8th Virginia Cavalry


The 8th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly as part of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Virginia's 8th Cavalry Regiment was organized early in 1862 with nine companies but increased its number to eleven to July. Many of the men were recruited in Cabell, Wayne, Mercer, Fayette, Greenbrier, Bland, Smyth, Nelson, Kanawha, and Tazewell counties.
The unit confronted the Union in western Virginia, fought in East Tennessee then returned to western Virginia. Later it participated in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and the Appomattox Campaign.
This regiment contained 225 effectives in April, 1864. Some claim that none were included in the surrender at Appomattox because it had cut through the Federal lines and disbanded, and that the field officers were Colonels James M. Corns and Walter H. Jenifer; Lieutenant Colonels Thomas P. Bowen, A.F. Cook, Henry Fitzhugh, and Albert G. Jenkins; and Major P.M. Edmondson. However, 2nd Lt. Hezekiah Harmon of Company A swore as a witness to the pension application of Angelina James, widow of S.P. James of the same company, that he and James surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, and that he "was present and saw all that I have stated". Validating Harmon's statement is the statement of the Adjutant General of the War Department of the United States, Brigadier General George Andrews, on November 21, 1912, on Angelina James' pension application, that "the records show that one S.P. James, private, Company A, 8th Virginia Cavalry, Confederate States Army, was enlisted June 27, 1863; that he was surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, and was paroled at that place April 9, 1865." This evidence lends strong weight to the 8th Cavalry having been at Appomattox at the surrender.
Former U.S. Congressman and Confederate Congressman Albert G. Jenkins recruited one of the unit's companies as a company of partisan rangers, before it was attached to the regiment and he became commanding officer of the 8th Virginia. He was killed at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain.

Companies and officers

CompanyNicknameRecruited atFirst Commanding Officer
ASmyth DragoonsSmyth CountyJohn Thompson
John P. Sheffey
formerly attached to 50th Virginia Infantry
BNelson RangersNelson CountyThomas P. Fitzpatrick
Isaac A. Paul
formerly attached to 50th Virginia Infantry
CGrayson CavalryGrayson CountyWilliam H. Bramblett
Richmond G. Bourne
formerly attached to 50th Virginia Infantry
DFrench's CompanyMercer CountyWilliam Henderson French
later 33rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, then Company D of 17th Virginia Cavalry
D1Gunn's RangersShenandoah ValleyWilliam R. Gunn
organized by Capt. Milton J. Ferguson and took place of moved Company D
EBorder Rangers
2nd Kanawha
Kanawha ValleyAlbert G. Jenkins
James M. Corns
Formerly attached to 36th Virginia Infantry
FBland RangersBland CountyWilliam Neel Harman
GMountain Rangers
Virginia Rebels
Monroe County
Putnam County
William E. Herndon
Otis Caldwell after merger with Caldwell's Battalion
HTazewell TroopMercer County
Tazewell County
John C. McDonald
Thomas P. Bowen
George W. Spotts
Achilles J. Tynes
Henry Bowen
IKanawha RangersKanawha County
Fayette County
Tom Huddleston
Charles I. Lewis
organized by Dr. Charles I. Lewis and Col. C. Q. Tompkins as Company K of 22nd Virginia
KFairview Rifle Guards
Sandy Rangers
Kanawha CountyJames M. Corns
Joseph M. Ferguson
Formerly attached to 36th Virginia Infantry
LWhite's Company of CavalryGreenbrier CountyMoorman B. White
ransferred to 14th Virginia Cavalry then 36th Battalion Virginia Cavalry