriving there at noon, crossed the Mat Ta Po and Nye Rivers, these four streams forming the Mattapony River. Headquarters were near the city on the Heights where Generals Burnside and Hooker fought in '62 and '63. The next day the march was resumed, the 3d division in the rear, passed through Fredericksburg, a very pretty place, but now nearly every house bore the marks of shells; the place was in a very dilapidated condition. The column crossed the Rappahannock on pontoons, marching sixteen miles, wading Aquia Creek, camping in a field at four o'clock. On the 31st, the 3d division was in the centre, marching eighteen miles very fast, arriving in camp at three o'clock. Hard-tack, coffee and sugar were issued the men at night. On June 1st the headquarter wagons were sent ahead, marching eighteen miles, and encamping near Fairfax Court House. The next day fourteen miles were made, passing the Potomac army lying quietly in their camp, anxiously awaiting orders to be mustered out. Tents were pitched on a line at Bailey's Cross Roads, eight miles from Washington, having been ten days coming from Richmond, two days stuck in the mud.

The marching and fighting were now over, and the men entered camp with the expectation of soon seeing their homes. The remaining corps were soon mustered out as rapidly as possible, and the officers of the different regiments were working day and night on the muster rolls. The weather was very warm and dry, and rations poor. The nearer the troops were to Washington the poorer were the rations they had to eat. The detached men from the regiment were now ordered back, and the new recruits transferred to the 2d New Jersey with two hundred and thirty men; all that remained of the old 14th New Jersey were ready to return home.

On Thursday, June 8th, the 6th corps was reviewed in Washington in presence of President Johnson and other leading officials. At four o'clock in the morning the men moved out of camp, marching to Washington. At nine o'clock the column was formed; the men were neatly brushed, with muskets in fine order and wearing white gloves, crossing Long Bridge and passing in review down Pennsylvania avenue. The sun was intensely hot, and in the crowded streets the men suffered very much; many were sunstruck and died. The men were not used to pavements, nor to marching in close order. After the review the troops returned to their respective camps, having marched twenty miles since leaving camp; it was more than a day's march, and very hard on the men. Soon the muster rolls were ready, and were sent into headquarters for inspection; they were pronounced correct, and preparations were made to muster out the men as soon as possible. The rolls of the 14th were ready first, and they were the first to leave for their homes.

Seventeen days had elapsed since the corps arrived at Washington. On the afternoon of June 19th, the regiment was formed in line and marched to headquarters, and was mustered out of the United States service. Soldiering in the field was now done, and with happy hearts the men returned to their quarters. At midnight the long roll was beaten and the regiment ordered to move at daylight, marching to Washington, passing through Georgetown. The men were placed on baggage cars, but did not get off until night, arriving in Philadelphia on the morning of the 21st. A good breakfast was given the men by the Volunteer Refreshment Saloon. Three cheers for the ladies of Philadelphia were given, and the regiment marched to the ferry, crossing over to Camden and taking the cars for Trenton, forty miles distant, arriving at noon. The ladies of the place gave the war-worn veterans a hearty welcome and a warm reception. A splendid dinner was provided, and the men enjoyed it much; such a dinner was indeed a feast, such as the men had not seen for many a long day, after which they were marched to the barracks and ordered in. At first they refused to go, but the promise of a speedy payment was satisfactory, and the men entered, remaining all night; the next day forming in line and marching through the principal streets; everywhere the regiment was greeted with cheers. Another dinner was served, and speeches made by Governor Parker, Lieut.-Colonel Hall, and others. The men then returned to the barracks, and passes were given them for five days. All were in good spirits, and were glad they were again in their native State.

The regiment had bean gone nearly three years, leaving New Jersey with nine hundred and fifty active men; two hundred and thirty returned. During that time, having participated in numerous battles and skirmishes, fighting each time with that bravery for which the New Jersey troops were noted for. In that time the regiment had traveled by rail one thousand and fifty miles, by water six hundred and twenty-eight miles, and on foot two thousand and fifteen miles. At the expiration of five days the men returned, and on the 20th of June, 1865, received their final payment by Major Newell, after passing through almost incredible hardships, participating in all the battles of the Potomac Army from Gettysburg to the surrender of Lee, leaving more than one half of their men on Southern soil, their bones now bleaching in the sun. The men were soon to separate and return to their homes. The clash of arms and the groans of the wounded and dying would no more be heard, and those that were left would soon engage in the active pursuits of life, and war forgotten. The 14th New Jersey, a noble regiment, will ever be remembered by the people of the State as the defenders of our Union and Constitution.

A FEW WORDS TO MY COMRADES IN ARMS AND THEN I AM DONE:

Fellow soldiers: For three years we battled for our country's rights and for our homes. We are widely separated; but with grateful memory of the past we live for the future. Our country is now at peace. If the call to arms should ever again resound throughout the land, may we ever be ready. Let not the thoughts of former days and past hardships deter us from again rushing to arms, for without a country we are as nothing. With proud hearts we think of the past, knowing and feeling that we have done our duty. We were welcomed home, and by the fireside relate tales of by-gone days; of days of pleasure and of pain; of those dark hours when our country was in danger, and when we answered the call TO ARMS. Prosperity now reigns. Our flag, the proud emblem of liberty, floats throughout the land from North to South, and we as a nation are happy and prosperous beneath its folds. The proud Eagle of America soars aloft on every ocean, and the star-spangled banner floats on every sea. Our nation has passed through a great deal in four years, and New Jersey has done her duty nobly. Thousands of her brave sons have given their lives for their country, and those that remain will read this book with interest. As these pages are perused by the members of the 14th, scenes that were long since forgotten will be fresh in memory. Soldiers, our work is done! These terrible days of war are over. Throughout the land soldiers' societies exist. Let every man that was a soldier join these societies, and do all in their power to help those widows and orphans whose husbands and fathers fill a soldier's grave, and ever remember that our flag, the stars and stripes, must wave o'er this Glorious Union now and forever. As a country we have no equal. Slavery forever abolished and our nation saved, with thanks to the Almighty for our safe return to our homes and families, to go no more to war.

Those men who in the hour of peril remained at home and did all in their power to help along the glorious cause, and by their actions showed that they respected a soldier, will be looked upon by the returned veterans as men; but those mean sneaking Copperheads that were forever denouncing the North and were in favor of the South, will be despised by us for their meanness. New Jersey is redeemed, and to-day a loyal Governor sits in his seat at Trenton, a soldier's friend. What we have passed through can be known only to us, and now happy at our homes are content. The South is subdued, and has learned a terrible lesson, that this Union can never be broken, and as a united nation will live forever. As a regiment, the 14th no longer exists, but the name of the 14th New Jersey from the old 6th corps, will never be forgotten, but ever be remembered with pride as a band of heroic men, that gave themselves for their country in its hour of peril. It is but natural that the people should turn with beaming eyes and grateful hearts to the heroic Union soldiers who have nobly periled their all in defence of their country. Forever shall the memory of our gallant dead be embalmed in the hearts of the living. On the banks of many southern rivers; under the spreading foliage of many a forest tree; on the hillsides and in the valleys of the South, are tens of thousands of those grassy mounds which mark the last resting places of the noble Union dead. In many a northern home the widow and the orphan, the brother and the sister, the bereaved father and disconsolate mother await the coming of that step that so often in the past had been the sweetest music to their ears. But they await in vain. Never more shall a mother's kiss be pressed upon his brow as he sleeps in his little cot in the humble chamber of the old homestead; but in the heart of a redeemed nation his memory shall live forever. Comrades, I am done! Our beloved country, healed of its wounds, to-day stands among other powers a free and independent nation forever. Liberty, that priceless gem, was purchased at a fearful cost. But those brave men who now live will ever, with proud step and beaming eye, exclaim with emotion, that with my help the country was saved. The star-spangled banner planted high upon the everlasting hills of truth and justice, shall wave to the breeze till time shall be no more; recognized by foreign powers as the head of all nations. In the annals of fame, our country lives forever!

Written by SERGEANT J. NEWTON TERRILL, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Commenced Sept. 1st, 1865; finished July 15th, 1866.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:

Text in italics is surrounded with underscores: _italics_.

Inconsistencies in capitalization and hyphenation have been retained from the original.

Inconsistencies in spelling have been retained from the original unless they are obvious typographical errors which have been corrected as follows: Page 9: anp changed to and Page 10: batallion changed to battalion Page 14: extra word "the" removed Monacacy changed to Monocacy Page 18: west-tern changed to western Page 20: obbing changed to robbing Page 21: loosing changed to losing cecesh changed to secesh weer changed to were Page 24: Patomac changed to Potomac A changed to At Page 25: bayanets changed to bayonets Page 27: ffve changed to five Page 28: onr changed to our Page 34: eqally changed to equally Page 35: ceaceless changed to ceaseless Page 36: Manasses changed to Manassas Page 47: af changed to of Page 48: misdeameanor changed to misdemeanor Page 50: maneuvre changed to maneuver Page 54: sonth changed to south Page 63: missing word "of" added farward changed to forward Torbett changed to Torbert Page 66: superceded changed to superseded Page 71: regi-iment changed to regiment Page 73: date in original is unclear; it must be Saturday, July 19th, 1834. Page 75: date in original shows July 9th; it possibly could be July 19th. Page 76: advancrd changed to advanced Tennery changed to Tennelly sacrified changed to sacrificed Page 79: Hark-tack changed to Hard-tack Page 81: extra word "the" removed neccessary changed to necessary Page 82: Monacacy changed to Monocacy Page 91: Charlottsville changed to Charlottesville Page 94: infaladed changed to infiladed Page 97: ther changed to their Page 99: quartere changed to quarters Page 100: Spotttylvania changed to Spottsylvania Page 108: Waynsboro changed to Waynesboro Page 122: sgirits changed to spirits Page 124: remembred changed to remembered Page 127: were changed to where Page 132: river changed to rivers foilage changed to foliage