HISTORY

History of the 15th Regiment of Infantry

The 15th regiment was raised in New Jersey on January 11, 1812. It drew its supplies, equipment, and uniforms from Trenton. The unit trained in New Jersey until it reported for duty in the fall of 1812 at Plattsburgh, New York. The field commander of the unit was of Colonel Zebulon M. Pike, who even at the time was famous for his journey in the far Western United States. He left his imprint in the west. quite literally, in the form of Pike’s Peak… which was named after him. Originally the regiment was assigned to the brigade of General Joseph Bloomfield.

Bloomfield was one of the older, more experienced officers of the US Army. He was commissioned as a captain of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment in 1776. He attained the rank of major and was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777. He ended his career with the Continental Army on October 28, 1778, when he took up politics. In 1794, he led Federal and New Jersey state troops involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion, a popular uprising of Western Pennsylvanians who resisted the excise tax on liquor and distilled drinks. At the start of the War of 1812, he was commissioned as a brigadier general in the United States Army on March 13, 1812.

The 15th regiment was involved in the failed attempt to capture La Colle Mill on November 20, 1812, where the 15th regiment was involved with a friendly fire incident with a US militia unit sent to reinforce the fort. Both units exhausted their ammunition and were forced to withdraw to Plattsburgh. In the spring of 1813, the regiment rode sleds to the naval base at Sacketts Harbor, New York.

We know that the 15th Infantry Regiment was present at York, Ontario on April 27, 1813. The regiment suffered 40 casualties, 12 dead and 28 wounded. Many of these were from the magazine explosion. The regiment was reassigned to Gen. John Chandler’s Brigade and took part in the assault on Fort George, May 27. In this action, they lost one killed and seven wounded. In the fall of 1813, they returned to their base at Sacketts Harbor Where they were reassigned to Jacob Brown’s 2nd Brigade.

The unit’s eventual target was Montreal, to join Gen. James Wilkinson’s invasion of Upper Canada. Their route took them down the St. Lawrence River, but they encountered no enemy troops and were not engaged in any fighting. The regiment arrived too late to have any effect was Wilkinson was already retiring from the region. This march was through the woods as there were no roads. The troops again built cabins at French Mills to join the rest of the American army.

On October 19, 1814, the British finally sent about 650 men immediately west up Lyon's Creek, to stop the American flanking movement which threatened to cut off the British troops in the area. On the 20th the British advanced to Cooks Mills where they ran directly into

the Americans. At first, the Americans pushed the British back using a make-shift bridge. About 400 hundred Americans pushed back about 100 men of the British vanguard.

The British recovered and using rockets were able to halt the American advance. Before long, the British and Canadians had retired to the security of a fence line. However, the British placed their guns too far away to do any real good.

Sensing the end of the war nearing, neither side was willing to press the fight. The British withdrew and the Americans simply watched their withdrawal from the field. The 15th suffered one wounded soldier in the engagement.

One company (50 Men) under Captain George McGlassin remained at Plattsburg. On September 9 McGlassin, who had been bed-ridden until this time, led an attack against a nearby rocket battery only 500 yards from Fort Brown. The battery was successfully stormed, and the British troops driven off.

The regiment was disbanded in May 1815 with the remaining troops being assigned to the Regiment of Light Artillery.