Sculpted by Gary Casteel
 
1863 Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Monument Replicas
 
Nicknamed the Garibaldi Guard in honor of the Italian general and political figure Giuseppe Garibaldi, the regiment was raised in New York City by the rather colorful Col. Frederick George D'Utassy in May of 1861.  As formed, the regiment contained mostly immigrants, with three companies of Germans, three of Hungarians, one Swiss, one French, one Italian, and one of Spanish and Portuguese.  Its soldiers wore brilliant red shirts, colorful uniforms with slouch hats and blue jackets faced in red, and bersaglieri plume (green cock feathers) on their caps.  Standard bearers carried the Italian flag alongside the American flag when they marched. 
 
On May 31, 1863, the 39th New York was consolidated into four companies, A through D.  In June of 1863, it became part of the 3d brigade, 3d division, 2d corps, and moved to Gettysburg.  During the Battle of Gettysburg, it was commanded by Major Hugo Hildebrandt (who was born in Hungary in 1832 and served with Lajos Kossuth in Hungary’s War for Independence against Austria).  
 
On July 3rd, it fought “valiantly”, according to a state history. “Three battle flags were captured by the 39th, a Mass. battery was recaptured, and the regiment received official commendation for its valor.”  However, Maj. Hildebrandt was among those wounded in the day’s fighting.  The 39th New York brought 332 men to the field, where it fought valiantly in the front of the left center, with a loss of 95 killed and wounded, the brigade losing six field officers killed or seriously wounded. 
 
A secondary monument north of United States Avenue indicates where the regiment supported the 3rd Corps on July 2.
 
The monument was dedicated on July 1st, 1888 and is located on Hancock Avenue in Ziegler’s Grove.