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Eighth Infantry.--Cols., Adolphus J. Johnson, John Ramsey;
Lieut.-Cols., Thomas L. Martin, Joseph Trawin, William Ward,
John Willian, Henry Hartford; Majs., Peter M. Ryerson, William
A. Henry, George Hoffman, Virgil M. Healey, Louis M. Morris.
This regiment was organized under the provisions of an act of
Congress, approved July 22, 1861, and was fully organized,
officered and equipped by Sept. 14, at which time it was
mustered into the service of the United States, for three
years, at Camp Olden, Trenton. It left the state on Oct. 1,
with 38 officers, 851 non-commissioned officers and privates, a
total of 889. Upon arrival at Washington it went into camp at
Meridian hill, and there remained until the early part of Dec.,
1861, when it was ordered to report to Gen. Joseph Hooker, near
Budd's ferry, Md., where the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th N. J.
regiments were brigaded and designated the 3d brigade of
Hooker's division, generally known as the 2nd New Jersey
brigade. The regiment received its initiation into actual
warfare at the battle of Williamsburg, where with the 6th and
7th it was sent into a wood in front of a line of field-works.
Among the killed in that battle was Maj. Ryerson, while among
the wounded were a large number of officers, including Col.
Johnson. Gen. Hooker, in his report of the battle of Fair
Oaks, testified in the most emphatic terms to the gallantry of
the brigade and added that the service assigned to the 7th and
8th in the rear was performed to his entire satisfaction. The
loss of the regiment at Fair Oaks or Seven Pines was 1 killed
and 6 wounded. In the engagement at Bristoe Station Lieut.-
Col. Ward was wounded in the arm and side, and Capt. J. Tuite
was killed. In the series of engagements ending at Chantilly
on Sept. 1, 1862, the regiment lost 25 men. In the formation
of troops for the battle of Chancellorsville, the New Jersey
brigade, which at that time included the 2nd N. Y., 115th Pa.,
5th, 6th, 7th and 8th N. J., under command of Gen. Mott,
crossed the Rappahannock on May 1. The 5th and 8th N. J. were
detached to guard the pontoons, while the others were picketed
along the Rappahannock to its junction with the Rapidan and
thence along that river to connect with pickets thrown out by
Carr's 1st N. Y. brigade. Mott received instructions directing
Him to guard the ford, Seeley's battery being placed at his
disposal. At 6 o'clock on the morning of May 3, the battle
opened with skirmishing on the left, and it soon extended along
the entire front, accompanied by a hot artillery fire from the
enemy, the first shot from the latter's guns killing 2 men of
the 8th. At one period of the engagement, a section of
artillery belonging to Dimmick's regular battery, 1st
artillery, being in danger of capture, all the cannoneers and
horses having been killed, Gen. Mott despatched Capt. Nichols
with a detachment of the 8th to bring it off by hand. The
battery was rescued, the gallant heroes of the 8th, with the
brave Capt. Nichols, bringing the guns safely into the lines.
The losses of the regiment were 21 killed, 96 wounded and 10
missing, Col. Ramsey being among the wounded. At the battle of
the Wilderness, the brigade was advanced to a position on the
Brock road, where breastworks were hastily thrown up, the 5th
and 8th N. J., under command of Col. Sewell, moving up the road
to its junction with what was known as the Furnace road, where
Sewell was placed in command of the skirmish line. The total
losses of the regiment during the months of May and June, 1864,
amounted to 15 killed, 140 wounded and 25 missing. In an
engagement on the north bank of James river on Aug. 16, the
regiment moved forward as a forlorn hope, the object being to
develop the enemy's strength, and under command of Col. Ramsey,
advanced steadily under a deadly cross-fire until it was found
that it would be impossible to reach the works, when the
command slowly retired. At the battle of Hatcher's run all the
regiments of the brigade were behind breastworks, except the
8th, then commanded by Maj. Hartford, which was exposed to a
galling fire, but it stood nobly to its work. The loss in the
brigade was 53, mainly in the 8th, owing to its exposed
position. At the opening of the fight at Armstrong's house the
7th and 8th N. J. were on the right of the division. Later in
the day Lieut.-Col. Schoonover's command was attacked and
driven from the works occupied in the morning, but the 7th and
8th going to his help, his line was reestablished and securely
held. At Boydton plank road an assault was made by the 11th
and 8th N. J., with two other regiments, upon one of the
Confederate works, the men advancing through heavy slashings to
the crest of a hill overlooking the enemy's position, and
succeeding in occupying part of his rifle-pits. On April 2 a
general attack on the enemy's line was ordered, and at 8
o'clock the 8th N. J., advancing on the immediate front in the
midst of a fire of musketry, shell and canister, captured the
entire picket line of the enemy--165 men and 200 muskets-
whereupon the 11th N. J. and 11th Mass. were advanced and a
charge was made on the main intrenchments of the Confederates,
resulting in the capture of further prisoners and the
occupation of the works. On June 25, 1863, a large number of
the 8th reenlisted in the field, for three years or during the
war, and those who did not reenlist and whose term of service
had expired were mustered out at Trenton, Sept. 21, 1864.
Those who remained were consolidated into the 8th battalion and
so remained until Oct. 12, 1864, at which time the 6th
battalion was joined to it by transfer. The command then
resumed its regimental organization, which it continued until
the close of the war, the regiment being finally mustered out
at Washington, July 17, 1865. The total strength of the
regiment was 2,795, and it lost, by resignation 35, by
promotion 56, by discharge 431, by transfer 336, by death 284,
by dismissal 4, by desertion 416, not accounted for 247,
mustered out, 986.