The Twelfth New Jersey Infantry is honored by a monument and a position stone at Gettysburg.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? Dedicated May 26, 1886. Relief plaque cast: 1892.
What is it made out of? Granite; Relief plaque: bronze; Base: stone.
What size is it? Approx. 10 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 1 in. x 3 ft. 1 in.; Relief plaque: approx. H. 2 ft. x W. 2 ft. 9 in.; Base: approx. 1 ft. 6 in. x 5 ft. 6 in. x 5 ft. 6 in.
Who made it? Reilly, M., carver. Beattie & Brooks, fabricator. Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company, founder.
What does it depict? A granite shaft topped by a granite representation of a musket ball resting on three buckshots. A bronze relief plaque on the front of the monument depicts the soldiers of the 12th New Jersey engaged in battle at Bliss Farm. A trefoil symbol appears on each side of the shaft. The monument is one of twelve honoring New Jersey troops engaged in the Gettysburg Campaign and one of thirty-two with bronze reliefs. The bronze relief plaque was created by Beattie & Brooks, and was cast by the Henry Bonnard Bronze Company. M. Reilly carved the monument. Monument is a three-part polished granite shaft with a pyramidal cap containing a representation of a buck and ball and set on a 5.6 foot square rough cut base. The shaft has a bronze bas-relief obverse, and incised letters. Relief sculpted by Beattie and Brooks. Flanking markers are one foot square.
What does it honor? The monument indicates the line of battle taken by the regiment on July 3, 1863.
How is it inscribed? IN MEMORY OF/THE MEN OF THE/TWEFLTH REGIMENT/NEW JERSEY INFANTRY/VOLUNTEER/WHO FELL UPON THIS FIELD/JULY 2D AND 3D 1863./AND WHO, ELSEWHERE,/DIED UNDER THE FLAG./THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED/BY THEIR SURVIVING COMRADES,/AS AN EXAMPLE/TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. 12TH REGT/N.J. VOL. (On left side:) “BUCK S BALL/CALIBRE.69?/TWO CHARGES WERE MADE/BY THIS REGIMENT ON BLISS FARM./JULY 2d & 3d 1863./CAPTURING IT/STRENGTH AT MUSTER IN 892;/GAINED 907, TOTAL 1899.
When was this photograph taken? April 17, 2011.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, North Hancock Avenue, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325. Located on the west side of Hancock Avenue.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? Yes.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been changed or materially altered.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
Secondary Monuments and Markers
Photographed: November 14, 2009.
Location: Bliss Farm Site. The marker is located at the Bliss buildings site, west of the Emmitsburg Road. This monument is marked on the map above by a RED pushpin.
Description: Erected in 1888. The barn was burned and no longer stands. Denotes the regiment’s fight at the Bliss farm. Position marker is 3.1×1.2 foot and six foot high of polished granite.
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At Gettysburg
The 12th New Jersey Infantry was also known as The Buck and Ball Regiment. During the battle of Gettysburg, it served as a member of Smyth’s Brigade in Hays’ Division of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac. A Fighting 300 Regiment.
Commander: Maj. John T. Hill (1836-1891). Born in New Brunswick; bank clerk in New York City.
Number Engaged: 532
Casualties: 23 killed, 83 wounded, 9 missing
Officers Killed at Gettysburg:
- Capt. Charles K. Horsefall, Company E, mortally wounded on July 2
- 2nd Lieutenant Richard H. Townsend, Company C, buried in the National Cemetery at A-1
Soldiers Buried in the New Jersey Plot of the Gettysburg National Cemetery:
- Pvt. George W. Adams, Company F, A-14
- Pvt. John Albright, Company F, A-7
- Pvt. Isaac H. Copeland, Company E, A-6
- Pvt. William S. Harker, Company H, B-17
- Pvt. Daniel Kiernan, Company H, A-12
- Pvt. George H. Martin, Company A, A-9
- Pvt. Samuel B. Platt, Company B, A-10
- Pvt. James A. Riley, Company E, B-18
- Pvt. Thomas J. Rudrow, Company G, A-15
- Cpl. Joseph B. Spachius, Company B, A-8
- Pvt. William H. Spencer, Company B, A-16
After Action Report: After Action Report of Maj. John T. Hill (will open a pop up window).
General Information
Raised: Camden, Cumberland, Burlington, Gloucester, and Salem counties.
Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:
Organized at Camp Stockton, Woodbury, N.J., and mustered in September 4, 1862. Left State for Baltimore, Md., September 7, 1862. Attached to Defenses of Baltimore, Md. Unattached, 8th Army Corps, Middle Dept., to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 2nd Army Corps, to July, 1865.
SERVICE—Guard duty at Ellicott’s Mills, Md., September 8.–December 10, 1862. Moved to Washington, D.C., December 10, thence to Join Army of the Potomac December 13-17, reporting at Falmouth, Va., December 20. Duty there until April 27, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 11-July 24 Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3, Pursuit of Lee to Manassas Gap July 5-24. Duty on Orange & Alexandria Railroad until September 12. Advance from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan September 13-17. Picket duty on the Rapidan until October. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Auburn and Bristoe October 14. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Mine Run November 28-30. At Stevensburg until May, 1864. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7. Morton’s Ford February 6-7. Campaign from the Rapidan to the James May 3-June 15. Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7; Laurel Hill May 8; Spotsylvania May 8-12; Po River May 10; Spotsylvania Court House May 12-21. Assault on the Salient, “Bloody Angle,” May 12. North Anna River May 23-26. On line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Cold Harbor June 1-12. Before Petersburg June 16-18. Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Jerusalem Plank Road June 22-23, 1864. Demonstration north of the James July 27-29. Deep Bottom July 27-28. Demonstration north of the James August 13-20. Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18. Ream’s Station August 25. Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run, October 27-28. Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run, February 5-7, 1865. Watkins House March 25. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Boydton and White Oak Roads March 30-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Sailor’s Creek April 6. High Bridge, Farmville, April 7. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. March to Washington, D.C., May 2-12. Grand Review May 23. Duty at Washington, D.C., until July. Mustered out at Washington, D.C., July 15, 1865. Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 168 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 99 Enlisted men by disease. Total 276.
New Jersey at Gettysburg
1st Infantry :: 2nd Infantry :: 3rd Infantry :: 4th Infantry :: 5th Infantry :: 6th Infantry :: 7th Infantry :: 8th Infantry :: 11th Infantry :: 12th Infantry :: 13th Infantry :: 15th Infantry :: 1st Cavalry :: Battery A :: Battery B
