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Charles
H. Hagerman was born in New Jersey in December of 1838 to John
Hagerman and his wife, the former Keturah Young. The family was
living in Nottingham Township in Mercer County, New Jersey when
the Census was taken in 1850. At that time Charles was one of four
children, the others being older sisters Ann and Maria, and
younger sister Catherine. When
the Civil War engulfed the nation in April of 1861, Charles H.
Hagerman soon resolved to do his part for the United States of
America. before he left, however, he married. His wife Catherine
"Kate" Hagerman gave birth to a daughter not long after
he marched off to war.
Charles
Hegerman enlisted as a Private on August 9, 1861 in Company B,
Fourth New Jersey Infantry Regiment. The Fourth New Jersey
Infantry during its time in service was led by Colonels James H.
Simpson, William B. Hatch,
William Birney, and Edward L. Campbell. The Fourth was organized
under the provisions of an act of Congress, approved July
22, 1861. It was fully organized, equipped and officered by
August 19, at which time it was mustered into the U. S. service
for three years, at Camp Olden, Trenton. It left the state
the next day with 38 officers, 871 non-commissioned officers
and privates, a total of 909. It reached Washington on August
21, accompanied by a battery of 6 pieces, furnished by the
state and commanded by Captain William Hexamer, who had been
waiting for six months for an opportunity to enter the
service. It was assigned to the brigade of General Kearney, then
consisting of the First, Second, and Third New Jersey regiments.
Immediately after the first battle of Bull Run it joined the
brigade near Alexandria, and in the operations along the line
of the Orange & Alexandria railroad acted as a support to
the advance. Just before the battle of West Point, Virginia,
the brigade relieved the troops in advance and the men lay on
their arms in line of battle until daylight, when they were
ordered forward, the Fourth being held as a reserve. At the battle
at Gaines' Mill the brigade was formed in two lines, the
Fourth being in the front, and advanced to the brow of a hill, where the Fourth was sent into the woods by
order of an aid of General McClellan, all the brigade
being engaged at the most dangerous and difficult parts of
the field, until at last, wearied, bleeding, ammunition
exhausted, the brigade slowly retired and crossing the bridge
at 11 o'clock, reached its old camp about midnight, having
sustained a total loss of over 1,000 men in killed and
wounded, of whom some 500, belonging to the Fourth were captured in a body, having refused
to retreat from the woods when they might have done so,
and continuing to fight until completely surrounded. Besides
this loss in prisoners the regiment lost 38 killed and 111
wounded. The
regiment participated in the battles of Charles City crossroads,
White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Manassas, Chantilly and Crampton's
Gap, the total loss of the brigade during the
latter engagement being 174 in killed and wounded, Adjutant
Studdiford being among the slain. In December of 1862 it took
part in the movement against Fredericksburg, where Colonel William
B. Hatch, commanding the Fourth New Jersey, was killed.
In
1863 the Fourth was detailed for provost duty in Washington.
Private Hegerman was promoted to Full Corporal on June 1, 1863.
The Fourth New Jersey was back with the brigade again in time
for the spring campaign of 1864. At the battle of the
Wilderness the First, Fourth and Tenth regiments, lying on
the left, were several times attacked with great ferocity
by the Confederates, but at nightfall still held
substantially the ground occupied by them in the morning- a
heavy assault by the Confederate General Gordon just at dusk
being repulsed with heroic gallantry. Among the wounded in that
engagement was Lieutenant Colonel. Van Syckel of the Fourth. At
the battle of Spottsylvania the regiment participated in the
charge upon the "bloody angle," winning its share
of the glory and sustaining its share of casualties. During
the first eleven days of Grant's campaign against Richmond
the regiment lost 26 killed, 126 wounded and 42 missing. The
Fourth fought at the North Anna River, Hanover Court House,
Totopotomoy Creek, Cold Harbor, Weldon Rilroad, Snicker's Gap,
Strasburg, Winchester and Charlestown. At the battle of the
Opequan the Fourth was with the troops that pressed forward,
swept up the opposite hill and forced back the Confederate line,
obtaining permanent possession of the hill and holding it,
though constantly exposed to a fire which inflicted severe
loss, the 4th having 2 killed, 18 wounded and missing. At
Fisher's Hill a private of the Fourth named Beach compelled a Confederate lieutenant-colonel to surrender his sword, and
there were other instances of daring no less noteworthy.
After Lee's surrender the regiment was assigned to what was
known as the provisional corps, Army of the Potomac, until
mustered out on July 9, 1865. The total strength of the regiment
was 2,036, and it lost during service 29 by resignation, 319
by discharge, 83 by promotion, 81 by transfer, 257 by death,
372 by desertion, 3 by dismissal, 109 not accounted for, mustered
out 783.
Charles
Hegerman mustered out as a Corporal from Company B, 4th
New Jersey Infantry Regiment on July 9, 1865 at Hall's Hill, VA.
He returned to New Jersey, and by the summer of 1870 had moved to
Camden, New Jersey where he found work as an iron moulder. When
the Census was taken in 1870 the Hagerman family was living in
Camden's Middle Ward. The family then included daughters Kate, 9;
Emeline, 6; and Georgianna, 2. Sadly, the Hagerman's oldest
daughter died prior to the 1880 Census. As
stated above, Charles H. Hagerman was appointed to the Camden Fire Department in
May of 1873. He was then living at 612 Henry Street in South Camden when he was appointed
to the Fire Department. He was still at that address in May of
1874, but had moved by the time he was reappointed in May of
1875, to 517 Henry Street. He is listed at 502
Clinton Street
in
the 1878 City Directory. The
1879 City Directory shows Charles H. Hagerman at 525 South 6th
Street, as does the 1880 Census. Daughters Emeline "Emma"
and Georgianna were still living at home. The family stayed at 525
South 6th
Street at least into 1883. The 1884-1885 City Directory shows
Charles Hagerman and family at 548 South 6th
Street, living next
door to his parents, who lived at 546 South 6th
Street. By 1887
Charles H. Hagerman and family had moved to 546 South 6th
Street. Charles H. and Kate Hagerman
were still living at this address when the Census was taken in 1910.
Although 72 years of age, Charles H. Hagerman was still working as an iron
moulder. The Hagermans are not listed in the 1914 Camden City
Directory. Charles
H. Hagerman may have been involved in the fraternal organization
known as the Knights of Pythias. His wife was one of the charter
members of the female auxiliary known as the Ladies of
Pythias, as was the wife of Camden fire fighter George
Leibecke.
The Knights of Pythias, a secret benevolent
order, was organized in the city of Washington, D. C,
February 19, 1864, by J. H. Rathbone. On November 28, 1867, Honorable Stephen D. Young,
William B. French, Robert F. S. Heath, Richard
B. Wilmot, John Matlack, George W. Conrow,
Charles Mayhew, Joseph Braddock and William
Penn Repsher, all residents of Camden, were initiated into Damon Lodge, No. 8, in Philadelphia.
On December 12th, of that year, the above-named
Knights assembled in Odd-Fellows' Hall, in Camden, and were instituted as Damon Lodge by several
Grand Officers from Washington, D. C. Upon that
occasion nearly fifty gentlemen were initiated,
among the number Honorable Samuel Read, who
subsequently became the first Supreme Chancellor.
P. G. C. Young officiated that evening as Grand
Junior Guard. At a later day charters were received for two lodges, New Jersey Lodge receiving
the first number and Damon No. 2.
Palestine Lodge, No. 1, I. O. Ladies of
Pythias, was organized April 1, 1874. The following were the first officers : P. W. C, Catharine
Johnson ; F. C, Rebecca Adams ; Second C,
Emma Johnson ; Scribe of R., Annie M. Quick ;
Scribe of F., Sally Carty ; Bankress, Ruth A. Ross ;
First Guide, Kate Hagerman ; Second Guide,
Kizzie E. Sparks ; First M., Eliza J. Leibecke ;
Second M., Emily Kelley ; Sentry of I. G., Mary
L. Fields ; Sentry of 0. G., Margaret Doyle ; Ex.,
Mattie Gibbs ; Dv., Hannah Connelly. The present officers are : P. W. C, Elizabeth
Eames ; F.C.,
Mary Winters; S. C, Ellen Biddle; S. R., Annie
M. Quick ; S. F., Kizzie Sparks ; Bankress, Ruth A. Ross; F. Guide, Margaret Whittle; S. Guide,
Elizabeth Casto; F. M., Rachel Piper; S. M.,
Elizabeth Lilly ; S. of I. G., Lizzie Eames ; S. of
O. G., Lois Wrifford ; Ex., Elizabeth Long; Dv.,
Elizabeth Cleaver; Guardsmen, first, Catharine
Johnson ; second, Isabella Dobleman ; third, Mary
E. Whirlow ; fourth, Margaret Davis ; fifth, Hannah Snyder; sixth, Emma Kessler. The number
of members is sixty-five. The evening of meeting is Wednesday and the place the Hall of the
Mechanics, Fourth and
Spruce
Streets.
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