Polk County IA Archives History - Books .....Polk County In The War - 39th Iowa Infantry 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 12, 2006, 2:33 am Book Title: Annals Of Polk County, Iowa And City Of Des Moines THIRTY-NINTH INFANTRY. This was the second of the two regiments organized at Des Moines. This was in September, 1862, and in October the regiment was moved to Davenport for equipments, etc. On November 24 it was mustered into the United States service. While there the regiment had an epidemic of measles, and before the sick were fully well the regiment was, December 13, ordered to report to General Tuttle at Cairo. It disembarked at Columbus and spent its first night in the field in mud and rain. December 18 it was started to Corinth, where Forrest was menacing the forces of General Dodge. In this section it had some hard marches, and while near Trenton, about one hundred of the regiment were surrounded and captured by the enemy under Forrest. These were exchanged in about a month afterwards. On December 31 a fierce and bloody fight was had with Forrest's men, which lasted some six hours. The Thirty-ninth, though raw troops, for two hours bravely withstood and repulsed the enemy, winning the praise of veteran soldiers, when by a mistaken order they were thrown into confusion and retired, but were afterward reformed and again bravely engaged in the battle. After this successful fight the regiment returned to Jackson. In January, 1863, the regiment was sent to Corinth, where it was assigned to the second brigade, and during nearly the whole of the year was on garrison duty in this section, with occasional marches guarding trains. November 2, General Dodge moved his forces to Pulaski, Tennessee, and finally to Dalton to join Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign. It was then stationed with other regiments at Rome to guard Sherman's flank end line of communications. October 4, 1864, was fought the terrible battle of Allatoona, in which the Thirty-ninth won for itself imperishable fame. It was seven thousand rebels against some eighteen hundred union soldiers. The rebels charged with massed forces and the Thirty-ninth met the enemy where their charge was the heaviest. Twice the Thirty-ninth repelled their fierce charges and stood firm and undaunted, though suffering terribly. They nobly "held the fort," and when it did fall back it was deliberately done, step by step, and continuously fighting. Finally the victory was won, but the regiment lost in the fight: Killed, 5 officers, including Colonel Redfield and Captain Blodgett, of Des Moines, and 27 enlisted men; wounded, 1 officer and 61 enlisted men; prisoners, 2 officers and 68 enlisted men. The regiment had won its right to rank high among Iowa regiments, and sustained this rank through the march to the sea and until its final muster out of the service. Polk county was represented in Companies B, E, F, I and K, and on the staff by: Joseph M. Griffith, of Des Moines, major, commissioned September 16, 1861; wounded at Parker's Cross Roads December 31, 1862; promoted to lieutenant colonel October 6, 1864; to colonel May 12, 1865; mustered out as lieutenant colonel. George C. Tichenor, of Des Moines, adjutant; commissioned September 15, 1862; promoted to major and aid-decamp to General Dodge, February 2, 1865. COMPANY B. Enlisted in 1862, unless otherwise stated. John H. Dykeman, captain, August 6; resigned August 6, 1864. Andrew T. Blodgett, first lieutenant, August 6; promoted to captain, August 7, 1864. William A. Patterson, second lieutenant August 7; resigned July 19, 1864. F. D. Kenworthy, second sergeant, August 17. Elisha F. Russell, third sergeant; captured at Shady Grove, Tennessee, December 30, 1862. Franklin R. Thurber, fourth sergeant, August 15; promoted to first lieutenant January 1, 1865. Robert F. Ward, fifth sergeant, August 12; wounded at Calhoun, Georgia, May 16, 1864; died of wounds at Resaca May 18, 1864. Thomas J. Kinney, first corporal, August 12; captured at Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864. Joseph Gifford, third corporal, August 12; captured at Shady Grove, Tennessee, December 30, 1862. Alanson Harrison, fourth corporal, August 15; discharged June 2, 1863. George M. McClure, fifth corporal, August 15. Cyrus Cave, seventh corporal, August 12. William B. Harr, musician, August 12. Edwin C. Russell, musician, August 15. Harry Williams, wagoner, August S; discharged December 12, 1863. PRIVATES. Armstrong, Samuel, August 15. Baker, William J., August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; wounded at Resaca, Georgia, May 10, 1861. Bates, 0liver D., August 22. Brown, Zachariah A., July 25. Bunce (Bance), James E., August 12; discharged June 5, 1863. Barnes, Owen, August 12. Case, Isaac, August 14. Carder, Frederick, August 12; wounded at Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864. Cefley, Andrew, August 22; died at Chattanooga June 27, 1864. Coffey, William G., August 17. Coffey, George A., August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Chamberlain, William H., August 11; wounded at Parker's Cross Roads December 31, 1862; died at Jackson January 9, 1863, of wounds. Crandall, Caleb, August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; discharged February 28, 1863. Daily, Patrick, August 12. Elliott, Henry H., August 5; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; wounded at Calhoun, Georgia, May, 16, 1864; died at Chattanooga June 3, 1864, of wounds. Gaddis, Cornelius S., August 12; discharged May 11, 1862. Groom, A. S. R., August 12. Harrison, Hudson, August 12; died at Corinth, Mississippi, February 12, 1863. Hendricks, S. D., August 15. Holbrook, Carlisle D., August 15; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; discharged November 5, 1863. Holcombe, Jacob, August 15; captured at Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864. Holcombe, Asher W., August 14; captured at Red Mound, Tenn., December 31, 1862. Hoover, Henry S., August 12; discharged February 23, 1863. Hurd, William P., August 12; captured at Allatoona October 5, 1864. Jessup, Byron, August 6; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Johnson, John W., August 20. Johnson, Benj. (T.) F., August 11; discharged February 19, 1863. Keeney, John W., August 12. Keeney, Joseph W., August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Keeney, Daniel T., August 12; killed at Calhoun, Ga., May 16, 1864. Kulpin, Wilson (also Kemplin), August 15. Krewson, Amos, August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Lickingteller, Jonathan, August 21. Love, William, August 11. Manbeck, Henry, August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; wounded at Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864. Manbeck, Elijah, August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Markham, Simon, August 12. Mills, James W., August 12; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Mills, John E., August 13; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; wounded at Allatoona October 5, 1864; died at Nashville January 12, 1865. Rush, William D., August 22. Simmons, Amos, August 14. Simmons, Nicholas W., August 22; died at Corinth February 8, 1863. Starkey, Marion B., August 14; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Sullivan, James O., August 12. Taylor, Henry, August 12. Taylor, Thomas O., August 12; died at Jackson Tennessee, March 14, 1863. Vannamon, William J., August 11. Warren, Henry F., August 14. Wheaton, Jeremiah S., August 14; discharged November 1, 1863. Wright, Thomas, August 12. COMPANY D. Enlisted in 1864. Dutton, Charles A., January 4. Laporte, Thomas C, January 2; wounded, date and place unknown; died March 6, 1865, in New York harbor. Norton, Daniel D., January 4. Whitecroft, John, January 2. Watson, Charles A. B., January 2. COMPANY E. Enlisted in 1864. John C. Preston, musician, August 22; reduced to ranks; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862; captured at Allatoona October 5, 1864. William Anderson, musician, August 2; reduced to ranks; captured at Allatoona October 5, 1864. Ewing, DeWilton M., August 22. Morgan, Thomas, August 22. Smith, Richard, August 21; captured at Shady Grove December 30, 1862. Cole, Charles J., August 22. ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS. Hutson, John W., December 28, 1863. Maulsby, Levi B., August 31, 1864; wounded at Allatoona October 5, 1864. COMPANY F. Brooks, James F., enlisted August 17. COMPANY I. Enlisted in 1862, unless otherwise stated. Augustus Yerger, first lieutenant, August 22; promoted to captain January 1, 1863; resigned. November 11, 1864. Robert C. Hunter, second lieutenant, August 16; promoted to first lieutenant January 1, 1863. John Finan, first sergeant, August 15; captured at Parker's Cross Roads, December 30, 1862. William L. Keaggy, second sergeant, August 13; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. John Shanly, third sergeant, August 22. Palestine Jones, fifth sergeant, August 9. Charles Leftwick, first corporal, August 12; wounded at Allatoona October 5, 1864. William McQueen, second corporal, August 16. Sireno S. Farrington, third corporal, August 15. Erastus Scott, fourth corporal, August 22. Andrew J. Melvin, fifth corporal, August 14; discharged August 22, 1863. Thomas R. Leonard, sixth corporal, August 6; discharged February 23, 1864. Elias Holladay, seventh corporal, August 13; discharged September 20, 1863. Andrew J. Wilder, eighth corporal, August 22. Thomas R. Nichols, musician, August 22; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 31, 1862; discharged May 21, 1863. David Edwards, wagoner, August 22. PRIVATES. Admonson (Adamson), Joshua, August 22; killed at Atlanta October 5, 1864. Adair, Joseph, August 15. Boatwright, Daniel B., August 12; discharged December 8, 1864. Bragord, Richard T., August 22. Bowles, John, August 14. Bowles, Joseph, August 22. Clark, Tally, August 22. Cole, Samuel D., August 22; captured at Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864. Eckhart, Lewis C, August 14; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. Edmondson, Henry, August 4. Fenwick, William A., August 15. Foster, John, August 22; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. Foster, George W., August 12; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862; discharged May 12, 1863. Green, Luther T., August 16; discharged September 20, 1863. Johnson, George, August 22. Leonard, James G., August 6; died at Corinth February 2, 1863. Lee, John N., August 15. Lewis, James, August 14. Miller, Isaac, August 8; died at Benton Barracks, Missouri, December 11, 1863. Myers, Isaac, August 12; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. Myers, Andrew J., August 12. McBee, Charles M., August 22. McBee, James H., August 22. Morris, Perry, August 7. Morris, John, August 8. Martin, James, August 22; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. Perry, John, August 15; discharged January 21, 1863. Runyan, Charles F., August 12. Runyan, John E., August 12. Runyan, Orison J., August 12. Sharp, William, August 12; wounded at Allatoona October 5, 1864; died of wounds at Rome, Georgia, October 26, 1864. Smith, Eli, August 15. Smith, Joseph, August 13; wounded at Allatoona October 5, 1864. Sanford, William B., August 22. Sanford, George A., August 12. Sumter, Bluford, August 12. Teesdale, Benjamin, August 22. Turner, Parmenas, August 15. Warren, Alfred, August 15; captured at Parker's Cross Roads December 30, 1862. Wicker, Samuel, August 15. Williams, Jacob J., August 6. Wallace, David S., August 7. Wallace, George W., August 13. ADDITIONAL ENLISTMENTS. Ball, Aaron, August 22; died at Davenport November 9, 1862. Bradford, Isaac V., January 25, 1864; captured at Allatoona October 5, 1864. COMPANY K. Enlisted in 1862, unless otherwise stated. Burdan, Alfred, August 20. Treel, Charles, September 10. Kennedy, Thomas J., August 4. *Grimes, Nathaniel, September 12, 1864. *Hendricks, Martin B., February 29, 1864. *Howell, Jesse, October 17, 1864. *Hays, Jacob K, May 3, 1864. *Leftwick, Cornelius B., March 21, 1864. *McCurdo, Alfred, May 3, 1864. *Woldrige, James A., September 15, 1864. *Company unknown. Additional Comments: Extracted from: ANNALS OF POLK COUNTY, IOWA, AND CITY OF DES MOINES BY WILL PORTER. "And this volume, dedicated to its people, sets forth in attractive style all the facts and incidents that go to make up the history of which all citizens are justly proud." —Major Hoyt Sherman. GEO. A. MILLLER PRINTING COMPANY, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, DES MOINES, IOWA, 1898. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/polk/history/1898/annalsof/polkcoun33nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/iafiles/ File size: 13.3 Kb