10th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry The 10th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was a regiment was organized under the provisions of an Act of Congress approved July 22 , 1861 , and by authority issued by the War Department . It was created to recruit from residents of the State of New Jersey , but was not under the control or supervision of the State authorities . It was originally known as " Olden Legion " after New Jersey Governor Charles Olden . History . William Bryan of Beverly , New Jersey recruited and organized the regiment . According to Foster , " On the first roster of the regiment , after being placed in State service , is this endorsement : " This regiment was raised by individuals , not authorized by the State , and accepted by the War Department as an independent organization , some time in the fall of 1861 , and was not known by the State authorities until it was placed under their care , January 29 , 1862 . " " When the organization of the regiment was completed with nine companies of infantry and one company of cavalry , it was established at Camp Beverly , New Jersey where William Bryan lived . The unit proceeded to Washington , D . C . , on December 26 , 1861 , with 35 officers , 883 non - commissioned officer s and privates , for a total of 918 men . After they marched to Camp Clay on the Bladensburg Turnpike , a location approximately one mile from Washington , they were reorganized and designated the 10th New Jersey Infantry . Soon after being reorganized the cavalry company , Company D , was discharged and a new company was raised that April . In fact , the regiment was not very effective by February 1862 when many of the cavalry company were under arrest for refusing to do infantry duties . For the next year , the regiment served under the command of Brig . Gen . James Wadsworth in the defenses of Washington before being assigned to field service in the XXII Corps until April 1863 . According to Foster this regiment suffered from " defective organization and the absence of discipline " soon after arriving in Washington . The War Department turned to Governor Olden who did not want responsibility for this problem regiment . In the end , however , the State accepted responsibility after reorganizing the regiment and assigning a new Colonel , William R . Murphy . The regiment moved between various commands — beginning with the 3rd Brigade , 1st Division , VII Corps , Department of Virginia , until July 1863 , when it was sent to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , after the Gettysburg Campaign and assigned to Darius Couch and the Department of the Susquehanna . It served in the defenses of Philadelphia until September 1863 , when it moved to Pottsville , Pennsylvania . The regiment remained in the Department of the Susquehanna through April 1864 . After more than 50 % of the men re - enlisted the regiment became known as the 10th New Jersey Veteran Infantry . The regiment joined the First New Jersey Brigade in the 1st Division , VI Corps , in the Army of the Potomac on April 19 , 1864 , and was sent to Virginia for the Overland Campaign . During that campaign , the regiment notably participated in the Battle of the Wilderness , Spotsylvania , and Cold Harbor , losing 250 men . In late summer , the 10th was assigned to the Army of the Shenandoah , serving in the Shenandoah Valley under Philip H . Sheridan . While with the Army of the Shenandoah the regiment , along with the First New Jersey Brigade , participated in the battles of Strasburg , Point Pleasant , Fisher ' s Hill , Third Winchester and Cedar Creek losing another 200 men . After returning to Virginia for the fall of Petersburg and the surrender of Robert E . Lee ' s Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House in April 1865 , the 10th served as an occupation force at Danville , Virginia , until June 1865 when it was mustered out and returned home to New Jersey and a hero ' s welcome . Many veterans of the 10th New Jersey joined the Grand Army of the Republic and attended several reunions over the succeeding years .