Legislative History

The State of New Jersey first honored its Civil War veterans with a commemorative medal in 1901, when the state legislature authorized the governor to issue the First Defenders' Medal.  This award was given to honorably discharged officers and men from the first, second, third, and fourth regiments of the "New Jersey brigade-militia" who mustered in at Trenton on 1 May 1861 to serve for three months (P.L. 1901, Joint Resolution Number 1, p. 417).  Legislation of 1904 created a second medal, the New Jersey Civil War Veteran Medal, which could be issued to all honorably discharged veterans of the Civil War except those who received the First Defenders' Medal (P.L. 1904, Joint Resolution Number 10, p. 512).

On 4 March 1908, a resolution was passed which extended eligibility for the New Jersey Civil War Veteran Medal to those who could receive the First Defenders' Medal, provided they had performed subsequent service in a New Jersey organization during the war (P.L. 1908, Joint Resolution Number 1, p. 725).  Later that year, on the 14th of April, the legislature authorized the issuance of a third medal, the First Service Medal, to Civil War veterans who enrolled between the 16th of April and 16th of July, 1861, in "Company A, National Guard, Mercer Brigade, State Militia" (P.L. 1908, Joint Resolution Number 10, p. 734).

Finally, a 17 March 1909 resolution authorized the governor to issue the New Jersey Civil War Veteran Medal to "every person who enlisted in the land or naval forces of the United States during the war of the rebellion, and who was credited to our quota of men" provided that the veteran was honorably discharged (P.L. 1909, Joint Resolution Number 2, p. 546).

Content Note

This series consists of a ledger listing applicants for the New Jersey Civil War Veteran Medal and the First Service Medal, a few pieces of related correspondence, and halftone photographs of the medals.  The ledger includes the following information:  application number; applicant's name, company, regiment and place of residence; approval or non-approval date; and medal number (if approved).  The entries do not explicitly distinguish Civil War Veteran Medal recipients from First Service Medal recipients.  However, First Service Medals were not issued until after the 14 April 1908 resolution was passed, and only to those who met the specific criteria for receipt.  There are also entries throughout the ledger indicating that a number of veterans who were initially denied medals were later approved under legislation which expanded the eligibility requirements (see March 1908 and March 1909 resolutions discussed above).  Such entries include rubber-stamped notations which read "Approved.  Resolution March 4, 1908" followed by the date (presumably of approval), or "Approved.  Resolution 17 March 1909."  It should be noted that this series does not include a record of First Defenders' Medal recipients.

The correspondence in this series consists of inquiries from veterans applying for the Civil War Veteran Medal and copies of Adjutant General R. Heber Breintnall's replies.  The Adjutant General's letters are very brief and usually request proof of service from the applicant.  These papers were removed from Civil War binder #290, labeled "Letters, Certificates of Service."

Finally, the series also includes halftones of the New Jersey Civil War Veteran Medal and the First Service Medal.  These photographs were probably used as illustrations in an Adjutant General's Office report.

NOTE:  The medal ledger is also available on microfilm in the Archives' search room.

225 West State Street
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
609.292.6260 (general information)
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609.292.9105 (fax)