The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-21
CAPSULE NO. SO.

APSUL NO 49, ~
r MEANTIME while The Second Regiment "a reapng a arvest of glory,
wi the Eighth Regiment. which had been the First of the ninety-day
campaign, vas rapidly getting into the hero cass The Eighth and Beams Bat
terry we're attached to hi Second Brigade. After drilling in winter quarters II
was hurried to thu from in time to become ntricatey involved in the battle IF
Williamsburg. This battle a fought May 5 1862 1t is said to be one of h
hottest n derc@t Of The entire var Any battle o yer be spoken of asa pos
she spirant for such a title had to pc quite hce and lot in that var sotis
presumed that the Eighth received it's baptism of fre-as the First it will be
remembered, it did 10 actually participate fn the first battle Of Bull Run
in a real contest After the enemyh had evacuated Yorktown IN the ID of May
the Jersey Brigade ws moved forward until on he night Of the 4h 1T had
reached a position five miles nom Williamsburg. The ws adnaraby
protected and practically impregnabk. General Hooker h vas in command.
sent he Eighth, with other regiments of the brigade, toward the lften end Of the
eneny's entertainments. Early in h battle which followed it developed that
it was he intention If the confederates to turf the wins of he Federal army
of which the Jersey Brigade made the outpost For four hours the battle ragged
with hat wen-knovn n excessive fury with which all houy contested battles
rage. Attack aftr attack was mad pon thu Jersey troops and every ne Of
them a repused unit he 5000 men were fairly smothered by the hmdes Of
the nemy which had been poured upon them. Thetr valor had suaced. how
ever, and the day was saved. lust as the brigade was giving way General
Kearny arrived with reinforcements. After the battle General Hooker openly
declared hat the Jersey regiments had aved the entire division The Eighth
Regiment alone lost 100 men It's beloved colonel Adophus j Johnson, a
serous wound had healed h rejdned he regiment The bravery of the chap
lain of the Eighth, the Rev. A St John champre, "a a matter of comment
throughout the division. In rapid succession the Eighth ook partn al the
battles of the Peninsula campaign invariably repeating its valOrous perform-
nee Of the W first battles At -Briaow Station. July 81, Captain John
Tute, of Company c, was kIed and Lieutenant Colonel William Ward, who
had rfn to that position from a captamcy had his arm so shattered bya shell
that it was necessarily amputate it.
A month later at home another Newark regiment the Thirteenth, vas JUS
tered in at Camp Freinghuysen. Its commander was Colonel Ezra A Cafman,
and thu Officers o. hiss staff were Lieutenant Colonel Robert S. Swords, Major
Samuel Chadwick an Adjutant Charles A Hopkins. Men were needed at the
front, n a brand of CELEBRITY which proved particularly effective ws used in
getting the Thirteenth to the firing lint They reached it in i'm to participate
lin the closely fought battle Of Anttaam. Incidentally, lit nay be remarked
that they arrived at the scene of action soon enough to take rank with he other
two Newark regiments, thu Second n the Eighth in he exceptionally in and
dandy column In their first battle the members of this newly enised reg-
ment fought like seasoned veterans. Captain F. {. Irh, of Company k, vas
killed in action, A little while later came Charlottesville, and after that battle
General Hawey in an address % h Thirteenth sad: you an entitled to thu
thanks OF the whole army, for o have saved it."
So when Newarkers begin to eve in the exploits of those regiments which
were-s sent to the front during the Civil War they nay revel without reserve.
Nothing too niece car be said about them. It's a matter OF history.