Al Murray
Sergeant
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2015
- Location
- West Virginia
I'm confused. Having a relative in it I have been reading about the 10th aka 39th Pennsylvania regiment but don't understand the confusion in names of the unit, this confusion being alluded to on Wikipedia. I read that when Lincoln called for troops Pennsylvania's enlistments exceeded the needed number, and that one of the higher ups in the government didn't like the Pennsylvania governor, and refused to take the excess into federal service. Wikipedia:
Fifteen regiments were formed, known as the 1st through 15th Pennsylvania Reserves (they were later designated the 30th through 44th Pennsylvania Volunteers, but generally retained the label of the Pennsylvania Reserves). At the time of the redesignation, Pennsylvania had other troops both in the field or in various stages of development using the same numbers. While many of these units used their designations into middle and late 1862, much confusion arose over the naming convention.
What is not clear to me is when did the 10th become the 39th and for what reason? From following Revolutionary War units over the years I know that at that time there were frequent reorganizations of the army which would result in the name of the unit's paper designation changing while nothing changed on the ground. At other times the remainder of a unit would be put under command of officers of another, yet still yet still retain their paper designation under in its old form. Yet in cases like this the regiment of the commanding officer would be listed in the Order of Battle, so to follow the smaller, subsumed unit one had to look for it under both designations.
Does anyone know what happened with this 10th / 39th Pa regiment? Is one a state and another a federal designation? When did the name change? Was it a paper change, or did the 10th join the 39th? What happened in "middle and late 1862?" How would one follow the regiment in the OR if they were using the same designation for more than one? I would look forward to any insight or education on this. Thanks!
Fifteen regiments were formed, known as the 1st through 15th Pennsylvania Reserves (they were later designated the 30th through 44th Pennsylvania Volunteers, but generally retained the label of the Pennsylvania Reserves). At the time of the redesignation, Pennsylvania had other troops both in the field or in various stages of development using the same numbers. While many of these units used their designations into middle and late 1862, much confusion arose over the naming convention.
What is not clear to me is when did the 10th become the 39th and for what reason? From following Revolutionary War units over the years I know that at that time there were frequent reorganizations of the army which would result in the name of the unit's paper designation changing while nothing changed on the ground. At other times the remainder of a unit would be put under command of officers of another, yet still yet still retain their paper designation under in its old form. Yet in cases like this the regiment of the commanding officer would be listed in the Order of Battle, so to follow the smaller, subsumed unit one had to look for it under both designations.
Does anyone know what happened with this 10th / 39th Pa regiment? Is one a state and another a federal designation? When did the name change? Was it a paper change, or did the 10th join the 39th? What happened in "middle and late 1862?" How would one follow the regiment in the OR if they were using the same designation for more than one? I would look forward to any insight or education on this. Thanks!