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Lot 44
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Battle of the Wilderness 8th New Jersey Volunteers Handwritten Account
Battle of the Wilderness 8th New Jersey Volunteers Handwritten Account
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Description:

Civil War

Battle of the Wilderness 8th New Jersey Volunteers Handwritten Account

 

2pp DS signed by Major Virgil M. Healy (died 1871), commanding officer of the 8th New Jersey Volunteers, as "Virgil M. Healy" at the bottom of the second page. Docketed on the moderately soiled fourth page. The "Congress" embossed cream blue-lined bifold paper is in near fine condition, with expected light paper folds and a few chipped edges. Each page measures 7.75" x 9.75".

 

The report addressed to W.J. Rusling, written in a "Camp near Petersburg, Va." on August 8, 1864, contains a detailed record of the 8th New Jersey Volunteers' movements during the Battle of the Wilderness. In delivering his report, Healy was complying with Army of the Potomac Special Orders No. 209, dated August 5, 1864, which ordered all commanders to report their troop movements during the recent campaign.

 

The first battle of U.S. Grant's Overland Campaign, the Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5-7, 1864 as part of a larger effort to sever enemy supply lines and encircle the Confederate capital at Richmond. This was a particularly busy and bloody period of the Civil War. High casualty rates sustained on both sides resulted only in attrition.

 

Healy's account provides an extremely detailed record of the "battles of the Wilderness Va." It provides interesting statistical information about the Union Army, like how many miles a regiment marched a day, or how many hours a regiment was under fire, in the second line, or responsible for guard duty during any battle.

 

With untouched spelling:

 

"The Regiment left camp near Brandy Station Va. on the night of May 3rd , and crossed the Rapidan at daylight on the morning of the 4th and continued to march until 3 P.M. of that day, and halted on the old battle field of Chancellorsville and bivouacked; distance marched about 23 miles."

 

Here, the 8th New Jersey Volunteers marched 23 miles in about 9 hours, when the average Civil War soldier was expected to march 15 miles a day, or 30 miles a day on a forced march. The Union and Confederate armies had already converged on the same area one year earlier during the Battle of Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863). General Lee had then carried the day, although with tremendous loss of life, including that of one of his most ferocious subordinates, "Stonewall" Jackson.

 

"On the 5th of May about 6 A.M., we left our bivouac and marched to the Brock Road (running through the wilderness) and became engaged at 2 P.M., the regiment being relieved about 6 P.M. The regiment went into action with 10 officers and 184 enlisted men.

 

At 5 A.M. on the morning of the 6th the regiment again advanced on the enemy's position, and remained under fire, during the day, until about 3 P.M. when we were compelled to fall back to our breastworks on the Brock Road, where we took up a position in the second line. About 4 1/2 P.M. the enemy attacked our front in strong force but was repulsed with great loss. During the enemy's assault the regiment was deployed in rear of the second line as a Guard to arrest stragglers, and prevent the men from falling back from the works, and succeeded in collecting about 1000 men and returning them to their regiments, mostly in the front line."

 

The 8th New Jersey Volunteers were thus engaged in active fighting an average of 7 hours a day on May 5th and 6th. When the regiment was allowed a small reprieve and fell back to the second line, it was tasked with policing its own army. Healy's comment about returning "about 1000 men…mostly [to the front line" suggests something about the intensity of the fighting.

 

"May 7th the regiment lay in the 2nd line of works until the afternoon, and then marched to the right about 2 miles and was there detailed for guard duty with the ammunition train, which we escorted, back to the old battle field of Chancellorsville and bivouacked about 1 A.M.; distance marched about 14 miles."

 

Out of Healy's reported men (10 officers and 184 enlisted men) who participated in the Battle of the Wilderness, 5 officers and 119 men were either killed, wounded, or missing, a casualty rate of 50% for officers and 64% for rank and file. According to a regimental history of the 8th New Jersey Volunteers, 15 soldiers were killed, 140 were wounded, and 25 went missing during May-June 1864. The Battle of the Wilderness was a draw, and fighting would continue in the area until March 1865.

 

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