Kearny’s Own: The History of the First New Jersey Brigade in the Civil War (Book Review)

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Reviewed by Jay Jorgensen
By Bradley M. Gottfried
Rutgers University Press

Bradley Gottfried has written several books, including Stopping Pickett: The History of the Philadelphia Brigade, Roads to Gettysburg and The Brigades of Gettysburg. His explanation for writing Kearny’s Own is that “within a year or two of moving to New Jersey, I felt a need to write a book on the First New Jersey Brigade.”

The original three regiments of the brigade, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd New Jersey Volunteers, were mustered into Federal service on May 21, 1861. During the course of the war, three additional regiments, the 4th, 15th and 23rd New Jersey Volunteers, became associated with the brigade. On June 28, 1861, Governor Charles S. Olden reviewed the troops, who then boarded trains and headed south to Washington to enter the war. Unlike most other brigades in the Union Army, the 1st New Jersey Brigade remained intact throughout the war, finally mustered out of service in July 1865. It fought with distinction, but not so much so that it enjoys the notoriety of the Iron Brigade or the Stonewall Brigade.

The nickname of the brigade was derived from its successful and accomplished first commander, Brig. Gen. Philip Kearny. The one-armed general made an immediate impression upon his men. A strict disciplinarian, Kearny soon had the Jerseymen ready for combat. He did so by constant drilling and paying close attention to details. It was not unusual for the soldiers to see Kearny personally attending to inspection of the ranks. Despite their early resistance to Kearny’s rules and regulations, the men came to admire and appreciate their commander, and he did the same toward them.

Gottfried has done a fine job of researching his topic. He has drawn upon more than 40 primary archival sources in retelling the story of Kearny’s brigade. Although this book is a history of a brigade that saw active service in many of the major battles in the Eastern theater, the book does not focus on the military action. Rather, Gottfried uses the words of the men to relate more of the social and political settings of the soldiers in the brigade. Indeed, if one is looking for details of the military exploits of the 1st New Jersey Brigade, Camille Baquet’s History of Kearny’s First New Jersey Brigade and Joseph Bilby’s Remember You Are Jerseymen! will fit that need. Gottfried’s volume contributes to our better understanding of what type of men from New Jersey went off to war, and how it affected them.

Kearny’s Own is well written. It is an interesting account of a solid brigade, and is certainly well worth a read for anybody with an interest in New Jersey and its soldiers in the Civil War.

Tags: Book Reviews, Civil War Times Book Reviews

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