Type: Exhibition caption

Detail: Henry Ferdinand Van Derveer, of Somerville, New Jersey, was a surgeon with the Fifth New Jersey Volunteers. In this letter written on July 3, 1863, two days after the Battle of Gettysburg, he described the carnage to his wife Mary Squier. "I write to say I am well and safe. We have had a terrible battle and the 3rd Corps has suffered severely. Our regiment as usual lost its full proportion. Capt. Berry, my particular friend is sleeping near me. I took off his leg just above the knees a few hours ago. He bears it bravely, but is in a critical condition. Colonel Sewell is wounded. Berry lay three days on the field. I feel as if nobody was left in the 5th N.J. V (olunteers) any more. We have won a victory, a decisive one I should think but it has been at a terrible price to our regiment."

Type: Exhibition case

Name: Gettysburg

Detail: Gettysburg, the most famous battle of the Civil War, was fought July 1 through 3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the Civil War and is often described as the war's turning point. New Jersey troops were heavily engaged at Gettysburg, while doctors, nurses, and other volunteers were among those who flocked to the battlefield to care for the wounded and dying.