8th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry (Partisan Rangers)

Brief History
Organized at Goldsboro, Wayne County, from two independent companies on August 23, 1862. Company C assigned on October 25, 1863. Company D assigned in March 1863. Company E assigned on June 1, 1863. Battalion was converted to infantry at some time prior to August 1863. Company F assigned on September 25, 1863. Battalion consolidated with the 13th Battalion and designated as the 66th Infantry Regiment on October 2, 1863, per S.O. # 234, Adjutant and Inspector General's Office."

"Units of the Confederate States Army" by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. contains no history for this unit.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 714 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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.

1st Company - "Nethercutt's Company" - enlisted in Trenton, Jones County - became Company F, 66th North Carolina Troops, October 1863.

2nd Company - "Davie's Company - enlisted in Kinston, Lenoir County - became Company C, 66th North Carolina Troops, October, 1863.

3rd Company - "Robinson's Company - enlisted in Trenton, Jones County - became Company D, 66th North Carolina Troops, October 1863.

4th Company - "Bass's Company - enlisted in Goldsborough, Wayne County - became Company L, 66th North Carolina Troops, October 1863 - became an independent company soon after - attached to 68th Regiment North Carolina Troops very late in the war.

5th Company - "William's Company" - enlisted in Onslow County, Duplin County and Greene County - became Company I, 66 North Carolina Troops.

Information about the companies and their rosters are in Manarin and Jordan, North Carolina Troops 1861-1865: a roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘North Carolina 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.


 * North Carolina in the Civil War describes many sources, specifically for North Carolina, 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.