8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate)

Brief History
8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry was organized early in 1862 with nine companies but increased its number to eleven in July. This regiment contained 225 effectives in April 1864. However, none were included in the surrender at Appomattox because it had cut through the Federal lines and disbanded. Field officers: 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.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A (Smyth Dragoons) - many men from Smyth County

Company B (Nelson Rangers) - many men from Nelson County

Company C (Grayson Cavalry) - many men from Grayson County

Company D (1st) (French's Comoany) - many men from Mercer County, West Virginia

Company D (2nd) Gunn's Rangers) - many men from Cabell County

Company E (Border Rangers) - many men from Mercer County, West Virginia

Company F (Bland Rangers) - many men from Bland County

Company G (Mountain Rangers) - many men from several counties of present-day West Virginia, including Monroe County and Putnam County

Company H (Tazewell Troop) - many men from Mercer County and Tazewell County

Company I (Kanawha Rangers) - many men from Fayette County and Kanawha County of present-day West Virginia

Company K (Fairview Rifle Guards) (Sandy Rangers) - many men from Wayne County, West Virginia

Company L (White's Co. of Cavalry) - many men from Greenbrier County

The information above is from 8th Virginia Cavalry, by Jack L. Dickinson.


 * Many of the men were recruited in Smyth, Nelson, Kanawha, and Tazewell counties.
 * Field and Staff
 * Company A
 * Company B
 * Company C
 * Company D
 * Company D 1st
 * Company D 2nd
 * Company E
 * Company F
 * Company G
 * Company H
 * Company I
 * Company K
 * Company L

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in Virginia in the Civil War and United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Virginia in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Virginia, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Dickinson, Jack L. Confederate soldiers of western Virginia. (Barboursville, West Virginia : J. L. Dickinson, c1986), and 8th Virginia Cavalry. (Lynchburg, Virginia : H.E. Howard, c1986),