8th Virginia Infantry


The 8th Virginia Infantry was a Confederate infantry regiment raised by Colonel Eppa Hunton in Leesburg, Virginia on May 8, 1861. The unit comprised six companies from Loudoun, two companies from Fauquier, one company from Fairfax and one company from Prince William. Initial regimental officers included: Lt. Colonel Charles B. Tebbs, Major Norborne Berkeley, John M. Orr - Quartermaster, Dr. Richard H. Edwards - Surgeon, Charles F. Linthicum - Chaplain. After Eppa Hunton's promotion to brigadier general in August 1863, in part based on his valor during the Battle of Gettysburg, particularly during Pickett's Charge, Norborne Berkeley was promoted to command the 8th Virginia, and his brother Edmund became the Lieut. Colonel, his brother William Berkeley, Major, and Charles Berkeley became the senior Captain of what then became known as the "Berkeley Regiment."Nonetheless, Norborne, William and Charles Berkeley were all in Union prisoner of war camps and their brother Edmund still recovering from his Gettysburg wound on August 9.

History

In May 1861, the Governor of Virginia, John Letcher, granted Eppa Hunton the commission of Colonel and ordered him to raise an infantry regiment from the northern Virginia area. Before the Battle of First Bull Run, the newly raised 8th Virginia was assigned to guard the numerous Potomac River crossings in Loudoun County, from which it had drawn four companies. The regiment fought in that battle to particular acclaim and then returned to Leesburg, where they were engaged in the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October 1861.
In March 1862 the 8th was ordered to leave Loudoun to participate in the Peninsula Campaign as part of Pickett's Brigade. Lt. Col. Tebbs, who had been Loudoun's Commonwealth Attorney before the war and captain of the Loudoun Guards and secession advocate, relinquished his commission in April and took a civilian job with the Confederate States government in Richmond. After a valiant charge at the Battle of Gaines' Mill in June, Col. Hunton referred to his men, who he felt would go against any odds seemingly without counting the cost, as The Bloody Eighth, a term he would use from then on.
In September 1862, the 8th briefly returned to Leesburg, following the Battle of Second Bull Run, in which they participated although initially in reserve status, on their way to the Maryland Campaign. The following year, they took part in Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg--they sustained 90% casualties, and only one officer and eleven men remained uninjured. Col. Hunton was promoted to Brigadier General the following month, and the regiment became known as the "Berkeley Regiment," since Norborne Berkeley was promoted to command it, his brother Edmund became the Lieut. Colonel, with his brother William Berkeley as regimental Major, and brother Charles Berkeley as the senior Captain.
The 8th Virginia remained with the Army of Northern Virginia throughout the remainder of the war, taking part in the Overland Campaign, Richmond-Petersburg Campaign and the Appomattox Campaign. It reported 53 casualties between June 1 and December 31, 1864, including the popular former chaplain turned adjutant, Charles Linthicum, a Methodist minister from Frederick County, Maryland who initially joined to substitute for a member of his congregation who had a large family. On April 6, 1865, the majority of the regiment was killed or surrendered at the Battle of Sayler's Creek, including Gen. Hunton. The surgeon and eleven privates who escaped that battle were paroled 3 days later following Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.

Companies