New Jersey in the American Civil War The state of New Jersey in the United States provided a source of troops , equipment and leaders for the Union during the American Civil War . Though no major battles were fought in New Jersey , soldiers and volunteers from New Jersey played an important part in the war , including Philip Kearny and George B . McClellan , who led the Army of the Potomac early in the Civil War and unsuccessfully ran for President of the United States in 1864 against his former commander - in - chief , Abraham Lincoln . Slavery and prelude to war . The Quaker population of New Jersey was especially intolerant of slavery . However , New Jersey ended up becoming the last of the northern states to abolish slavery by enacting legislation which caused the slow abolishment of slavery . Though New Jersey passed an act for the gradual abolition of slavery in 1804 , it wasn ' t until 1830 that most blacks were free in the state . However , by the close of the Civil War , about a dozen African - Americans in New Jersey were still apprenticed freedmen . New Jersey at first refused to ratify the Constitutional Amendments that banned slavery . New Jersey was a major part of the extensive Underground Railroad system . Civil War . On May 4 , 1861 , in response to President Abraham Lincoln ' s call to arms , the U . S . War Department directed New Jersey to fill a quota of three infantry regiments to serve a three - year term of enlistment . Recruitment took place for the new regiments all over the state , and on May 21 , the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was mustered into the Union Army at Camp Olden in Trenton under Maj . Theodore T . S . Laidley of the United States Regular Army . The 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry , under Col . Joseph W . Allen at Camp Olden , was the last New Jersey regiment to leave the state in 1861 but the first committed to battle . Additional regiments were raised throughout the war , including cavalry and artillery . No battles took place within New Jersey throughout the course of the Civil War . However , over 88 , 000 soldiers from New Jersey were part of several infantry and cavalry regiments . In total , 52 regiments were created by New Jersey soldiers during this war . 23 , 116 of those soldiers served in the Army of the Potomac . Soldiers from New Jersey fought generally in the Eastern theater of the Civil War Over 6 , 000 soldiers from New Jersey lost their lives in the war . Philip Kearny , an officer from the Mexican - American War , led a brigade of New Jersey regiments under Brigadier General William B . Franklin . Kearny distinguished himself as a brilliant officer during the Peninsula Campaign , and was promoted to the position of major general . On 24 March 1863 , the New Jersey legislature passed a resolution that included many aspects of the situation caused by the war . Some of the aspects were : New Jersey was one of the few states to vote for Stephen Douglas instead of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election . The people of New Jersey also gave its electoral votes to George McClellan when he ran for President against Lincoln in the election of 1864 , being the only free state that rejected Lincoln twice . McClellan later became the governor of New Jersey , from 1878 to 1881 . Many cities like Paterson and Camden , grew extremely strong through the duration of the Civil War . They produced many necessities , including clothing and war materials like ammunition . These cities prospered through constant production even after the end of the war . Cities like those of Paterson and Camden became crucial to the Northern war effort . With the Union ' s ability to manufacture more supplies , the Union was able to defeat the Confederates and successfully conclude the war and reunite the country .