Co. D, 39th Iowa Volunteers

This Co. left this place on Wednesday Sept. 23d for quarters at Des Moines, and with them went the prayers and well wishes of many a sad heart.  We are personally acquainted with the officers and most of the privates that belong to this company, and it is not enough to say of them that they will render a good account of themselves hereafter.  The officers are gentlemen, have souls, and are proud of their men.  The privates, so far as we are acquainted with them, are high minded patriots, moral, and many of them pious.

The resolution passed by the company since they left us (which may be seen in Mr. Starbuck’s letter in another column) will be a source of satisfaction to their many relations and friends at home, as well as the assurance which I received while paying them a hasty visit on Tuesday last, that the privates all love their officers.  This is as it should be, and as we hope it will continue to be.  We can have no better evidence than this that they will succeed in whatever they undertake.  God be with them, is the prayer of every human heart.

Below are the names of the officers as furnished me with then left.  Mr. Oldham (Formerly Editor of the “Courier,”) is now Sergt. Major.

I have not learned who takes his place as 2d Sergt. But think it is David Johnson, who was next below him in office.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS:

Captain,	L. D. Bennett
1st Lieutenant,	Wm. T. Mathews
2nd Lieutenant,	C. Carter

NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS:

1st Sergeant,	G. L. Pike
2d Sergeant,	T. R. Oldham
[3d Sergeant]	david johnson
[4th Sergeant]	j. l. millard
[5th Sergeant]	able chaCe
[6th Sergeant]	thomas trent
[1stCorporal]	[j]ames denny
[2d Corporal]	[ROBER]t Hamilton
[3d Corporal]	[REUBE]n harper
[4th Corporal]	[LEVI ga]rdner
[5th Corporal]	[cHARLES b]lack

_______________

[Editors Note: This page of the Union Sentinel was torn from the middle of the left side diagonally to the lower right side.  Therefore items appearing within brackets have been reconstructed using the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database along with the Roster And Records Of Iowa Soldiers In The War Of The Rebellion, Volume 4.  There are some minor inconsistencies between this article, the Soldiers and Sailors Data Base and the Roster.  What appears above is as I believe what appeared in The Union Sentinel.  The Roster lists Levi Gardner as the 3rd Corporal, Charles Black the 4th Corporal and Reuben Harper the 5th Corporal.  I have numbered them in the order they were given as logically they would not have been listed in a random fashion.]

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, Saturday, October 18, 1862, p. 2

From the 39th

We have been permitted to make a few extracts from a letter written home by J. L. Millard, of Co. D, 39th Iowa Inft., dated Rome, Ga., June 4th, which doubtless will be of interest to those having friends in that Reg. He says:

The 39th, all day Sunday, May 8th, led McPherson’s column in the successful flank movement which caused Johnson to evacuate Dalton. The 39th also lead the way through the noted Snake Creek Gap, where within six days from the time the 39th went through, they had been followed by over one hundred thousand Union Soldiers, with all their immense trains of supplies. Four companies of the 39th, (Co. D included), were in the first fight that ever took place between the Union and Rebel soldiers South of Dalton.

On the morning of the 15th (Sunday) we were moved down near the Ostanula River, in the direction where Dodge’s Division was laying pontoons. On these one brigade crossed in the afternoon, and passed through an open field half a mile. The rebels, who were lying in wait for them, charged down on them furiously. The fight was terrible but it did not last long. Our men stood firm and finally charged on, and drove them in disorder. The Iowa 7th lost heavily in this fight. Our regiment passed over immediately expecting to take part in the fight, but the rebs did not try it again that night. We threw up breast works that night, and the next morning felt for, found them and drove them for a while, when they halted, and we fought them all day. In this fight our brigade came very near being surrounded.

Our Brigade is now at this place – the advance is far down towards Alotona [sic]. It has been continual fighting from Ringgold down as far as our advance has gone.

Other items omitted for want of time and room.

– Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, June 18, 1864