Overview
The 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (10th Pennsylvania Reserve) was an infantry regiment from Pennsylvania that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Composed primarily of men from the western part of the state, the regiment was organized at Camp Wilkins in Pittsburgh. It was mustered into United States service for a three years’ term on July 21, 1861, and served in the Eastern Theater as part of the Pennsylvania Reserves division.
The regiment was also known as the 10th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment and was attached to the 3rd Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves. It participated in many significant campaigns and battles, including Dranesville, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania.
Organization & Service
The 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (10th Pennsylvania Reserve) was organized at Camp Wilkins, Pittsburgh, and mustered into service on July 21, 1861. Shortly after, the regiment moved to Harrisburg and then to Washington, D.C. On August 1, 1861, it was sent to Tennallytown, Maryland, and performed initial duties at Great Falls before being assigned to the 3rd Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves.
The regiment spent the winter of 1861-62 at Langley, Virginia, and participated in the Battle of Dranesville in December 1861. In the spring of 1862, it was ordered to the Peninsula and took part in the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines’ Mill, and Glendale. The regiment was also engaged at Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. After Fredericksburg, the Pennsylvania Reserves were sent to Washington to recuperate.
In June 1863, the 39th Pennsylvania rejoined the Army of the Potomac and fought at Gettysburg alongside its brigade. It participated in the pursuit of Confederate forces after the battle and remained with the Army of the Potomac through the winter. The regiment took part in the Mine Run Campaign, and in 1864, it was engaged at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Totopotomoy, and Bethesda Church. After Bethesda Church, the veterans and recruits were transferred to the 190th and 191st Pennsylvania Infantry. The original regiment returned to Pittsburgh and was mustered out on June 11, 1864.
Research This Regiment Further
If you’d like to explore this unit’s history in more depth, regimental histories and Civil War reference works offer valuable detail.
Engagements & Campaigns
- Dranesville (December 1861)
- Peninsula Campaign (Spring–Summer 1862)
- Mechanicsville
- Gaines’ Mill
- Glendale
- Second Bull Run
- South Mountain
- Antietam
- Fredericksburg
- Gettysburg (July 1863)
- Mine Run Campaign
- Wilderness (May 1864)
- Spotsylvania
- Totopotomoy
- Bethesda Church
Casualties
Detailed casualty figures for the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (10th Pennsylvania Reserve) are not fully specified in all primary sources. Fox’s Regimental Losses and state reports may provide further detail, but available records indicate the regiment suffered significant losses in major engagements. Some details are incomplete in surviving primary sources.
Field Officers & Commanders
- Colonel John S. McCalmont
- Colonel James T. Kirk
- Colonel Adoniram J. Warner
- Lieutenant Colonel James T. Kirk
- Lieutenant Colonel Adoniram J. Warner
- Lieutenant Colonel James B. Knox
- Lieutenant Colonel Ira Ayer, Jr.
- Major Harrison Allen
- Major Sion B. Smith
- Major Ira Ayer, Jr.
- Major C. Miller Over
Regimental Roster
The full roster of the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (10th Pennsylvania Reserve) includes officers and enlisted men who served during its three years’ term. For researchers and descendants seeking information on individual soldiers, the complete roster is available on the regiment’s roster page.
To view the full list of members, visit the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry (10th Pennsylvania Reserve) Roster page.
Sources & References
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes and parts (Army of the Potomac, Pennsylvania Reserves, 1861–1864)
- Pennsylvania Adjutant General’s Report
- Dyer, Frederick H. Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
- Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War
- The Union Army, Federal Publishing Company, 1908, Vol. 1