The 40th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

 raised in the state of New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. It was the last such unit the state raised for the conflict.

Organization

The first company of the unit was organized on October 23rd 1864, but since the low enlistments numbers the companies were individually sent to the front, and were temporarily attached to the 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in the First New Jersey Brigade

First New Jersey Brigade

The First New Jersey Brigade is the common name for an American Civil War brigade of New Jersey infantry regiments in the Union Army of the Potomac...

. It was officially organized and mustered in as a whole on March 10, 1865, when the last company was sent to the front. Owing largely to high bounties paid out and a smaller pool of available men of age since the war was in its later days, the unit suffered heavy desertion rates - the highest of any New Jersey infantry regiment. Its commander, Colonel Stephen Rose Gilkyson

Stephen Rose Gilkyson

Stephen Rose Gilkyson was a Union Army officer that served in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. He commanded first the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry as a lieutenant colonel and the 40th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry as a Colonel.-References:...

, had previously commanded the 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry

6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry

The 6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-Service:...

 as a Lieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant colonel

Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

, and had several years of combat field service under his belt. Likewise, most of the 40th's officer corps were combat veterans from previous New Jersey regiments. Due to the hapazard way the unit was organized, many officers served in their duty in the field long before they were officially mustered in.

Field Service

Although the unit as it existed at the time was present at the Battle of Hatcher's Run near Dabney's Mills on February 5-7, 1865, the 40th New Jersey participated in their first and last battle on April 2nd at Petersburg, where it participated in the final Union army assaults on Confederate entrenchments. There the unit suffered 23 wounded (2 of whom died later). Private Frank E. Fesq of Company A captured the battle flag of the 18th North Carolina Infantry during the assault, earning him the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

.

The regiment remained in occupation duty after the Confederate surrender, then was mustered out at Hall's Hill, Virginia on July 13, 1865.

Original Field and Staff

• Colonel Stephen R. Gilkyson (mustered in March 10, 1865)
• Lieutenant Colonel Samuel J. Hopkins (not mustered)
• Major J. Augustus Fay, Jr. (mustered in February 16, 1865)
• Adjutant George W. Breen (mustered in April 13, 1865)
• Quartermaster J. Warner Kinsey (mustered in March 20, 1865)
• Chief Surgeon Charles Hall (mustered in February 21, 1865)
• Assistant Surgeon Harmon Heed (mustered in March 17, 1865)
• Assistant Surgeon Elias Wildman (mustered in March 16, 1865)

Lieutenant Colonel Hopkins was never mustered in, and his position was eventually filled by promoting Major Fay to Lieutenant Colonel. The Major's duty of the regiment then went to Captain Andrew J. Mandeville, who was promoted on June 7, 1865.

Company Commanders

Company A

Captain John Edelstein

Mustered in October 24, 1864, left state October 24, 1864

Company B

Captain Samuel W. Downs


Mustered in December 24, 1864, left state January 12, 1865

Company C

Captain George Eggers

Mustered in December 24, 1864, left state January 12, 1865

Company D

Captain Maurice C. Stafford

mustered in January 21, 1865, left state January 21, 1865

Company E

Captain Joseph A. Schnetzer

Mustered in January 27, left state January 31, 1865

Company F

Captain Charles E. Grant

Mustered in February 2, left State February 6, 1865

Company G

Captain Ellwood Lippincott

Mustered in February 9, left state February 10, 1865

Company H

Captain Andrew J. Mandeville

Mustered in February 16, left state February 17, 1865

Company I

Captain Ezra Stewart

Mustered in March 2, left sate March 4, 1865

Company K

Captain John W. Goodenough

Mustered in March 10, left state March 12, 1865