39th Regiment, New York Infantry

Brief History
The 39th Regiment, New York Infantry was organized at New York City and left State for Washington, D. C., May 28, 1861. The regiment mustered in June 6 to date from May 28. It mustered out July 1, 1865.

"Companies A, B, C and D were mustered out in New York city June 24, 1864, those not entitled to be discharged having previously been transferred to other companies; and the regiment, six companies, E, F, G, H, I and K, retained in service. In October, 1864, a new Company D, enlisted principally at Malone for one year, joined the regiment; June 2, 1865, the members of the regiment not to be mustered out with it were transferred to the 185th Infantry".

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 39th Regiment Infantry "Garibaldi Guard", (accessed 8 August 2012).
 * The Wikipedia Article, 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, (accessed 8 August 2012).

For additional history, see the 39th New York Infantry Regiment, the Garibardi Guards, Lincoln's Foreign Legion.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

This regiment was organized and recruited in New York City.

Company A - recruited principally from New York City

Company B - recruited principally from New York City

Company C - recruited principally from New York City

Company D - recruited principally from New York City

Company F - recruited principally in the field

Company G - recruited principally in the field

Company H - recruited principally in the field

Company I - recruited principally in the field

Company K - recruited principally in the field

"Three companies consisted of Germans, three of Hungarians, one of Swiss, one of Italians, one of Frenchmen, and one of Spaniards and Portuguese. May 31, 1863, the regiment was consolidated into four companies: A, B, C and D; new companies were organized in the field from recruits: E December 8; F December 14; G December 19; H December 30, 1863; I and K in January, 1864".

The above information is from The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center(accessed 13 September 2011).

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘New York in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * New York in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for New York, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Bacarella, Michael. Lincoln's Foreign Legion: The 39th New York Infantry, the Garibaldi Guard. (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania : White Mane Pub., c1996).


 * Catalfamo, Catherine, B.A., M.A. 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. Online at the New York State Military Museum, Unit History, The Thorny Rose.


 * Frederick Henry Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, (Des Moines, Iowa: Dyer Publishing Co., 1908), as cited at Civil War Soldiers; Sailors System (database on-line).


 * Hawks, Steve, The Civil War in the East. Database.


 * New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. "Unit History Project : New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center at citing Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912).


 * Phisterer, Frederick. New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865. Albany, New York : J.B. Lyon, 1912. Google Books, other libraries with this book,


 * 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, (Reprint of original published: Madison, WI.: Federal Pub. Co., 1908). Other libraries with this book,