The 8th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Estill Springs and Lebanon, Kentucky and mustered
in for a three year enlistment in October 1861.
The regiment was attached to Thomas' Command to January 1862. 16th Brigade, Army of the Ohio,
to February 1862, 23rd Independent Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 23rd Brigade,
5th Division, Army of the Ohio, September 1862. 23rd Brigade, 5th Division, II Corps, Army of
the Ohio, to November 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing, XIV Corps, Army of the
Cumberland, to January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXI Corps, Army of the Cumberland,
to October 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, IV Corps, to April 1864. 1st Separate Brigade,
Post of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland, to November 1864. 2nd Brigade,
District of the Etowah, Department of the Cumberland, to February 1865.
The 8th Kentucky Infantry mustered out of service in February 1865; veterans and new recruits
were transferred to the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry.
CONTENTS
HISTORY EIGHTH KENTUCKY.
CHAPTER I.
The Clouds of War. Kentucky's Neutrality. Union Home
Guards. Invasion. Enlisting. Recruits Arming themselves
with Rifles and Shot guns. Rendezvousing at Estill Springs.
Awkward Drilling. Organizing the Regiment. Flag Presentation
by Loyal Ladies. Response of the Eighth.
CHAPTER II.
Marching Orders. Taking Leave of Friends. A Rainy March.
Loyalty in Richmond, Ky. A Snow Storm. Officers Paying
for Chickens. Arrive at Lebanon. Putting on Style.
Drilling. Serious Sickness. Moving Camp and Making
Beds. Married Soldiers Desirous to be Furloughed. A
Shrewd Woman and a Sharp Lieutenant. Kindness of Citizens.
Our Death Roll Increases. Pay Day, Marching to
Louisville. Boat Ride. An Indignant Boat Crew. Excited
Negroes.
CHAPTER III.
A Silent Southern City. Buell's Unpleasant Orders. Cutting
ReJjels' Timber. Moving South. Wading Stone River.
Heavy Camp and Picket Duty. Ward fools the Doctor and
is caught. Shooting a Rebel fool. Pig Skins. The Eighth
at Wartrace. Catching a Rebel Surgeon. Fortifying. Cut
ling Railroad Timbers and Guarding Bridges. On the
Mountains under Gen. Dumont. Hard Living. Returning
to Camp at Wartrace. A detail wash ''Dobins" neck.
Fourth of July.
CHAPTER IV.
Night Ride to Elk River Bridge. Marching in a Rain Storm.
A Knapsack Squabble. Fortifying TuUahoma. The 35th
Indiana joins the Brigade. Picketing and Foraging. March
to Murfreesboro. Putting the Darkies to Digging Rifle-pits.
A silent Night Move ends in Hard Marching. Nelson expecting
Attack at Murfreesboro. A hot March to McMinnville.
Morgan Evacuates. Expedition over Cany Fork,
A hard set of Teamsters. Rain. Hard work, wet clothes
and no grub. Counter-march. Green Apples. Nelson's
Drills. Expedition to Liberty. Nelson and the pie vender.
" Thirty-fives " run a Distillery.
CHAPTER V.
Loyalty leaving McMinnville. March back to Murfreesboro.
Scarcity of Greenbacks. An Accommodating Sutler. Troops
passing through Nashville. On to Kentucky. Pants only
for the ragged Gray-backs in camp. Leaving Tennessee with
full Stomachs. The Flag and Loyalty in Kentucky. Branson
and the Goat. On half Rations. Grating Corn Hard
Marching. Drinking Mule Soup. Skirmishing ahead. Arrive
at Cave City. Novel Cooking. Wormy Flour. Soldiers
Distrusting Buell. Sleeping with wet garments, A Race
for the Ohio. Famishing with Thirst. Midnight Entrance
into Louisville. Condition of the Troops,
CHAPTER VI.
Expecting Pay, but Double-quick after the Johnnies. Skirmishing.
Scarcity of Water. Battle of Peiryville. Rebels
Retreating. Indignant Kentucky Soldiers. Hunting a fight
at Danville. On toward Crab Orchard. Night attack on
the Johnnies. They leave a hot Breakfast, Rebels Blockading
the R.oad near Wildcat. The Sth Surprise and Capture
a Camp of Rebel Recruits. On to Somerset. Early Snow.
March to Columbus. Sad Reports from Home. The 8lh
and 2 1st desire a few Greenbacks. Married Men wanting
Furloughs. Pay day at Glasgow. Moving on to Tennessee,
A big day's Washing at Galatin.
CHAPTER VII.
Slipping on to Morgan at Lebanon. Heavy Rations of Flour,
Bacon and Whisky. A novel Supply Train. Foraging at
Silver Springs, Guarding Supplies to Rural Hill. Attack
at Breakfast. Discomfitted Rebels leave seven dead. Wiseman
tumbling a " Jip." Col, Hawkins Compliments the
Eighth. Camp nearer Nashville, Changes in the Command,
Move to the Murfreesboro Pike. Rosecrans Inspects the
Army. Foraging and Battle at Dobins' Ferry. Our Dead
and Wounded. Another move. After Absentees in Louisville
CHAPTER VIII.
The Army moves on the Enemy, The Eighth's Company
Commanders, Skirmishing in the rain, A Sunday in Bivouac.
Pickets' Armistice. Arrival at Stone River, Two
Armies Facing. Heavy Skirmishing. Terrible Battle the
last day of 1862. Wading cold water. Third Brigade a
Bait to Rosy's Trap, Magnificent War Picture, A gallant
Resistance by the Third Brigade, Breckenridge falls into
the trap. Terrible Slaughter. Murfreesboro ours. Burying
Dead. Bad Weather. Loss of Comrades. Irishman's Notion
of Putting Down Rebels.
CHAPTER IX.
Torn Battle Flags in Kentucky Legislature. A Hospital
Town. Picketing and practicing Economy. Death of three
gallant Officers, Foraging on a large scale, A Rebel dis
likes his Voucher. Fortifying M, The Status of the Slaves
discussed. More Deaths from Wounds. Guarding Pontoons.
On a Reconnoissance. Rain, mud and songs. Camp on
Lytle's Creek. A stylish Inspector Wets his Pants. Off to
Snow Hill with one hundred rounds. Charging the Enemy.
Victory. Return to Camp.
CHAPTER X.
Heavy Drills and Picket Duty. Col. Matthews' Farewell. A
Mammoth "Nigger" Dance causes Alarm. Maj. Broadhus'
and Col. May's Departure. Capt. Mayhew and Adjt. Clark
Promoted. Officers being Married to Commissions. Marking
Comrades' Graves. Swap for Enfield Rifles. Smith's
Gun the Brightest. Dobin Spikes tries Bean Juice. Witnessing
the Shooting of a Deserter. Army moves Forward.
Marching and Scouting. Union Songs and Rebel Hate.
At Woodbury. At McMinnville again. Ornamenting Camp.
Unwelcome Harvesters. The last Man ever Tied up.
CHAPTER XI.
Over the Mountains. Topography of Sequatchie. Rattlesnakes.
Pikeville. Brains Hockersmith and the Rebel Beauty. Living
on Produce. The Loyal Refugee Preacher. A good
Work begins. Down the Valley. Crossing the Tennessee.
Wet Men. Guarding Supply Train. A piled up Country.
Passing the Gate City. Three Miles of Fight. Entering
Ringold, Ga. Frightened Women. Back to Gordon's Mills
and McLamore's Cave. A Sweet Incense of Frying Mutton.
CHAPTER XII.
Reconnoitering and Skirmishing at Chicamauga. A Cold
Night and Piteous Cries of the Wounded. Description of
the. Two Days' Battle. Gallant Charge by the 51st Ohio and
8th Kentucky. Return to the city, war worn and brush torn.
Loss of Comrades.
CHAPTER XIII.
Siege of Chattanooga. Digging Day and Night. Under Fire.
On Quarter Rations. Picket Repartee. Another Picture of
War. Religious Worship. Frank Captures Rebel Beeves.
Rosecrans and Crittenden Farewell. The Command Changed
to the 4th Corps. A Detail of the Brigade at Field Hospital.
Forage for a Living. At Moccasin Point. Wauhatchie and
Shell Mound. Dilapidated Clothing. Building Winter
Quarters.
CHAPTER XIV.
Over Bad Roads with three days' Rations and Sixty Rounds.
Facing Frowning Lookout, Pile Knapsacks and Climbing.
Surprising the Enemy in day-light. A Rich Harvest of
Prisoners. Novel Missiles. Ward Silencing a Sharpshooter.
Battle above the Clouds. Carrying the Flag on Point Lookout.
Capturing Camp and Commissaries. An exciting Battle
Scene. Finishing Winter Quarters. Consolidation of the
Regiment at Shell Mound, Parting with Brother Officers.
Maj. Clark's Farewell.
CHAPTER XV.
Re-enlisting. Manner of Doubling Companies. Leaving the
'' Illegant" Shanties. Incidents of the March to Cleveland,
Tenn. Self Reliance of the Soldiers. Form new Camp and
Acquaintances. Veterans get Pay, and an Expedition to
Buzzard's Roost. In Leaky Tents at Blue Springs. A
Rainy March and Miserable Night Ride. A Supperless Set.
Camp at Chattanooga. Chuck-a-luckers Burying Mules.
Snow-balling. Veterans Dressing up. An Officer's Advice
to his Men.
CHAPTER XVI.
Veterans take a Thirty Days' Furlough, Soldiers' Home. In
Louisville. Leaving Lexington. Cleaning out a Hotel.
Good Behavior. Home and Friends. How a Southern
Rights Woman became Union. Returning to the War. A
Reinstated Cook. Garrison and Picket Duties around the
" Gate City." Some Characteristic Citizens. Afraid of a
Yankee Gun. A sad case of Sudden Poverty.
CHAPTER XVII.
•
Guarding Trains Front and Rear. A hard lot of Bounty
Jumpers. The Fourth of July. Steadman's hard Orders to
Citizens. Rebel Raid on Dalton increases our Duty. A
Hot Valley. Fanciful Reverie of a Thunder Storm. Soldiers
taking Interest in Religion and Politics. A Characteristic
Debate. Model Worship. Forest's Raid on our Cracker
Line. Platform Cars to Cumberland Tunnel. Waiting for
Attack at Block Houses.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Life Twenty Days at Elk River. A Destitute Country. An
Impressive Funeral. Night Ride to Bridgeport. Returning
to Chattanooga. Picketing with Colored Troops. New
Clothing. Arrival of the Fourth Corps. A Camp of Discouraged
Atlanta Citizens. The Eighth sent to Reseca and
Calhoun. Turning over Government Property. Making
Muster out Rolls. Bidding good-bye to Lieut. Pucket and
the Veterans. All aboard for Nashville. Receiving Pay at
Louisville. Disbanding.
CHAPTER XIX.
Appendix.
)
and your full purchase price is covered | See termsfor PayPal coverage - opens in a new window or tab