Bio of Col. Hugh Hartshorne Janeway, First New Jersey Cavalry
Here is a story that I can tell. This tale unfolded while I was researching the wartime events of an ancestor, Pvt Thomas Jeffers of the Hampton Legion Cavalry. The first fight of South Carolina's Hampton Legion Cavalry happened on December 17-18, 1861, near the Potomac River, against the 1st New Jersey Cavalry. Out of this clash, the figure that stuck with me was a Yankee.
Colonel Hugh Hartshorne Janeway, commander of the First New Jersey Cavalry. From Find-A-Grave
The Official Records and the northern newspapers give no certain information about deaths at Pohick Church on the morning of 18 Dec 1861. But there did appear definite news about the lieutenant who was shot the night before, when the Rebel scouts encountered the Union pickets in the dark. Lt. Hugh Hartshorne Janeway was the man wounded. I learned more about him from the newspapers, Fold3, Find-A-Grave, and Ancestry.
Born in New Jersey in 1842, he was a very young Lieutenant in the First New Jersey Cavalry, the only cavalry company under General Samuel Heintzelman. Heintzelman's division was positioned in Alexandria County, Virginia, during the general stand-off near the Potomac in December of 1861.
On 17 Dec 1861, a squad from the Hampton Legion Cavalry set out to force an encounter with some Yankees, any Yankees. The regiment chafed under the ignominy of being the only branch of the Hampton Legion which had not yet proved its valor in battle. The Legion's infantry and artillery had covered themselves in glory at 1st Manassas, and since that day for shelling Union ships up and down the Potomac. The cavalry needed to make something happen.
Knowing they could find what they wanted near Pohick Church, the squad quietly bivouacked about three miles away. That night the commanders took a few men armed with Enfield rifles and snuck through the woods to scout out the Yankee cavalry stationed about three miles on the other side of the church. Returning in the dark, they encountered a small number of Yankee pickets. Shots were exchanged before the Rebels escaped into the woods and returned to their own camp for a short rest.
The next morning the two sides clashed. Both sides claimed to have come out on top - the Rebels bragged in the Charleston
Daily Courier, and the Yankees in the
Official Records report. Neither side admitted to any deaths. But there was no hiding the fact that Lieutenant Janeway was gravely wounded in the previous night's exchange leading up to the morning fight. I will let contemporary newspaper articles describe Janeway's troubles:
Clipped from
The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, Maryland, 18 Dec 1861, Wed • Page 2
TEXT TRANSCRIPTION
From Across the Potomac - A Reconnaissance.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 17. - A reconnaissance was made to-day by a squadron of the First New Jersey Cavalry, belonging to General Heintzleman's division, under command of Capt. Shellmire [Sheldon]
. A portion of the squadron, commanded by Lieut. Janeville [Janeway],
of company L, of Jersey city, was ordered to proceed to the Bone Mills, on the left of Springfield station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, about seven miles from the headquarters of Gen. Heintzleman.
The company there halted, when the Lieutenant, with an orderly, proceeded two miles beyond, but on attempting to return they found themselves surrounded by rebel Infantry [dismounted cavalrymen]
. The Lieutenant was shot in six places, and the horse of the orderly killed. The orderly made his escape. The company in reserve hearing the firing, proceeded to render assistance, and on their approach the enemy fled, leaving the Lieutenant behind after robbing him of his small arms and nearly all his clothing. He was brought into camp, and was still alive at 8 o'clock to-night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clipped from
The Local News, Alexandria, Virginia, 23 Dec 1861, Mon • Page 2
TEXT TRANSCRIPTION
Lieut. Janeway, of Jersey City, who was wounded in the reconnoisance on Monday last, from Gen. Heintzelman's division, is in the hospital of the 2d Maine regiment. - He was hit by eight musket balls, six of which entered his body. Two of these have been extracted. With proper care he may recover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clipped from
Monmouth Democrat, Freehold, New Jersey, 26 Dec 1861, Thu • Page 2
TEXT TRANSCRIPTION
Lieut. Janeway, of Halstead's Cavalry, son of William Janeway, of Jersey City, while reconnoitering with two members of his regiment near Bone's Mill, in Virginia, was surrounded by the enemy and shot - six bullets entering his body. - He was robbed of some clothing and firearms, before assistance drove the rebels away. At last accounts he was in a fair way to recover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lieutenant Janeway did recover. On the website Fold3 I can see that he was steadily promoted in the ranks. Though so young, he must have been a talented and competent officer. By the time of the Petersburg Campaign in 1864, young Hugh Janeway was a colonel. He led men of the First New Jersey Cavalry in the eastern sector throughout the war, no doubt crossing paths again with the Hampton Legion Cavalry (by then called the Second South Carolina Cavalry), in such battles as Brandy Station and Gettysburg.
In February 1864 Hugh Janeway married Eliza Jones in Jersey City, then returned to his regiment in Virginia.
At that same time the Second South Carolina Cavalry (formerly of the Hampton Legion) left Virginia, worn down to just a few exhausted men. They swapped places with fresh troops from South Carolina - including the Seventh South Carolina Cavalry, which held two fresh Jeffers brothers. So Thomas Jeffers of the 2nd SC Cavalry returned to South Carolina, while his brothers Captain Henry Jeffers and Pvt. Spann Jeffers with the 7th SC Cavalry rode to Virginia. Henry and Spann expressed the feeling that it was "their turn," and were glad that Thomas had a chance to recuperate.
Janeway and the 1st New Jersey Cavalry served around Petersburg during that long summer and fall of 1864. The Jeffers brothers and the 7th SC Cavalry served north of the James, under General Gary in the defenses around Richmond. But the Jeffers finally did cross paths with Janeway's unit. After Petersburg and Richmond fell, the 1st NJ were part of Grant's forces in hot pursuit of the fleeing Confederates. Both cavalry units, the 1st NJ Cavaly and the 7th SC Cavalry, met in a hot fight at the Battle of Amelia Springs on 5 April 1865.
No letters were getting through to the Jeffers family back in South Carolina at this time. But I do have a description of the battle, found in the
Diary of William G. Hinson, 1st Lieutenant and good friend to Captain Henry Jeffers. Here is the excerpt for 5 April 1865:
5th: Started in pursuit of a body of cavalry that had dashed into our wagon train; my company led. Gen. Gary, Major Boykin, Orderly Mitchell and myself got in among them with our sabres. My horse was killed and fell on me bruising me right smart. Sgt. Mitchell and Cayle pulled him off under very dangerous circumstances (until then was unjust to Mitchell, never believed him, before, a brave man).
The volley that killed my horse brought down the first set of fours (Mitchell and Doyle among them). Jeffers had a ball through his hat. Tracy killed; poor fellow, a true soldier though a northern man (from Connecticut). McKnight wounded, Charlie Lawton mortally wounded and in the hands of enemy. Halted for night near Amelia Court House.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Battle of Amelia Springs has been rated as "inconclusive." Both sides had losses, and no good was done. To me the most poignant loss that day, so
very close to the end, was 22 year-old Colonel Hugh Janeway of the 1st New Jersey Cavalry. He died at Amelia Springs on April 5th, and his son Hugh Jr. was born on December 3rd, 1865.
Forum Host
Bringing the