8th Regiment, Alabama Infantry

Brief History
8th Infantry Regiment, the first Confederate regiment to be enlisted for the war, was organized at Montgomery, Alabama, in May, 1861. Its members were recruited in Mobile, Perry, Dallas, Butler, and Coosa counties. It surrendered with 16 officers and 153 men at Appomattox.

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.

Companies by County:

The [http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database] lists 3,282 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.


 * Comany A "Alabama Rangers" - many men from Perry County
 * Company B "Governor's Guards" - many men from Coosa County
 * Company C "Alex Stephens' Guards" - many men from Mobile County
 * Company D "Independent Blues" - many men from Dallas County
 * Company E "Hamp Smith Rifles" - many men from Mobile County
 * Company F "Greenville Guards" - many men from Butler County
 * Company G "German Fusileers"- many men from Mobile County
 * Company H "Mobile Independent Scouts" - many men from Mobile County
 * Company I "Emerald Guards" - many men from Mobile County
 * Company K "Southern Guards" - many men from Perry County

The list of companies with their counties is found on history-sites.com web site. Nicknames found on the bitsofblueandgray.com website.

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 'Alabama 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.


 * Alabama in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Alabama, 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.itional information.