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39th New York Infantry Regiment
Active	May 22, 1861 – July 1, 1865
Disbanded	July 1, 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Infantry
Size	Regiment
Nickname(s)	Garibaldi Guard
Engagements	American Civil War First Battle of Bull Run Battle of Gettysburg Battle of Bristoe Station Battle of the Wilderness Siege of Petersburg First Battle of Deep Bottom
Commanders
Current commander	Frederick George D'Utassy
Ceremonial chief	Daniel Woodall
Colonel of the Regiment	Augustus Funk
Insignia
II Corps (2nd Division) badge
II Corps (3rd Division) badge
II Corps (1st Division) badge

The 39th New York Infantry Regiment, known as the "Garibaldi Guard" after the Italian revolutionary, Giuseppe Garibaldi, was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service

This regiment was mustered (assembled) in New York City by the Union Defense Committee, under the leadership of Col. Frederick George D'Utassy by special authority from the War Department during the American Civil War. On May 27, 1861, they deployed to Washington D.C., having been authorized for a period of three years by New York State.

Initially, the regiment was divided into ten companies of men of different national heritage: three German, three Hungarian, one Swiss, one Italian, one French, one Portuguese and Spanish. On May 31, 1863, the regiment was consolidated into four companies: A, B, C and D. The regiment expanded as new companies were recruited in the field. On December 8, 1863, Company E was added; on December 14, 1863, Company F joined. On December 19, 1863, Company G was added; and on December 30, 1863 Company H joined. Companies I and K joined in January, 1864.

Companies A, B, C and D were mustered out in New York city June 24, 1864. Enlistees who were not entitled to be discharged were transferred to other companies within the regiment. Six companies: E, F, G, H, I and K, remained in service. In October, 1864, a new Company D, mustered mostly from Malone, New York joined the regiment for one year. On June 2, 1865, the members of the regiment not eligible to be mustered out were transferred into the 185th Infantry.

The regiment left the New York State May 28, 1861; served at and near Washington, D. C., from June 1, 1861; in the 1st Brigade, 5th Division, Army of Northeastern Virginia, from July 13, 1861; in Blenker's Brigade, Division of Potomac, from August 4, 1861; in Stahel's Brigade, Blenker's Division, Army of the Potomac, from October 15, 1861; in 1st Brigade, same division, Mountain Department, from April, 1862; in White's Brigade, Army of Virginia, at Winchester, Va., from July, 1862; at Harper's Ferry, W. Va., from September, 1862; at Camp Douglass, Chicago, Ill., from September 27, 1862; near Washington, D.C., 1st Brigade, Casey's Division, defenses of Washington, from December, 1862; in January, 1863, in 3d Brigade, Casey's, later Abercrombie's Division, 22d Corps; in 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from June 25, 1863; in the 3d, and for a time in the Consolidated, Brigade, 1st Division, 2d Corps, Army of the Potomac, from March, 1864; and was honorably discharged and mustered out, under Col. Augustus Funk, July I, 1865, except (new) Company D, which had been mustered out, June 7, 1865, at Alexandria, Va.

During its period of service, 5 officers and 62 enlisted men were killed in action; 3 officers and 49 enlisted men died of wounds received in action; 1 officer and 158 enlisted men died of disease and other causes. In total, 278 men (9 officers and 269 enlistees) died while in service in the regiment. Of those, 1 officer and 99 enlisted men died while captured by the Confederate Army.

Total strength and casualties

The regiment suffered a total of 274 fatalities. Eight officers and 107 enlisted men were killed in action or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 158 enlisted men died of disease.

Uniform

The regiment's uniform was based on that of the 'Bersagliere troop of marksmen from the Royal Sardinian Army. They wore the distinctive black, brimmed hats, called vaira, (intended to defend the head from sabre blows) decorated with dark cock feathers. Their jackets were six-button tunics with red collars, cuffs, and trim/ They wore dark blue trousers trimmed in red at the outseam.They wore their white gaiters in the Chasseur/Bersagliere fashion under the open-end of their trousers.

Commanders

1. Colonel Frederick George D'Utassy — dismissed May 29, 1863
2. Major Major Hugo Hillebrandt — commanded at Gettysburg, wounded on July 3, 1863
3. Major Daniel Woodall — July 30, 1863 - October 5, 1863 (detached from the 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment)
4. Colonel Augustus Funk

See also

• List of New York Civil War regiments
• Italian Americans in the Civil War
• Hispanics in the American Civil War
• 6th Regiment, European Brigade, a Confederate Regiment also named after Giuseppe Garibaldi

References

Footnotes

1. The Bersaglieri, are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army. Originally created in 1836 in the Royal Sardinian Army, (the later Royal Italian Army, they are noted for their distinctive wide-brimmed hats with black western capercaillie feathers worn with the dress uniform. The feathers are also applied to their combat helmets.

Citations

1. ^ Dyer (1908), p. 1418.
2. ^ NYSMM, 39th Infantry Regiment, "Garibaldi Guard" (2020).
3. ^ Civil War in the East, 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
4. NPS 39th Regiment, New York Infantry.
5. NYSMM, 39th Infantry Regiment, Roster (2015).
6. NPS 39th Regiment, New York Infantry (2007).
7. Katcher & Youens (2013), pp. 25, 36, 40.
8. NPS, D'Utassy, Fred George-39th New York.
9. NPS, Woodall, Daniel-39th New York.
10. NPS, Funk, Augustus-39th New York.

Sources

• Dyer, Frederick Henry (1908). A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (PDF). Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co. pp. 29, 43, 190, 271, 274, 275, 295, 297, 1418. ASIN B01BUFJ76Q. Retrieved August 8, 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Federal Publishing Company (1908). Military Affairs and Regimental Histories of New York, Maryland, West Virginia, And Ohio (PDF). The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65 – Records of the Regiments in the Union army – Cyclopedia of battles – Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. Vol. II. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company. pp. 85–86. OCLC 1086145633. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hillhouse, Thomas (January 15, 1862). Adjutant General's Report, 1861 (PDF). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of New York. Albany, NY: New York (State). Adjutant General's Office. pp. 1–735. LCCN sn94095328. OCLC 1040003486. Retrieved 2020-04-10. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hillhouse, Thomas (January 27, 1863). Adjutant General's Report, 1862 (PDF). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of New York. Albany, NY: New York (State). Adjutant General's Office. pp. 1–735. LCCN sn94095328. OCLC 1039942785. Retrieved 2020-04-10. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Katcher, P.; Youens, M. (2013). Army of the Potomac. Men-at-Arms. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0532-4. OCLC 1021810372. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
• Mink, Eric J. (November 30, 2008). "Armament in the Army of the Potomac at Fredericksburg" (PDF). Mysteries & Conundrums. Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP Staff. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
• Mink, Eric J. (May 2018). "Armament in the Army of the Potomac During the Chancellorsville Campaign" (PDF). Mysteries & Conundrums. Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP Staff. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
• Owens, Eldon J. (1976). "Guns Made in Windsor, Vermont" (PDF). American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 35. Dallas, TX: American Society of Arms Collectors. pp. 29–32. ISSN 0362-9457. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
• Phisterer, Frederick (1912). Eighth Regiment of Infantry - Sixty-Ninth-Eighth Regiment of Infantry (PDF). New York in the War of Rebellion, 1861-1865. Vol. 3 (3rd ed.). Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company, State Printers. pp. 2173–2188. LCCN 14013311. OCLC 1359922. Retrieved 2023-04-06. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Sprague, John T. (February 1, 1864). Adjutant General's Report, 1863 (PDF). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of New York. Vol. II. Albany, NY: New York (State). Adjutant General's Office. pp. 1–672. LCCN sn94095328. OCLC 1039942785. Retrieved 2020-04-10. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "Springfield Armory National Historic Site". NPS.gov. National Park Service (US Govt). Retrieved 13 September 2010.
• "39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment". The Civil War in the East. 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
• "39th Infantry Regiment: New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center". New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. June 9, 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
• "39th Infantry Regiment Roster: New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center" (PDF). New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. June 9, 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
• "38th Regiment Infantry "2nd Regiment Scott Life Guard"". The Civil War Archives. American Civil War Archive. 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
• "46th MASS Marked M-1841 Mississippi Rifle". College Hill Arsenal. 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
• "Battle Unit Details, 39th Regiment, New York Infantry". nps.gov. U.S. National Park Service. January 19, 2007. Retrieved October 31, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Merritt Roe Smith (9 November 2012). Northern Weapons Manufacturing during the Civil War; keynote address of the 2012 Smithsonian Institution's Technology and the Civil War symposium. C-SPAN – via C-SPAN.
• "39th Regiment, New York Infantry". The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. 2020.
• "Soldier Details:D'Utassy, Fred George". The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
• "Soldier Details:Funk, Augustus". The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
• "Soldier Details:Woodall, Daniel". The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

External links

• Catalfamo, Catherine; The Thorny Rose: The Americanization Of An Urban, Immigrant, Working Class Regiment In The Civil War. A Social History Of The 39th New York Volunteer Infantry; The University of Texas at Austin; 1989; Ph.D. Thesis
• New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center - Civil War - 39th Infantry Regiment History, photographs, table of battles and casualties, and historical sketch for the 39th New York Infantry Regiment.
• http://www.civilwarhome.com/italian.htm
• http://www.daddezio.com/italy/garibaldi/index.html

• 1861 establishments in New York (state)
• Military units and formations established in 1861
• Units and formations of the Union army from New York (state)
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1865