8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - Confederate

United States  U.S. Military   Tennessee    Tennessee Military   Tennessee in the Civil War 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's)

Brief History
This regiment was organized in November, 1862, but annulled. Reoraganized in January, 1863, by consolidating Davis' Tennessee Cavalry Battalion and four companies from Murray's Cavalry Regiment. It surrendered with the Army of Tennessee.

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 - Captain David W. Alexander - "The Marshall Rangers" - Men from Marshall County.
 * Company B - Captain Cyrus H. Ingle - "The McClellan Troop" - Men from Sullivan County.
 * Company C - Captain Francis Cunningham, George C. Moore - Men from Smith County.
 * Company D - Captain James M. Phillips - Men from DeKalb and Wilson Counties.
 * Company E - Captain H.A. Wiley - Men from Cannon County.
 * Company F - Captain James R. Lester - Men from Wilson County.
 * Company G - Captain Jonathan W. Nichol - Men from Cannon and Rutherford Counties.
 * Company H - Captain Samuel H. Clover - Men from Hamilton County and Alabama.
 * Company I - Captain R.H. Anderson - Men from Fentress County.

The information about the companies is from Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 19 Nov 2011).

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,111 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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 'Tennessee 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.


 * Tennessee in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, 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.


 * Dodd, Ephraim Shelby, d. 1864. Diary of Ephraim Shelby Dodd : member of Company D, Terry's Texas Rangers, December 4, 1862-January 1, 1864. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),


 * 8th (Baxter Smith's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 19 Nov 2011). Brief history and oganization.


 * 8th (Baxter Smith's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Sumner County, Tennessee in the Civil War, by Edwin L. Ferguson, (accessed 19 Nov 2011). Brief history and muster roll for Company K.


 * Confederate Military Rosters Online, 8TH (BAXTER-SMITH) CAVALRY, (accessed 26 Feb 2012). Individual links for this unit, divided by subject and company.


 * 4th (Murray's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 19 Nov 2011). Four companies from this regiment joined Baxter Smith's 8th Cavalry.