Historical sketch of the Fifteenth Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers

Recruits from New Jersey's hill country become soldiers under pressure in Edward Livingston Campbell's account of the Fifteenth Regiment. Organized at Flemington and mustered into service in August 1862, the unit first builds fortifications at Tenallytown before joining the First Jersey Brigade. Campbell emphasizes the men's local ties, discipline and conduct, giving his military history the strongly admiring voice of someone who served during the conflict.

The sketch follows the regiment through Civil War campaigns, combining a dated record of engagements with closer accounts of particular duties. Fredericksburg brings its first experience under fire, while later passages describe skirmish lines, difficult withdrawals and advances at Winchester and Fisher's Hill. Camp sickness and the work of carrying rations also enter the narrative. Readers interested in regimental history will find attention to the practical demands placed on one New Jersey unit within the much larger movements of the Sixth Corps.