Give It To Them, Jersey Blues!; A History of the 7th Regiment, New Jersey Veteran Volunteers in the Civil War. by John Hayward. 375pp., Notes, Biblio., Indices, Roster, 27 maps, over 110 Illus.

Give It To Them, Jersey Blues! A History of the 7th Regiment, New Jersey Veteran Volunteers in the Civil War

By John Hayward

With the revival of interest in Americaís Civil War brought on by the Ken burns series, there has been a new demand for books on the subject. Instead of books that show an overall view of the war and rehash old ideas, it is hoped that this new interest will bring forth books that will focus on smaller, more specific topics. It is my hope that this regimental history will in some small part fill that need.

For myself, my interest goes back a long way, to the Civil War centennial celebration of the 1960s. It was then that my grandmother showed me Martin's Soldier Record, a color lithograph of a roster of the men of Company K, 7th New Jersey, on display in the front window of a local bank. There she pointed to the name of Charles Davis and told me it was my great-great grandfather. At that time, Charles Davis was just a name from the past.

As time passed, Davis became more than a name but a link to the past. It became important for me to know more about him. His service record gave only the bare bones and more information was sought to flesh him out. After more digging I discovered that there were diaries, letters, and manuscripts concerning Company K and the 7th New Jersey, but no regimental history.

The 7th New Jersey veterans never took the time to compile a history and it is now time that their story was told. The history of the 7th New Jersey is the story of the men who made the regiment what it was. Their story is similar to other regiments, North and South, but is unique to itself. Made up of young men, led by equally young men, the 7th New Jersey was willing to give that "last full measure of devotion" to a cause they believe was right. Their story is the story of the struggle to "nobly save the last best hope of earth."