Eighth Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers

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The Eighth Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers was organized at Camp Buckingham, Hartford, in September, 1861, It was first commanded by Co. Edward Harland of Norwich. The regiment left Hartford October 17 1861. It held a camp of instruction at Jamaica, Long Island, and there received its colors. It proceeded to Annapolis, where it spent the fall. Early in January, 1862, the Eighth sailed with the Burnside Expedition to North Carolina as part of the Ninth Corps. It was held in reserve during the battle of Roanoke Island. ^[1]

It was engaged in the battle of Newberne, N.C. March 14 1862. The Eighth then participated in the successful siege of Fort Macon, N.C., April 1862. From there the Eighth proceeded to Fredricksburg in July, 1862. On September 1 the Eighth accompanied the Union Army to Washington, and on September 8th, joined the Maryland Campaign, including action at South Mountain.

The Battle of Antietam on September 17 1862, resulted in a greater number of casualties for the regiment than any other engagement of the war. Along with other regiments of Harland's Brigade, the Eighth marched downstream from Burnside's Bridge, and crossed the Antietam at Snaveley's Ford. They proceeded up the slopes towards Sharpsburg to attack the Confederates, finally being repulsed by reenforcements under Gen. A. P. Hill at the close of the day's fighting.

After Antietam, the Eighth stayed in Pleasant Valley til marching back to Fredricksburg, with the Army of the Potomac, assuming their old camps at the Lacey House. Soon it was involved in the contested crossing of the Rappahannock, the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13 1862, and was held in reserve during the bloody repulses that followed.

Following their participation in Burnside's Mud March, the Eighth took leave of the Ninth Corps early in 1863, and went to Newport News, then to Suffolk, Virginia. They participated in the siege there for several months. It was there that the Eighth, now under Col. John Ward, attacked Fort Huger and took it by surprise in a daring raid. The regiment remained in the Portsmouth area during the summer, and participated in the "Blackberry Raid" demonstration in force.

In December 1863, the Eighth re-enlisted 310 original members, and in January were home on veteran furloughs.

The year of 1864 found the Eighth returned to southeastern Virginia and had now been transferred to the Eighteenth Corps. There they participated in the battles of Walthall Junction, Fort Darling, Drewry's Bluff, Cold Harbor, and the siege of Petersburg. In September, they served on Bermuda Hundred, and across the James River. September 29 they fought at Fort Harrison and Chaffins' Farm, which was their last engagement of the war.

The Eighth was with the Army of the Potomac in its final advance on Richmond in the spring of 1865. After Gen. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, the Eighth moved to Lynchburg, Virginia where it performed police and provost duties until it was mustered out of service December 12 1865, serving a longer term than all but two other Connecticut regiments.

1 Principal engagements
2 Casualties
3 Reference
4 References

[edit] Principal engagements

Newberne, N.C., March 17 1862

Fort Macon, N.C., April 1862

Antietam, Md., September 17 1862

Fredricksburg, Va., December 11 and 13, 1862

Fort Huger, Va., April 11 and April 19, 1863

Walthall Junction, Va., May 7 1864

Fort Darling or 2d Drewry's Bluff, Va., May 12 to May 16 1864

Cold Harbor, Va., June 1 to 10 1864

near Petersburg, Va., June 15 to 17 1864, and June 17 to September 28 1864

Fort Harrison, Va., September 29 to October 24 1864

[edit] Casualties

Killed in action, 72

Died of disease, 132

Died of wounds, 40

Discharged prior to muster out, 610

Total, 854

[edit] Reference

1. "Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the Army and Navy of the United States During the War of the Rebellion" - compiled by authority of the General Assembly under the directionof the Adjutants-General Smith, Camp, Barbour, and White.Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Co, 1889 (pp 327-328) [1]