Biographies of 150 New Jerseyans
Caught up in the Struggle of the Civil War Including
Soldiers, Civilians, Men, Women, Heroes, Scoundrels and a Heroic Horse
Click on pages to enlarge
New Jersey Goes to War
Awarded the 2011 Non Fiction Reference Book by the NJ Studies Alliance Alliance
5 out of 5 stars, for excellent scholarship: "This
book is so jam-packed with fascinating characters
that it will entrain and enlighten even those who
are not into the Civil War or military history. It's
less about the battles and Generals and more a
study of varied human beings who participated in
this national trauma both directly and
peripherally." - Garden State Legacy
New Jersey Goes to War is a must-read for anyone
interested in local history or the Civil War. Editor Joseph Bilby
has collected the biographies of 150 noteworthy New
Jerseyans who participated in that great conflict, including
heroes and villains, the famous and the forgotten. Favorite
sons, including fearless Phil Kearny, are juxtaposed with
schemers like Oliver “Pet” Halsted and his Intelligent Whale
submarine. The bravery of common soldiers such as George
Ashby is paired with the selflessness of nurses like Cornelia
Hancock. Their stories and the others that populate this book
make the Civil War come alive.
Richard Veit, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of History and
Anthropology, Monmouth University
“Discussions throughout the book,suggest
potential avenues for further research, and ably
show the Civil War complexities to a wider
audience. This book is recommended to seasoned
historians and novices alike."
- Civil War News
With this book the New Jersey Civil War 150th
Anniversary Committee demonstrates that exploring
a great event through the lives of ordinary men and
women helps history come to life. New Jersey Goes
to War reveals the human side of the great struggle
of 1861-1865 and is a must-read for anyone
interested in that ever fascinating subject.
Marc Mappen
co-editor, The Encyclopedia of New Jersey
New Jersey Goes to War Reviews
New Jersey Goes to War
Published by the NJ Civil War 150 Committee of NJCWHA
Civil War 150 Committee
The
biographies
have
been
submitted
by
a
number
of
contributors,
whose
names
are
noted
following
each
entry.
Where
applicable,
sources
for
further
information
on
an
individual
subject
are
noted
in
parentheses.
Fuller
citations
are
available
in
a
brief
selected
bibliography
of
books,
articles
and
manuscripts
which
will,
in turn, often lead the reader to further sources. Internet citations provide complete access information.
Joseph G. Bilby, Editor
In
commemoration
of
the
Sesquicentennial
of
the
Civil
War,
the
New
Jersey
Civil
War
150th
Anniversary
Committee
has
compiled
brief
biographies
of
New
Jerseyans
of
the
era,
famous
and
obscure,
whose
lives
were
affected
by
the
conflict
and
the
events
surrounding
it.
The
representative
sampling
here
is
part
of
the
total
of
150
stories
of
soldiers
and
civilians,
including
heroes,
scoundrels
and
ordinary
folks
just
getting
by,
that
will
be
published
in
book
form
in
the
near
future.
These
are
the
tales
of
men
and
women
of
diverse
races,
religions
and
ethnic
backgrounds,
and
the
selections
include
enlisted
men,
officers,
nurses,
politicians,
diplomats,
manufacturers,
merchants,
writers,
poets
and
artists
who
were
born
in
or
immigrated
to
our
state
and
lived
here
before,
during
or
after
the
war.
When
faced
with
the
most
climactic
event
in
American
history,
the
people
of
New
Jersey’s
Civil
War
generation
became,
whether
they
wished
it
or
not,
actors
upon
the
historical
stage
rather
than
observers.
Many
of
their
lives
were,
indisputably,
in
the
oft-quoted
words
of
Oliver
Wendell
Holmes,
graphically
“touched
with
fire,”
others
less
so,
but
all
of
them,
for
better
or
worse,
would
never be the same.
