8th Regiment, Missouri State Militia Cavalry (Union)

Brief History
This regiment was organized at Jefferson City, Bolivar, Warsaw and Linn Creek December 18, 1861, to May 6, 1862. Unattached, Dept. of Missouri, to September, 1862. District of Southwest Missouri to July, 1865.

Another source gives the following. The 8th Regiment, Missouri State Militia Cavalry was enrolled between 1 December 1861 and 7 April 1862. They mustered between 29 December 1861 and 6 May 1862. The Regiment was discharged 27 February 1865 and 25 December 1865. The Colonels in charge were Joseph J. Gravelly, John R. Kelso, Walter King, and J. W. McClurg.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 8th Regiment State Militia Cavalry, (accessed 21 July 2012).

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 James J. Akard - Many men from Jefferson City, Cole County

Company B - Captain John Lindsay - Many men from Jefferson City, Cole County

Company C - Captain William C. Human - Many men from Pittsburg, Hickory County

Company D - Captain John T. Wilson - Many men from Pittsburg, Hickory County

Company E - Captain Henry McCabe - Many men from Boliver, Polk County

Company F - Captain John R. Foster - Many men from Warsaw, Benton County

Company G - Captain Richard G. Chittwood - Many men from Linn Creek, Camden County

Company H - Captain Henry D. Moore - Many men from Linn Creek, Camden County

Company I - Captain Jacob Cossirt - Many men from Linn Creek, Camden County

Company K - Captain Glade - Many men from Warsaw, Benton County

Company L - Captain Ozias Ruark - Many men from Springfield, Greene County

Company M - Major Milton Burch - Many men from Springfield, Greene County

The above information about the companies with partial rosters is found in Kenneth E. Weant's book, Civil War Records: Union Troops Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Volume 7.

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 'Missouri 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.


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