8th Kansas Infantry
Brief History
8th Kansas Flag
| The Eighth saw more than its share of action, and as the following synopsis will display, the unit was engaged in a variety of theaters of war. Eighth Infantry. - Cols., Henry W. Wessells, Robert H. Graham, John A. Martin; Lieut. Cols., John A. Martin, James L. Abernathy, Edward F. Schneider, James M. Graham, John Connover. Majors, Edward F. Schneider, James M. Graham, John Connover, Henry C. Austin. This regiment, like most of the first Kansas organizations, was originally intended for service in the state and along the border, and, as was also true of many of the early regiments formed, it was at first a mixed organization, intended to have eight companies of infantry and two of cavalry. The first six companies were mustered into U.S. service in Sept. 1861, for three years, two more companies were added in October, and the regimental headquarters were established in Lawrence. During December 1861 and January 1862, two more incomplete companies joined the regiment as Cos. I and K. |
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On February 7,
1862, Col. Wessells was ordered to rejoin his regiment in the Regular Army,
and on the 28th, by order of Gen. Hunter, commanding the department, the
regiment was thoroughly reorganized and consolidated with a battalion raised
for service in New Mexico, and Col. Graham of the latter was assigned to the
command. As finally reorganized, the regiment had strength of 862 officers
and men. Late in May, 1862, with other regiments, under the command of Gen.
Robert B. Mitchell, it was ordered to Corinth, Mississippi, and a battalion
of five companies left the state for that point on May 27th. After some
delays at Columbus, Ky., Union City, Trenton and Humboldt, Tenn., it finally
arrived at Corinth on July 3rd and was temporarily attached to Col. Fuller's
brigade, Brig. Gen. Jeff. C. Davis' division, Army of the Mississippi. On
Feb. 22, 1863, Cos. A, C, D and F along with Co. G on Mar. 29 which composed
the battalion which had been left behind in Kansas, reported at Nashville
and the regiment was there united for the first time since its organization.
Meanwhile, prior to Feb. 22, 1863, Co. G, which had been stationed at Ft.
Laramie, and the other companies, had seen considerable service along the
border of Kansas and in Missouri, fighting with Coffey, Cockrell, Quantrill
and other guerrilla leaders. The battalion at Corinth left that point on
July 22, 1862, for Jacinto, where it was attached to the 1st Brigade, 9th
Division, Army of the Mississippi, with Brig. Gen. Davis commanding the
division and Col. Mitchell the brigade. Col. Graham had been taken sick at
St. Louis and never rejoined his command, being succeeded by Lieut. Col.
Martin.
The military historian of the regiment in summarizing its
services for the adjutant general's report says: "During its term of
service, the 8th traveled 10, 750 miles. It participated in 15 battles and
18 skirmishes...It lost a total of 64 killed, 272 wounded and 21 missing."
In the above losses there are not included 5 men killed and 17 men wounded
in slight skirmishes or by guerrillas while foraging and scouting. Hence,
the aggregate loss of the regiment was 379 killed, wounded and missing.
Three officers and 92 men died of disease, bringing the total loss by death
to 212.* The heaviest loss sustained by the regiment was at Chickamauga,
where out of a total of 406 engaged, it lost 243 officers and men killed,
wounded or missing, or 55 percent, of those present.
Says the same military historian: "The gleam of its bayonets was seen from Ft. Laramie. Neb., to the Rio Grande; its banners fluttered in the sunlight from Kansas to North Carolina, the crack of its rifles startled the echoes in the valley of the Platte and along the hillsides of the Tennessee and Chattahoochee, and the tramp of its soldiers resounded in the dusty highways of twelve different states. It hunted guerrillas in Missouri, combated Longstreet's veterans at Chickamauga, stormed the blazing heights of Missionary Ridge, fought a continuous battle from Kennesaw Mountain to Atlanta and broke through Hood's lines at the battle that annihilated the rebel army of the West. At Nashville, it did duty in white gloves and at Knoxville it was shirtless, hatless, shoeless and in rags. It knew how to garrison a post or charge a line of entrenchments. At Ft. Leavenworth it vied with the oldest and best trained soldiers in the Regular Army in the perfection of its discipline and drill, and in Georgia it lived on the countryside with Sherman's bummers." The regiment was the last of the Kansas troops to be discharged, being finally mustered out at Ft. Leavenworth on January 9, 1866, when it mustered a total of 196 officers and men.
According to Bill McFarland, author of "Keep the Flag to the Front- the story of the 8th Kansas Infantry", the appearance of the 8th at Chattanooga was well worn. The, men wore four button sack coats and carried either 1861 Springfields or 1858 Enfield rifles. It varied by company. There appears to have been a mixture of forage caps and slouch hats worn by the men. The uniforms had been worn since June and showed the effect of a summer of campaigning and the fighting at Chickamauga. Members of the regiment remarked that the rebel pickets they face at Chattanooga were better dressed than 8th was. Officers were dressed very casually. If they wore an rank markings at all it was very scaled down. Many carried common cavalry sabers rather than officer's swords. One officer wounded and captured at Chickamauga had to do some talking to convince his captors that he was an officer at all.
He further says the day after the 8th Kansas arrived at
Chattanooga their colonel marched them to the river and issued soap and told
them to clean up. Some had not had a "bath" since June. A few days later a
corporal took the camp kettle to a pond between the lines and stripped off
every thing but his hat and boots and boiled all his clothing to kill the
lice. The pickets of the 8th often made arrangements with the Confederate
pickets facing them and agreed not to fire on one another unless ordered to
do so. They met on the opposite banks of a creek between the lines to trade
newspapers, liquor, or just talk.
Company Service:
Companies "B," "E," "H," "I" and "K" moved from Corinth,
Miss., to Jacinto July 22, 1862, and to Eastport, Miss., August 3-5. March
to Nashville, Tenn., August 18-September 4, thence to Louisville, Ky., in
pursuit of Bragg September 11-26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October
1-16. Near Perryville October 6-7. Battle of Perryville October 8. Lancaster
October 14. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7. Reconnaissance
toward Franklin December 9. Near Brentwood December 9. Assigned to provost
duty at Nashville December 18, 1862, to June 9, 1863. Company "G" stationed
at Leavenworth until February, 1863. Joined Regiment at Nashville, Tenn.,
March 29, 1863. Companies "A," "D" and "F" at Fort Kearney until June, 1862,
then at Leavenworth, Kan., until February, 1863. Company "C" at Leavenworth,
Kan., until February, 1863. Skirmish with Gordon's guerrillas at Hickory
Grove, Mo., August 7, 1862 (Cos. "A," "D" and "F"). Scout from Fort
Leavenworth to Independence, Mo., August 12-14, 1862 (Cos. "A" and "F").
Hickory Grove August 23 (Cos. "A," "C" and "F"). Expedition through Jasper,
Cass, Johnson and LaFayette Counties, Mo., September 8-23 (Cos. "C" and
"F"). Companies "A," "C," "D" and "F" joined Regiment at Nashville, Tenn.,
February 22, 1863. Regiment moved from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Tenn.,
June 9, 1863. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty
Gap June 24-27. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River, and
Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Caperton's Ferry,
Bridgeport, August 29. Battle of Chickamauga, Ga., September 19-20. Siege of
Chattanooga September 24-October 27. Battles of Chattanooga November 23-25;
Orchard Knob November 23-24; Missionary Ridge November 26. Pursuit to
Graysville November 26-27. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November
28-December 8. Campaign in East Tennessee until February, 1864. Veterans on
furlough February 17-April 5. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., April 20-28. Escort
train from Nashville to Sherman's army May 1 to June 17. Rejoined Brigade
before Kennesaw Mountain June 28. Operations against Kennesaw Mountain June
28-July 2. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River
July 5-17. Battle of Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July
22-August 25. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro
August 31-September 1. Lovejoy's Station September 2-6. Operations against
Hood in North Georgia and North Alabama October 1-26. Moved to Nashville,
thence to Pulaski, Tenn. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia,
Duck River, November 24-27. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin
November 30. Battles of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the
Tennessee River December 17-28. March to Huntsville, Ala., December 1, 1864,
to January 5, 1865, duty there until February 1. Moved to Nashville and back
to Huntsville February 1-6, and duty there until March 15. Bull's Gap
Expedition and operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. Moved to
Nashville April 22 and duty there until June 15. Moved to New Orleans, La.,
June 15-29, thence to Indianola, Texas, July 6-9. March to Green Lake July
9, and duty there until August 10. Moved to San Antonio August 10-23, and
duty there until November 29. Mustered out November 29, 1865. Moved to Fort
Leavenworth, Kan., November 30, 1865-January 6, 1866, and honorably
discharged January 9, 1866.
Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 94 Enlisted men killed and
mortally wounded and 3 Officers and 144 Enlisted men by disease. Total 244.
Links to more information:
http://www.8thkansas.org/about.html1.html
http://www.kshs.org/cool/coolflg2.htm