39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end the war within 100 days.
| 39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Wisconsin flag | |
| Active | June 3, 1864 – September 22, 1864 |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements | American Civil War |
Service
The 39th Wisconsin was organized at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service on June 3, 1864. The 39th Wisconsin, along with the 40th and 41st, were ordered to the vicinity of Memphis, Tennessee, where they engaged in picket and guard duty, relieving veteran regiments which were sent to the front for the Atlanta campaign.
Their only combat occurred on August 21, 1864, when, in the early morning hours, a detachment of cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest raided Memphis, attempting—unsuccessfully—to capture the Union commanders stationed there in what is referred to as the Second Battle of Memphis.
The regiment was mustered out on September 22, 1864.
Casualties
The 39th Wisconsin suffered 3 enlisted men killed or fatally wounded in action, and 1 officer and 27 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 31 fatalities.[1]
Colonels
- Edwin L. Buttrick
Notable people
- Albert Belden, Private, a son of Wisconsin pioneer Philo Belden.
- George Clay Ginty, Major, later colonel of the 47th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, brevet Brigadier General, Wisconsin state legislator, and U.S. Marshall.
- Robert Graham, Captain, later Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin.
- Charles Hall, later a Wisconsin state legislator.
- Joseph V. Quarles, 1st Lieutenant, later Mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States Senator, and United States federal judge.
- Augustus Stinchfield, Private, later co-founder of the Mayo Clinic.
Further reading
- Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History – One Hundred Day Troops". The Military History of Wisconsin. Chicago: Clark & Co. pp. 854–857.