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8th Michigan Infantry
in the American Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Eighth Michigan Infantry. — Cols., William M. Fenton,
Frank Graves; Lieut.- Cols., Frank Graves, Ralph Ely; Majs., Amasa B.
Watson, Ephraim W. Lyon, W. Ely Lewis, Horatio Belcher, Richard N.
Doyle. This regiment was organized at Grand Rapids in Aug., 1861, and
was ordered to Fort Wayne, Detroit, arriving there Sept. 16. It was
mustered in Sept. 23, and left the state Sept. 27 and went into camp at
Meridian hill near Washington on the 30th. On Oct. 10 it joined the 2nd
brigade, expeditionary corps, under Gen. T. W. Sherman, and moved to
Hilton Head by steamer, reaching there Nov. 8 after a small engagement
at Port Royal, S. C., the previous day. It moved to Beaufort on Dec. 6
and was under fire at Coosaw river, and Port Royal Ferry. It was in camp
at Gray's hill and Beaufort during the month of Jan., 1863, on drill,
picket, guard and reconnoitering duty until April 9, when it moved to
Tybee island, Ga., and was at the fall of Fort Pulaski. On April 16
seven companies embarked for Wilmington island as an escort and was in a
skirmish with the 13th Ga., 800 strong, routing it, but losing 11 killed
and 34 wounded. The regiment was on drill and picket duty until June 1,
was then attached to the 1st brigade, 2nd division, and participated in
the assault on the works on James island, losing 13 killed, 98 wounded,
35 captured and 36 missing, out of a total of 534. It was a dashing
affair but unsuccessful. The regiment moved for Newport News on July 5,
and on Aug. 4 proceeded towards the upper Potomac. It was at the second
battle of Bull Run; fought at Chantilly; was heavily engaged at South
mountain and Antietam; moved into Virginia again in September and was at
Falmouth from Nov. 18 until Dec. 12. It was engaged at Fredericksburg
and then encamped near Falmouth until Feb. 13, 1863, and at Newport News
until March 19. It was then stationed at Louisville and Lebanon, Ky.,
until June, and was in the siege of Vicksburg from June 22 to July 4. It
was then engaged at Jackson, moved back to Milldale near Vicksburg on
the 23d, and marched toward Crab Orchard early in August, reaching there
on the 27th. On Sept. 10 it proceeded to Knoxville, Tenn., remained in
camp from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3, and was in the Blue Springs affair on the
10th. It was engaged at Loudon and Lenoir's station, Campbell's station,
and in the defense of Knoxville, where it was stationed at Fort Sanders.
After the siege it encamped at Blain's cross-roads, where 283 reenlisted
as veterans and were furloughed home through February. They rejoined the
regiment in March with a large number of recruits. The regiment was
engaged at the battle of the Wilderness, driving the enemy from their
first line of rifle- pits, and losing 99 in killed, wounded and missing,
among them Col. Graves. At Spottsylvania it assaulted the enemy's
intrenchments and lost 49. It was then successively engaged at the North
Anna, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, and the first assaults at
Petersburg, losing 49 men, and remained in the trenches constantly under
fire until July 30, when it participated in the engagement following the
explosion of the mine. It fought at the Weldon railroad, Reams' station,
Poplar Spring Church, Pegram's farm, Boydton road and Hatcher's run and
was on picket and trench duty through the winter. It assisted in
repelling the assault on Fort Stedman in March, 1865, and was in the
final assault of April 2. It was among the first to enter Petersburg on
April 3. It remained on guard duty until the 20th and took transports
for Alexandria on the 21st. On May 9, the regiment entered Washington,
was assigned to guard and patrol duty, and was mustered out July 30,
1865. Its original strength was 915 : gain by recruits, 814; total
1,729. Loss by death, 403. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 3
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