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• 1 2018-12-10T19:32:03+00:00 Introduction to the 12th New Jersey 17 Page 2 plain 2018-12-15T21:43:01+00:00

              About a year after the start of the American Civil War in April 1861, President Lincoln issued an executive order to the Governors of the several states in June 1862. In his message, Lincoln addresses that in order to fortify their position in the war and accomplish the initial objective of the Union, the army requires an additional 150,000 men to serve.

              The residents of Gloucester County in New Jersey were eager to get involved in the war, having no formal regiment formed in their area. Without much hesitation, Gloucester residents formed the 12th New Jersey Volunteer regiment in August of 1862. The regiment had two main reasons to join in the fight, one was to preserve the Union and states rights, the second being money. Money in the 1800s, from a geographic perspective, was the driving force behind society. The industrial revolution had significantly increased the national wealth, but only a small percentage of the nation held a majority of the wealth. This increased the value of paper money, which in turn became the most important aspect of life in the 1800s. It is for this reason, that some historians have summarized the American Civil War as “a rich man’s war but a poor man's fight.” The big name politicians were the ones having the war, but it was the everyday farmers and industry men that were fighting the war, all for a chance to increase their wealth and social status.

              The 12th New Jersey was ushered into service under the 2nd Corps, 3rd Division, 2nd Brigade of the Army of the Potomac led by Major General George McClellan. Their first major involvement in the war was the battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863, which was followed by arguably their greatest impact on the outcome of the war, the battle of Gettysburg. Over the course of the war, the 12th New Jersey participated in over 50 major battles/ skirmishes and remained in service until the end of the war in 1865.