39th Regiment, New Jersey Infantry

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The New Jersey 39th Infantry Regiment recruited under the call of July, 1864, for 500,000 men. West Point graduate and Regular Army officer Abram Calvin Wildrick was appointed colonel and commander.

Because the unit was being organized late in the war, enlistees became hard to find. To attract more enrollees, bounties became higher than usual, yet by early October 1864, only five companies had been organized. Five companies left Newark on October of the same year, five companies and the others a few days later. By October 21, the remainder of the regiment joined them, and the united unit had a total strength at about one thousand men. The 39th participated in the Siege of Petersburg where it lost severely in the battle of April 2, 1865.

After the Confederate surrender the regiment proceeded to Alexandria, where it remained in camp until June 17, 1865, when it was ordered to Newark and disbanded. OFFICERS:

Col., Abram C. Wildrick

Lieut.-Col., James H. Close

Maj., William T. Cornish

ASSIGNMENTS:

Attached to the 1st brigade, 2nd division, 9th army corps

SERVICE:

Duty on breastworks at City Point, Va., October, 1864, then moved to Poplar Grove Church.

Battle of Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher's Run, Va., October 27-28, 1864.

Siege of Petersburg until April 2, 1865.

Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 2, 1865.

Assault on and capture of Petersburg April 2.

Pursuit of Lee April 3-9.

Appomattox Court House April 9.

Surrender of Lee and his army.

Moved to City Point, thence to Washington and Alexandria April 20-27.

Grand Review May 23.

Mustered out June 17, 1865.

ROSTERS:
The composite rosters of this unit contains the names of 1424 men.

The counties where the companies were formed is unknown. BIBLIOGRAPHY: