Portraying new recruits

[Duff]

I have noticed on the website that the federals will be portrying newer recruits for this event. Generaly, we portray more veteran troops, so I am wondering, what are important points to remember while portaying green troops? Should we bring extra gear that vets. would have thrown away, or perhaps (dare I say it) wipe a little dirt off your uniform? I think it would be important to emphasize this as we would not want anyone doing the crusty-old-veteran look.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Portraying new recruits

James,

I'm not so sure "new recruits" is the best description, but this was the 11th NJVI's first combat. The event website contains this paragraph:

The recently-formed Eleventh New Jersey joined the Army of the Potomac in mid-November 1862 and did not participate in the actual the battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. Instead, the Eleventh spent December 13 guarding the Federal pontoon bridges near Hamilton’s Crossing, and was brought to the front around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 14, to relieve the troops who had fought the day before. Companies D and I of the Eleventh picketed the very ground where our event will be held; the regiment lost on picket that day a total of seven men (three killed, four wounded). The Eleventh New Jersey would go on to win many battlefield laurels—particularly at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg—and on many other fields, such as Payne’s Farm, the Wilderness, and Petersburg.

From Dyer's Compendium, part of the background information for this event, we learn:

Organized at Camp Olden, Trenton, N. J., and mustered in August 15, 1862. Left State for Washington, D.C., August 25, 1862. Attached to Whipple's Command, Defences of Washington, D.C., to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1864....

SERVICE.--Duty in the Defences of Washington, D, C., till November 16, 1862. March to Falmouth, Va., November 16-27. Duty near Falmouth, Va., November 28-December 11. Battle of Fredericksburg, Va., December 12-15. At Falmouth, Va., till April 27, 1863....

So, the 11th NJVI has been in service since mid-August, and the timeframe for this event is mid-December, so they have been around for four months -- of mostly camp life, so they aren't exactly "new recruits."

Here's a snippet from the ORs to round this out:

O.R.-- SERIES I--VOLUME XXI [S# 31]
DECEMBER 11-15, 1862.--Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.
No. 156.--Report of Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Carr, U.S. Army, commanding First Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
Camp near Falmouth, Va., December 17, 1862.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the recent movements of my command:

In compliance with orders, received from division headquarters December 10, my brigade struck tents at 6 o'clock on the morning of the 11th instant, and at 7 o'clock marched nearly 2 miles in the direction of Falmouth. There I formed in column of regiments, and remained during the entire day and night.

On the 12th, at 7.30 o'clock, I marched about 1 mile in the direction of Fredericksburg and halted. At 3.30 o'clock I was directed to march to the rear, and, while executing the order, I was directed to face about and march to Franklin's pontoon bridge, where I arrived at 7 p.m., and bivouacked in the wood for the night. At 10 p.m., in compliance with orders from division headquarters, I sent four regiments, viz, Second New Hampshire, Colonel Marston; Eleventh Massachusetts, Colonel Blaisdell; Eleventh New Jersey, Colonel McAllister, and Sixteenth Massachusetts, Colonel Tannart, to guard the bridges, with instructions to permit no one to cross without a pass from a general officer.

At 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the 13th, I was ordered across the bridge with the two remaining regiments (Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania, Lieutenant-Colonel Tilghman, and First Massachusetts, Lieutenant-Colonel Baldwin). Arriving at the opposite side of the Rappahannock, I was directed by an aide-de-camp of General Stoneman to proceed to the front, which order I complied with, my right resting on General Howe's left, and my left on the right of Seeley's battery. I then threw out my skirmishers, who engaged those of the enemy until after dusk. At 12 midnight two regiments of my brigade (Second New Hampshire and Eleventh Massachusetts Volunteers) were relieved from duty at the pontoon bridges by Colonel Park, Second New York Volunteers, Third Brigade, and marched to the front, forming my second line.

At 8 30 a.m. on the 14th, the two remaining regiments at the bridges (Sixteenth Massachusetts and Eleventh New Jersey Volunteers) were relieved, and rejoined the brigade at the front. Skirmishers from all my regiments were now out, and engaged the skirmishers of the enemy until 4 p.m., when, a truce having been agreed upon, all firing on my front ceased, and the dead and wounded were removed. During the night the Eleventh Massachusetts Volunteers (Colonel Blaisdell) was engaged in throwing up rifle-pits at the front to protect our skirmishers.

At 10 a.m. on the 15th, my command was relieved by the Third Brigade, and marched to the left and rear. At (6 p.m. I relieved Colonel Hall, commanding the Second Brigade. At 9.30 p.m., in accordance with instructions from General Sickles, I moved my brigade back into the road, and two hours later crossed the bridge and bivouacked for the night about 1 mile from the Rappahannock.

On the morning of the 16th, at 11 o'clock, my brigade left its bivouac and marched to its former camp.

The following are the casualties: Killed, 9; wounded, 68; missing, 4; total, 81. The reports of regimental commanders are herewith forwarded.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOS. B. CARR,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Capt. O. H. HART,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Division.

Then there is the description from the regimenta historyl by Marbaker:

"On the morning of the 14th the regiment was ordered to cross the river and take position in the second line of battle, but it was soon ordered to the front line to relieve the Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania; two companies, D and I, Captains Luther Martin and John T. Hill commanding, being detailed to relieve the pickets of the Twenty-sixth Pennsyvlania. A the marched out to take position, the enemy poured upon them a galling picket-fire. Though it was their first experience, their "baptism of fire," they did not falter., but as coolly as as steadily as veterans marched to their position, and even drove the enemy's pickets a short distance. A brisk picket-fire was kept up by the opposing lines.

Early in the morning the enemy had attempted to place as battery in front of their main line, so as to command the position of our brigade, but a company of riflemen from the Second New Hampshire, who had taken an advance position, made it so warm for them that they quickly sought shelter. About noon as suspension of hostilities was agreed upon, that the wounded and dead of both sides might be collected.

Then occurred one of the strange sights of the war -- one that took from the battle-field a little of its horror, and seemed to turn for a while the crimson robe of carnage to the white hue of peace. From the picket-lines on either side he men advanced and held friendly converse, seemingly forgetful of the fact that but a few minutes before they has been endeavorign to take each other's lives and in a few minutes more they would again be intent upon the same purpose. Papers and other articles that could be spared were exchanged for Southern tobacco -- an article that was always in demand. In two or three instances friends on ante-war days met and discussed the situation. But soon the true was ended and the work of death began.

Near our skirmish line was the ruins of a house that had been destroyed by fire. The chimney remained nearly intact. One of our men, thinking it a favorable position, climbed to the second story, and safety hidden in the remains of a capacious fire-place, picked off the enemy at leisure.

Companies D and I were relieved by other companies of the regiment in the evening, but their numbers had been lessened -- Christopher Graham, of Company I, and Warren Green, of Company D had been killed; John Williamson, of Company D, mortally wounded. He died on the 15th. The wounded were Peter Burk, George Davis, Edward B. Nelson, and George Barnett, of Company D.

After the shades of night had hidden us from the watchful eyes of the enemy we took the bodies of our fallen comrades, and, wrapping their blankets around them, laid them to rest in soldiers' hastily-made graves. A few remarks, a brief prayer, and the ceremony was ended; but the solemnity of the occasion will never be forgotten, for, though disease had made vacancies in our ranks, and we had followed a number of our comrades to the grave, these were the first to die in actual conflict, and despite any assumed carelessness, the question would arise, "Who next?"

But little fighting occurred on December 15th, and about ten o'clock P.M. the regiment received orders to quietly recross the river, Burnside having determined to withdraw his army."

This may be of some use.

[Duff]

Re: Portraying new recruits

Thanks for that wealth of info. I had not got along to reading any detailed history of the 11NJ, and assumed "recently formed" meant "recently recruited." My question still stands though, as I think it would be good to know for other events as well. I will rephrase for clarity: What would new/untested soldiers do that veterans wouldn't, and how can we incorporate this into our impressions?

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Portraying new recruits

I think the answer is that there is not a generalized answer. After being with the Army of the Potomac in the field for a month by the dates we are portraying, they would have been somewhat "dirty" and would have well-understood the rigors of the campaign trail. Perhaps newer troops like the Eleventh New Jersey were not, at Fredericksburg, as combat-seasoned as other troops, but it did not take long for "green" troops to learn to do things like make a smaller target by lying down.

At this event, the re-created Eleventh will be portraying the historical actions of the original regiment on this ground, namely, picket duty. The regiment would have known the basics of this and probably would have done it "by the book" more than a veteran regiment might have. I'm guessing at that, because it obviously could have been almost anything, and we do not have documentation for how exactly the Eleventh did picket duty at Fredericksburg, thus we have to fall back on the manuals and handbooks.

Regarding first-person, the reenactors at this event should portray the Eleventh as knowing their "military stuff" but not being combat seasoned. The Eleventh would have seen the casualties and human ruins on the battlefield and probaby been horrified by it at Fredericksburg--certainly THAT aspect of their Fredericksburg experience would have been apparent and should thus be portrayed.

Regarding "camp know how", the Eleventh had been on the campaign trail for a month by the dates we are portraying, so they would have understood how to rig up shelter and that shelter was good when the weather was poor.

In short, a moderate amount of dirt and even some wear on the gear is appropriate, and most of the stuff one would do while portraying "veteran" troops is appropriate at this event. The main difference between truly experienced troops and the Eleventh as it should be portrayed at this event will be apparently mostly in the first-person that we hope will be done by the Federal participants.