The men were now anxious to move towards Washington and be mustered out, as the Potomac army had done its duty; but Johnson had still a large army, and was in consultation with Gen. Sherman in regard to a surrender, but no terms could be agreed upon, and it was determined to crush him. Accordingly, the 6th corps and Sheridan's cavalry were ordered to move on his rear. On Sunday night, April 23d, the corps was ordered to be ready to move at daylight, which way the men knew not, but it was supposed for Washington; but the men soon found out that they hada hard march before them to Danville, one hundred and twenty miles distant. In four days the march was made; the sun was very warm, and the men suffered very much. General Wright, wishing to win more glory, was anxious to fall on Johnson's rear. He marched the men very fast, until he was bitterly cursed by them, and with blistered feet and weary limbs the men plodded on in dust and sun, and were loud in their complaints against Wright for marching so fast. When in pursuit of Lee, the men deemed it necessary and did not murmur, but marching thirty miles a day, for four successive days was more than human nature could bear, when it was unnecessary. Water was very scarce; often ten and twelve miles were passed without meeting a stream or well of any kind. Danville was reached by the 1st division at noon on the fourth day, and was quietly taken possession of by Gen. Hamlin's brigade. The Union army had never marched that way, and the Yanks were an object of curiosity to the negroes. There was considerable of rolling stock in the place which had not been moved, and was captured. The troops marched through the place and encamped on the outskirts of the town. One day was given the men to rest, and orders issued to move again. The corps was but forty miles from Johnson, and in two days would have been thundering on his rear. Gen. Wright was very anxious that the corps should win new laurels, but the men were not, as they had won enough, for if anything was done, the praise was given the officers and not the men, when they did the work.
The troops were in camp but a few hours, when a dispatch was received by General Wright with the news of Johnson's surrender; the men were formed in line and the dispatch read to them. All knew that their marching and fighting was done, and cheers were given for Sherman and his noble army; each battery was ordered to fire a salute of thirty-two guns, and the bands ordered to play national airs. The war was now over and right glad were the men of it. Home was now talked of, but the men were too weary to rejoice much. The campaign, from winter quarters to the surrender of Lee and the march to Danville, had been a hard one. Thirty miles a day when the war was over was more than the men of the 6th corps wished for, and Gen. Wright lost much of the respect due him, as he was in command, and such marching was needless.
Danville is a town of some importance, forty miles from Goldsboro,the scene of Johnson's surrender. Had he not surrendered as soon as he did, he would have heard the thunder of the artillery and musketry of the 6th corps in his rear in less than forty-eight hours; but the men were not anxious to move further south, and remained quietly in camp. At this place the rebels had a large house where the Union prisoners were kept. The graveyard where they were buried was visited by the men; the most of them had died of starvation and cruel treatment. About seven thousand were crowded in a small lot; it will ever remain a curse to the South, showing the cruel treatment our men received at their hands.
The troops remained in camp at Danville until the 16th of May, when orders came to move; leaving camp at four in the morning, marching through Danville, and placed on baggage cars, riding one hundred and sixty miles all day and all night, to Richmond. The day was warm and dusty, and the ride very tedious, as the men were in open cars; crossed Staunton River on a bridge built by our forces since the occupation of Danville, passing the old camp at Burksville, reaching Richmond on the morning of the 17th, and entering camp near Manchester, remained there eight days. The other corps were at Washington with Sherman's army, and were paid off and mustered out as rapidly as possible. The 6th corps, always first in action, was the last to go home; their work was now done, and all were anxious to return to their homes. Camp life passed very pleasantly, and passes were given the men to visit Richmond. Rebel officers and soldiers were numerous, and were loitering around with feelings of hatred towards the Union soldiers; they were whipped but not subdued, and to-day the same feeling exists in the South as it did four years ago.
The remainder of the troops were now at Washington, and Gen. Wright did all he could to get transportation for his corps; but the authorities at Washington were not willing, and the men ware compelled to march. When Washington was threatened by Early, the 6th corps was transported there in a hurry; but now the war was over, and with hundreds of transports lying at City Point, the men were not allowed to ride. The distance was one hundred and twenty miles, the sun warm and the roads muddy from recent rains. The 24th army corps of the army of the James was still at Richmond doing guard duty, with headquarters at the former residence of Jeff. Davis.
On Monday, March 24, the corps was ordered to move forWashington, marching out at three o'clock, passing in review at Manchester and at Richmond, crossing the James on pontoons. After marching through the principal streets, the troops took the road to Washington, marching that day twenty miles, the roads in some places almost impassable, several teams sticking in the mud; passed the works thrown up by McClellan in the Peninsula campaign, crossing the Chickahominy River and Stony Creek, and halting for the night at Hanover Court House. We moved out the next day on the same road the army was on one year ago; then after the enemy, trying to take Richmond, now with the war over, bound for home. The day was very warm, and the men fell out by hundreds; many were sunstruck, several dying. At night the column halted at Chesterfield Station, having marched twenty miles since morning.
On the 29th the rain fell in torrents, wetting the men to the skin; the roads were in a horrible condition, the mud knee-deep. The weather had suddenly changed and it was very cold; the men were as wet as they could be. At 9 o'clock the troops moved out; the marching was very slow as the men ware nearly worn out, having done nothing but march since last winter quarters. But ten miles were made that day, the men entering camp at dark. Shelter tents were hastily put up, but the damp ground was a hard place to lie for tired and weary man, but the men did not care, as the war was over and they were homeward bound. The corps was now stuck in the mud and could not move; this was the last march, and a hard one it was. The men lay in camp until the roads were nearly dried, which did not take long, as the sandy roads of Virginia did not long remain muddy with the hot sun to dry them; two days were spent in camp. Six days were given Gen. Wright to march from Richmond to Washington, but it could not be done. The rations were giving out, the men having nothing but hard-tack and coffee.
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 avery 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 wereleft 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 callTO 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 infavor 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 bySergeant J. Newton Terrill,New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Commenced Sept. 1st, 1865; finished July 15th, 1866.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
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 andPage 10: batallion changed to battalionPage 14: extra word "the" removedMonacacy changed to MonocacyPage 18: west-tern changed to westernPage 20: obbing changed to robbingPage 21: loosing changed to losingcecesh changed to seceshweer changed to werePage 24: Patomac changed to PotomacA changed to AtPage 25: bayanets changed to bayonetsPage 27: ffve changed to fivePage 28: onr changed to ourPage 34: eqally changed to equallyPage 35: ceaceless changed to ceaselessPage 36: Manasses changed to ManassasPage 47: af changed to ofPage 48: misdeameanor changed to misdemeanorPage 50: maneuvre changed to maneuverPage 54: sonth changed to southPage 63: missing word "of" addedfarward changed to forwardTorbett changed to TorbertPage 66: superceded changed to supersededPage 71: regi-iment changed to regimentPage 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 advancedTennery changed to Tennellysacrified changed to sacrificedPage 79: Hark-tack changed to Hard-tackPage 81: extra word "the" removedneccessary changed to necessaryPage 82: Monacacy changed to MonocacyPage 91: Charlottsville changed to CharlottesvillePage 94: infaladed changed to infiladedPage 97: ther changed to theirPage 99: quartere changed to quartersPage 100: Spotttylvania changed to SpottsylvaniaPage 108: Waynsboro changed to WaynesboroPage 122: sgirits changed to spiritsPage 124: remembred changed to rememberedPage 127: were changed to wherePage 132: river changed to riversfoilage changed to foliage