The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-05-12

ny's Jerseys" nevertheless, and he was
their "One Armed Philip in the fond illu-
sion Of the time, so it is all the same thirty
years after whether the pretty idea was
spun from truth or fancy. The surviving
veterans look upon Kearny as having
been their military father; they ''reune"
on his old family manor, and keep his
memory green in countless ways, as become
brave soldiers for fallen hero. While
the gallant Taylor fell at their head and
Torbert led them to many victories, and
half a dozen other brigadiers as well,
Kearny has been their idol first, last
and always" Surely he was grand figure
for any body of men to tie to as marshal
on the tented field, and the Jerseys were
valiant company for aT -an on horseback
to fall in with VIII to the wars.
Being so we'll met heir contact
was brief, let the travel down
fame's golden path aer.
The First Jersey brIe vas made up of
certain odd volunteer companies left over
from the three months quota in April, 1861,
and other companies that took time by the
forelock, got themselves up in military
shape and were hoping the rebellion would
not collapse without permitting New Jer-
sey to get in a lick, when Lincoln's second
call to arms-May 3, 1S61-made it seem to
them pleasure just to live. The First,
Second and Third regiments hurried to the
front and served in the reserves at Bull
Run. In August the Fourth regiment and
Hexamer's battery-"A," First New Jer
sey light artillery-joined their comrades,
and Philip Kearny, hero of many fields,
already wearing an empty sleeve, was COM
missioned brigadier to lead them. The old
fighter was a stern, unbending martinez,
and for seven months he put the Jerseys
through course of hammering that turned
out 1000 soldiers where 1000 budding nov
ices had been. The upshot was a crack
brigade, ahead of all its fellows in deport-
ment and drill Kearny had done it, and
the whole army as well as half the country
had admired the performance. So Kearny
and his Jerseys were in fine feather before
the fighting commenced. In April, 1862,
when the army started for the peninsula,
Kearny was promoted to the command of
a division and separated from Jerseymen
for good. They drifted into the Sixth
corps and remained there to the end
The first affair of blood was at West
Point, on York river, May Z, where Hex
amer repulsed charge with canister and
the Jerseys made a countercharge. The
division comrades of the Jerseys quickly
concluded that Kearpy hadn't erred in
farming out his soldierly reputation among
such ready fighters. 1t was at Gaines
Mill, though, that the Jersey boys learned
that the rebellion wasn't bubble to col
lapse at the first pricking. They were
called out in Slocum's division of reserves
to aid Porter's Fifth corps in a struggle
where the odds were two to one. Col.
Torbert got up from his berth sick with
fever to follow his regiment. In the Sec
ond there were only four companies for
duty, but their leader Col l. NJ Tucker,
put them in the front line to relieve full
regiment that had been cut to pieces
Col Tucker was mortally wounded, and
when some of his men started to carry him
to the rear he called out, Don't mind me
but go ahead" The ma jor, H. o. Ryert
son, then ran to the colors, waved his sword
to rally the men and was quickly shot
down. In this little battalion alone Is were
killed and 4S wounded inside of an hour
The Fourth regiment, under Col. j. II.
Simpson, refused to retreat when cut off
from all support and defended its ground
until SO were killed and 103 wounded, and
gave up only when completely surrounded.
The Third lost So killed and 1856 wounded.
The First lost A killed and so wounded
Reserves always find the hottest place in
fight if they find any, and Kearny himself
could feel proud of the ranks that stood up
until nearly COO bit the dust out of less
than 1900 engaged. Every man doubts his
own courage and that of his fellows until
the baptism of fire is passed, and the SOL
der who left Gaines Mill field without de-