Unit History – 8th South Carolina Infantry

Was organized at Marion, South Carolina, during the spring of 1861. Many of the men were from Darlington and Marion counties. The unit moved to Florence, then during the end of May was ordered to Virginia. It fought at First Manassas under General Bonham before being assigned to General Kershaw’s, Kennedy’s, and Conner’s Brigade. The 8th was engaged in many conflicts from the Seven Days’ Battles to Gettysburg, moved to Georgia with Longstreet, was active at Chickamauga and Knoxville. Returning to Virginia, it participated in the battles at The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, then saw action in the Shenandoah Valley with Early. Later it was involved in the North Carolina Campaign. The regiment reported 5 killed and 23 wounded at First Manassas and in April, 1862, totalled 276 men. It lost 7 killed, 36 wounded, and 9 missing at Malvern Hill, 6 killed and 28 wounded out of 126 at Maryland Heights, 1 killed, 17 wounded and 4 missing of the 71 at Sharpsburg, and 2 killed and 29 wounded at Fredericksburg. Of the 300 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-three percent were disabled. On March 23, 1865, there were only 52 present for duty. The unit surrendered with the Army of Tennessee. Its commanders were Colonels Ellerbee B. C. Cash and John W. Henagan, Lieutenant Colonels Axalla J. Hoole and Eli T. Stackhouse, and Majors Thomas E. Lucas and D. M. McLeod.

From Joseph H. Crute, Jr., Units of the Confederate States Army, p. 256