8th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry

Brief History
8th Cavalry Regiment was formed in July, 1864, by consolidating the six-company 19th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry (Duff's) and four companies raised behind Federal lines. The unit was often called the 19th Regiment or Battalion. During February, 1865, it was consolidated with the 6th Mississippi Cavalry and surrendered in May. The field officers were Colonel William L. Duff, Lieutenant Colonel William L. Walker, and Major Thomas A. Mitchell.

Predecessor unit: 19th (Duff's) Cavalry Battalion was organized during the late summer of 1863 with six companies. On July 19, 1864, it merged into the 8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel William L. Duff and Major William L. Walker were in command.

The 8th Mississippi Cavalry [formerly 19th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry (Duff’s)] Internet site has a longer history taken from Dunbar Rowland's Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898.

Regiment Companies with the County 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 Comprising The 8th Mississippi Calvary:

Company A - (Williams’ Company) - raised in Calhoun County

Company B - (Mitchell’s Company) - raised in Calhoun County

Company C - (Duff Guards) - raised in Yalobusha County see Roster

Company D - (Cochran’s Company) - raised in Choctaw County

Company E - (Walker’s Company) - raised in Chickasaw County

Company F - (Shackelford’s Company) - raised in Itawamba County

Company G - (Duke’s Company, aka Duke’s Company of Independent Scouts) - raised in Itawamba County

Company H - (Morris’ Company) - raised in DeSoto County and Panola County

Company I - (Robinson’s Company) - raised in Oktibbeha County

Company K - (Cox’s Company) - raised in Calhoun County

Companies Comprising The 19th Battalion Mississippi Calvary:

Company A - (Williams’ Company) - raised in Calhoun County

Company B - (Mitchell’s Company) - raised in Calhoun County

Company C - (Duff Guards) - raised in Yalobusha County

Company D - (Cochran’s Company) - raised in Choctaw County

Company E - (Walker’s Company) - raised in Chickasaw County and (Abert’s Company) - raised in Lowndes County

Company F - (Shackelford’s Company) - raised in Itawamba County and (Fields’ Company) -raised in Lowndes County

Company G - (Matthews’ Company) - raised in Lowndes County

Company H - (Morris’ Company) - raised in DeSoto county and Panola County

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 ‘Mississippi 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.


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


 * Howell, H. Grady. For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand!: A Muster Listing of All Known Mississippi Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines. (Chickasaw Bayou Press, 1998),


 * Rowland, Dunbar. Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898: taken from the Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, 1908. (Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company),