8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The 8th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and it was mustered in September 13, 1861. The 8th Wisconsin's mascot was Old Abe, a bald eagle that accompanied the regiment into battle. It was mustered out at Demopolis, Alabama, September 5, 1865.

The 8th Wisconsin initially mustered 870 men and later recruited an additional 333 men, for a total of 1,203 men. The regiment lost 2 officers and 53 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 2 officers and 219 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 280 fatalities OFFICERS:

Colonel Robert C. Murphy

Colonel George W. Robbins

Colonel John W. Jefferson

Colonel William B. Britton

ASSIGNMENTS:
Organized at Madison, Wis., and mustered in September 13, 1861. Left State for St. Louis, Mo., October 12; thence moved to Pilot Knob, Mo., October 14. Expedition to Fredericktown October 17-21. Action at Fredericktown October 21. Expedition against Thompson's Forces November 2-15. Moved to Sulphur Springs November 25, and duty there until January 17, 1862. Moved to Cairo, Ill., January 17, and duty there until March 4. (Co. "K" detached at Mound City until April. Rejoined Regiment April 14, 1862.) Attached to 3rd Brigade, District of Cairo, Ill., January to March, 1862. 1st Brigade, 5th Division, Army of Mississippi, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army of the Mississippi, to April, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Mississippi, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 8th Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 8th Division, 16th Army Corps, to April, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 15th Army Corps, to December, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division Detachment, Army of the Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps (New), Military Division West Mississippi, to September, 1865. SERVICE:
Operations against New Madrid, Mo., March 6-14, 1862. Siege and capture of Island No. 10, Mississippi River, March 15-April 8. Expedition to Fort Pillow, Tenn., April 13-17. Moved to Hamburg Landing, Tenn., April 18-22. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Reconnaissance toward Corinth May 8. Action at Farmington May 9. Occupation of Corinth and pursuit to Booneville May 30-June 12. Expedition to Rienzi June 30-July 1. At Camp Clear Creek until August. March to Tuscumbia, Ala., March 18-22. March to Iuka September 8-12. Actions near Iuka September 13-14. Battle of Iuka September 19. Battle of Corinth, Miss., October 3-4. Pursuit to Ripley October 5-12. Duty at Corinth until November 2. Moved to Grand Junction November 2. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign. Operations on the Mississippi Central Railroad November 2, 1862, to January 10, 1863. Duty at LaGrange and Germantown, Tenn., January to March, 1863. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., March 14; thence to Young's Point, La., March 29. At Ducksport until May. Movement to Join army in rear of Vicksburg, Miss., via Richmond and Grand Gulf May 2-14. Mississippi Springs May 13. Jackson May 14. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Expedition to Mechanicsburg and Satartia June 2-8. Mechanicsburg, Satartia, June 4. Expedition to Richmond June 14-16. Richmond June 15. Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 4-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Camp at Bear Creek until September 26. Expedition to Canton October 14-20. Bogue Chitto Creek October 17. At Big Black River Bridge until November 7. Moved to Memphis, Tenn., November 7-13. Duty there, at LaGrange and at Salisbury until January 27, 1864. Expedition to Pocahontas December 2-4, 1863. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., January 27-February 3. Meridian Campaign February 3-March 2. Red River Campaign March 10-May 22. Fort DeRussy March 14. Occupation of Alexandria March 16. Henderson's Hill March 21. Battle of Pleasant Hill April 9. About Cloutiersville April 22-24. At Alexandria April 26-May 13. Retreat to Morganza May 13-20. Mansura May 16. Yellow Bayou May 18. Moved to Vicksburg, Miss., May 20-22; thence moved to Memphis, Tenn. Old River Lake or Lake Chicot, Ark., June 6. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-30. Abbeville August 23 and 25. Expedition up White River to Brownsville, Ark., September 1-10. Pursuit of Price through Arkansas and Missouri September 17-November 16. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., November 23-December 1. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Clifton, Tenn., thence to Eastport, Miss., and duty there until February, 1865. Moved to New Orleans, La., February 6-19. Campaign against le and its Defenses March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of le April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty at Montgomery and Uniontown until September. Mustered out at Demopolis, Ala., September 5, 1865. ROSTERS:

The composite rosters of this unit contain the names of 1925 men.

Company A - Waupaca County

Company B - most men from Sheboygan County

Company C - Eau Claire County

Company D - Columbia County, Dodge County and Pierce County

Company E - Dane County

Company F - Crawford County, Vernon County and Sheboygan County

Company G - most men from Rock County

Company H - Dane County and Green County

Company I - Washington County, La Crosse County and Trempealeau County

Company K - Racine County and Dane County

FEATURED MEMBERS:

Pvt Thomas J. Bowles – member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Sgt Maj Augustus G. Weissert – 21st Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1892–1893

Maj William P. Lyon – brevet Brigadier General, Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2003.

Love, William D. Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion. Chicago: Church and Goodman, 1866. E537L79. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

Quiner, E.B. The Military History of Wisconsin. Chicago: Clarke, 1866. E537Q75. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

Rigdon, John C. Wisconsin Civil War Soldiers Index. Davenport, IA: Eastern Digital Resources, 2011.

REFERENCES:
Dyer, Frederick H. - A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
The Union Army by Federal Publishing Company, 1908 - Volume 1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_in_the_American_Civil_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awakes