Their New Colonel

The 5^th United States Infantry was stationed in New Mexico when on June 1^st 1863 it officially got its new Colonel; Union Major General John F Reynolds, he would not take command.

The 5^th United States Infantry traces its origins back to 1808, however technically the regiment was created March 3^rd 1815 by an Act of Congress reducing the Regular Army from 46 infantry and 4 rifle regiments with the ending of the War of 1812, to peace time numbers of 8 infantry.  Six old regiments were consolidated into the 5^th, and placed under command of Colonel James Miller.

In the spring of 1861 when the Civil War got started, the 5^th was ordered to concentrate at Albuquerque, New Mexico for a move east.  But, with some Western Departmental pressure placed on Washington, DC, the 5^th was left on the frontier.  When Confederates from Texas invaded New Mexico in early 1862, four companies of the 5^th were the rear Union guard at Valverde on February 21^st 1862, in which the Confederates were victorious.  Two other companies captured a field piece on March 28^th 1862 at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, defeating the Confederates.

On June 1^st 1863 the 5^th received a new Colonel, Union Major General John F Reynolds.  He was of course on detached service commanding volunteers with the Army of the Potomac, and was killed one month later at the Battle of Gettysburg.  After Reynolds’ death the army appointed another Army of the Potomac general, Daniel Butterfield to be the Colonel of the 5^th, but he also was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, and would not join the regiment while the war was going on.

The 5^th would remain throughout the Civil War on frontier duty watching for another Confederate attack. After the war ended the 5^th was transferred to the east moving to Fort Riley in Kansas.

An Engineer And Soldier

John Newton received his appointment to Union Major General March 30^th 1863.

John Newton was born August 25^th 1822 in Norfolk, Virginia the son of United States Congressman Thomas and Margaret (Jordan) Newton Jr.  He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating second in the class of 1842.  He was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and taught the subject from 1843 to 1846 at the Academy.  After which Newton served in engineering work along the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf Coast.

When the Civil War began, Newton stayed loyal to the Union.  He helped with the construction of the defenses of Washington, DC.  He was leading a brigade during the Peninsula and Maryland Campaigns, and fought at the Battle of Antietam.  Newton had become a division commander in the VI Corps by the Battle of Fredericksburg.  He was among the officers who traveled to Washington, DC to complained to United States President Abraham Lincoln of their lack of confidence in their commander; Union Major General Ambrose E Burnside.  On March 30^th 1863 Newton was appointed Major General.  He was wounded during the Chancellorsville Campaign at Salem Church.  During the Battle of Gettysburg Newton took command of the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac after the death of Union Major General John F Reynolds, and would continue in that position until the army was reorganized in 1864.  He was then placed in commanded of a division in the IV Corps during the Atlanta Campaign.  After this he was moved to command of the District of Key West, with his last campaign of the war a defeat at the Battle of Natural Bridge in Florida in March 1865.

After the war Newton returned to the Corps of Engineers.  He would oversee the improvements of the waters around New York City, and the Hudson River south of Albany, New York.  He was appointed Chief of Engineers in 1884.  On October 10^th 1885 Newton used 140 tons of dynamite and blew up New York’s Hell Gate Rock.  He retired from the Army in 1886, serving as a Commissioner of Public Works in New York City, and as President of the Panama Railroad Company.  Newton died May 1^st 1895 in New York City, New York, and is buried in the cemetery at West Point.

Nine Months To Save The Union

The 15^th Vermont Infantry a Nine Month Regiment was mustered into Union service October 22^nd 1862.

President Abraham Lincoln called for more Union troops on August 4^th 1862 following the disastrous defeat of Major General George B McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign.  The 15^th Vermont Infantry was a nine month regiment raised in response to this request.  The men were mostly recruited from Caledonia, Orleans, Orange and Windsor Counties. They went into Camp Holbrook October 8^th 1862 at Brattleboro VT, and were mustered into the Union Army October 22^nd 1862.  The next day the men of the 15^th left by train for Washington, DC, where they would join the 14^th Vermont Infantry at Camp Chase in Arlington, Virginia.

The 15^th spent the winter and spring performing picket duty in defense of Washington, DC.  On June 25^th 1863 the 15^th became part of the First Corps, and were ordered to march to join the rest of Brigadier General John Fulton Reynolds Corps in the pursuit of Confederate General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.  As they neared Gettysburg on June 30^th 1863 at Emmettsburg, Maryland, the 15^th along with the 12^th Vermont Regiment were detached from the rest of the Brigade.  These two Vermont Regiments spent the Battle of Gettysburg guarding the First Corps trains near Rock Creek Church about 2 miles from the battlefield.  Following the defeat of the Confederates the 15^th joined in the pursuit south, marching over South Mountain to Williamsport on July 14^th 1863.

The men of the 15^th found their nine months were up a few days later on July 18^th 1863.  They were moved by train to New York City where they spent a few days during the New York City Draft Riots.  They arrived back in Vermont and were mustered out of service on August 5^th 1863.  The 15^th started with 942 men, out whom they had 78 die from disease, and 5 who were taken prisoner of war.
If you would like to read more about the 15^th VT, check out Nine Months with the 15th Vermont Volunteers

A Railroad Builder

Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman an engineer of railroads was killed May 16^th 1863 at the Battle of Champion Hill.

Lloyd Tilghman was born at Rich Neck Manor in Claiborne, Maryland January 18^th 1816, the son of James and Ann C (Shoemaker) Tilghman.  He received an appointment to West Point Military Academy, graduating in 1836 near the bottom of his class.  Tilghman was commissioned second lieutenant in 1^st United States Dragoons.  He resigned after three months of service.  Tilghman went to work in Panama and areas of the south constructing a number of railroads.  He settled in Paducah, Kentucky.

After the Civil War began Tilghman joined the Confederacy and became the Colonel of the 3^rd Kentucky Infantry.  He was promoted to Brigadier General on October 18^th 1861.  Tilghman took on the engineering work of building Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.  He didn’t choose the location for the forts which he stated in his report were in a “wretched military position”.  Tilghman was captured February 6^th 1862 when Fort Henry fell to Union General Ulysses S Grant, and was sent to Fort Warren in Boston, Massachusetts as a POW.  He was exchanged August 15^th 1862 for Union General John F Reynolds.  Tilghman returned in the fall and took command of a brigade in Confederate General Earl Van Dorn’s Army of the West.  He commanded artillery at the Second Battle of Corinth.

Tilghman was hit by a shell fragment and killed May 16^th 1863 at the Battle of Champion Hill.  He is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.

A great web site, if you like to more about Lloyd Tilghman is Paducah's General Lloyd Tilghman

The First General Prisoner

James Jay Archer the first general captured from the Army of Northern Virginia was born on December 19th 1817.

James Jay Archer was the son of John and Ann [Stump] Archer and was born December 19th 1917 in Bel Air, MD. In 1835 he graduated from Princeton, and than studied law at the University of Maryland. When the Mexican-American War began he volunteered for service in the United States Army. He was cited for bravery brevetted to the rank of Major. After the war he return to his law practice, but decided in 1855 to re-join the army as a Captain in the 9th United States Infantry.

At the beginning of the Civil War Archer was stationed at Fort Walla Walla, Washington. He resigned his commission on May 14th 1861 and joined the Confederate Army. Although he was a native of Maryland, he became the Colonel of the 5th Texas Infantry. Archer was promoted on June 3rd 1862 to Brigadier General and given command of regiments from Tennessee. These units would be joined by others to form the “Light Division” under General AP Hill.

At Gettysburg Archer’s health was deteriorating. His brigade was now part of Major General Henry Heth’s division. On the first day of fighting, after attacking Union Major General John F Reynolds first Corps, and than being pushed back across Willoughby Run, the sick and exhausted Archer took cover in a thicket, where Union Private Patrick Maloney of the 2nd Wisconsin took Archer prisoner. This made him the first General to be captured from the Army of Northern Virginia since Robert E Lee took over command. He was sent to Fort Delaware along with his younger brother and aide-de-camp Robert Harris Archer. James Archer was eventually sent to Johnson’s Island in Ohio on the coast of Lake Erie, where he was held for about a year. He was exchanged in the late summer of 1864, reporting on August 9th to the Army of Tennessee. It was during the Siege of Petersburg that his health caused a collapse after the Battle of Peebles’ Farm. He died October 24th 1864 in Richmond, VA and is buried in Hollywood Cemetery.