39th United States Infantry

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The 39th United States Infantry was a regiment of the regular Army. It was authorized on January 29, 1813 and raised in Tennessee. It was commanded by Colonel John Williams who previously led the Mounted Volunteers of East Tennessee[1]. On December 31, 1813 Major-General Thomas Pinckney ordered the regiment to join Andrew Jackson's force, providing a disciplined core for his command. The historian Henry Adams speculated that, without this regiment, Jackson would have fared no better in 1814 than he had the previous year.

Jackson welcomed the 39th. Since the beginning of his campaign in the Creek War, Jackson was troubled by serious discipline problems with his militia and volunteers. He told his quartermaster that "I am truly happy in having the Colonel with me. His regiment will give strength to my arm and quell mutiny".

At the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Jackson placed the regiment in the center of his assault force. Consequently, the 39th suffered significant casualties—20 killed and 52 wounded.

[edit] Notes

  1. ↑ Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812

[edit] References

  • Henry Adams History of the United States of America During the Administrations of James Madison (Library Classics of the United State, Inc. 1986), pp. 794-795, 797 ISBN 0-940450-35-6
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