8th New York Cavalry in the American Civil War

Overview

The 8th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service), also known as the Rochester Regiment, served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized at Rochester, New York, the regiment was mustered into service in November 1861 and drew its members primarily from Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Orleans, Niagara, Chenango, and Oneida counties. The 8th New York Cavalry is recognized by Col. Fox as one of the “three hundred fighting regiments” due to its extensive combat record and significant losses.

The regiment participated in numerous campaigns and battles across the Eastern Theater, including the Shenandoah Valley, the defenses of Washington, D.C., and major cavalry operations with the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the Shenandoah. It was mustered out on June 27, 1865, at Alexandria, Virginia.

Organization & Service

The 8th New York Cavalry was organized at Rochester, New York, beginning November 14, 1861. Ten companies were mustered into United States service on November 23 and 28, 1861, for three years. The original Company K was transferred to other organizations, and a new Company K was formed in 1862. Additional Companies L and M were mustered in from September 29 to October 14, 1862. The regiment left New York on November 29, 1861, and was assigned to Banks’ Corps upon arrival in Washington, D.C., serving in the capital’s defenses through the winter.

In 1862, the regiment served in the Department of the Shenandoah and the Middle Department with the 8th Corps. From August to December 1862, it was attached to the 5th Brigade, Pleasonton’s Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, and later to the 1st Brigade of the same division. In February 1863, it joined the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, and in March 1864, the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division. The regiment joined the Army of the Shenandoah in October 1864 and returned to the Army of the Potomac in March 1865.

Original members not reenlisted were mustered out at Rochester on October 29, 1864. Veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion of eight companies on November 1, 1864. Four new companies (I, K, L, and M), formed of recruits for one and two years’ service, were added in April 1865, restoring the regiment to full strength. The regiment was finally mustered out and honorably discharged on June 27, 1865, at Alexandria, Virginia, under Colonel Edmund M. Pope.

Engagements & Campaigns

• Defenses of Washington, D.C. (Winter 1861–62)
• Department of the Shenandoah operations (1862)
• Battle of Winchester (May 1862)
• Siege of Harper’s Ferry (September 1862)
• Cavalry battle of Beverly Ford (June 1863)
• Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
• Virginia campaigns (1863–64)
• Sheridan’s raids and Shenandoah Campaign (1864)
• Wilson’s Raid on the Weldon Railroad (June 1864)
• Appomattox Campaign (March–April 1865)
• Over 130 battles and skirmishes in total

Casualties

• Killed in action or mortally wounded: 13 officers, 92 enlisted men
• Died of disease, accident, or other causes: 6 officers, 213 enlisted men
• Total deaths: 19 officers, 305 enlisted men
• Died in Confederate prisons: 3 officers, 70 enlisted men

Casualty figures are based on Fox’s Regimental Losses and New York Adjutant General reports.

Field Officers & Commanders

• Colonel Samuel J. Crooks
• Colonel Alfred Gibbs
• Colonel Benjamin F. Davis (killed at Beverly Ford)
• Colonel William L. Markell
• Colonel William H. Benjamin
• Colonel Edmund M. Pope
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Babbitt
• Lieutenant Colonel William L. Markell
• Lieutenant Colonel William H. Benjamin
• Lieutenant Colonel Edmund M. Pope
• Lieutenant Colonel James Bliss
• Major Edmund M. Pope
• Major William L. Markell
• Major Caleb Moore
• Major William Downey
• Major William H. Benjamin
• Major James McNair
• Major James Bliss
• Major Harmon P. Burroughs
• Major Albert L. Ford
• Major Hartwell B. Compson

Notable Medal of Honor recipients: Henry H. Bickford, Hartwell B. Compson, Charles A. Goheen, William E. Hart, Daniel Kelly, Andrew Kuder, John Miller, Robert Nevers, Mortimer A. Read, Joseph E. Sova.

Regimental Roster

The complete roster of officers and enlisted men who served in the 8th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) is available on the regiment’s roster page. This includes details on enlistment, rank, and service records for genealogical research.

To view the full roster, visit the 8th New York Cavalry (Three Years’ Service) Roster page.

Sources & References

• Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, various volumes
• Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York, 1893, Vol. 3
• Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
• Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861–1865
• Regimental and county histories published in the late 19th century