The veterans and recruits of Companies B and C, Purnell Cavalry (dismounted), were transferred to the regiment November 17th, 1864, and became Companies H and I of the Eighth Regiment of Infantry.
Andrew W. Denison, who had been prominently connected with the "Baltimore City Guard Battalion," of Baltimore City, prior to the Civil War (one of the crack military organizations of Baltimore), was commissioned the Colonel of the regiment, and, through his untiring efforts, the regiment was speedily drilled and disciplined and prepared for active field service, and was soon made conspicuous for its efficiency and esprit de corps.
The regiment became a part of the famous Maryland Brigade, and, in the early part of September, 1862, when General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Vir- ginia invaded Maryland and made a demonstration in the direction of Baltimore, the Eighth Regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, were called upon to repel the invaders.
On the 18th day of September, 1862, this regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, took the field with the Army of the Potomac, then on the banks of the Potomac, in Western Maryland, and rendered valuable service.
The regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, was attached to the 8th Army Corps March 27, 1863, and known as 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Army Corps, and remained with the Corps until July 11, 1863, when they were assigned with this Brigade to the 1st Army Corps, and known as the 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 1st Army Corps.
In January, 1864, the Maryland Brigade became the 2d Brigade, 3d Division, 1st Army Corps.
On March 23, 1864, the Maryland Brigade became the 3d Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Army Corps.
On June 6, 1864, the Maryland Brigade became the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 5th Army Corps, until the expiration of the close of the war.
On the 3d of April, 1863, the 8th Regiment was sent to West Virginia to assist in repulsing a raiding party of the enemy in that section; the opportune arrival of the 8th Regiment and other reinforcements at Clarksburg, West Virginia, caused the enemy to retire. After a brief campaign in the mountain section of West Virginia, the 8th Regi- ment returned to Bolivar Heights, Va., opposite Maryland Heights, May 27, 1863.
The 8th Regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, became temporarily a part of General French's Division, held as a reserve to the Army of the Potomac and to protect and cover the approaches to Washington, as well as to keep up the communications with that army and the capitol of the nation during the Gettysburg campaign in June and July, 1863.
After the battle of Gettysburg the 8th Regiment and the Maryland Brigade became a part of the Army of the Potomac, and returned to Virginia with that army.
Whilst on the Upper Potomac the 8th Regiment participated in skirmishes at Maryland Heights, July 7, 1863, and Funkstown, Md., July 12, 1863.
The 8th Regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, participated with the Army of the Potomac, under General Meade, in the campaign incident to the movements of the Army of the Potomac during the fall and winter of 1863-64. After General Grant assumed the immediate direction of the Army of the Potomac, still under the command of General Meade, and inaugurated the campaign in the Wilderness of Virginia, May, 1864, the 8th Regiment of Infantry, with the Maryland Brigade, then under the command of Colonel Denison, of the 8th Regiment, took its place in line of battle on the 5th day of May, 1864.
The 8th Regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, participated in the almost continuous battle and flank movements on the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th days of May, 1864, and whilst gallantly charging the enemy at Laurel Hill, near Spottsylvania Courthouse, on the 8th day of May, 1864, the gallant Colonel Denison, of the 8th Regiment, was wounded and stricken down at the head of his command, losing his right arm. The command of the 8th Regiment then devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel E. F. M. Faehtz, temporarily, until the recovery of Colonel Denison.
The regiment continued the advance with the Army of the Potomac, and was engaged in all of the battles, marches, sieges and raids incident to the campaign of the Army of the Potomac that finally culminated at the surrender of General Robert E. Lee's Army at Appomattox, Va., April 9, 1865.
After the surrender of Lee's Army the 8th Regiment, with the Maryland Brigade, returned to Washington and took part in the grand review of the Army of the Potomac before the President of the United States.
The 8th Regiment was mustered out of the military service of the United States May 31, 1865, at Arlington Heights, Va.; thence, with the Maryland Brigade, it returned to Baltimore and was received with high honors by the Governor of Maryland, the Mayor of Baltimore and a large concourse of people.
During its military service the 8th Regiment of Infantry marched one thousand one hundred and seventy (1170) miles, and travelled six hundred and four (604) miles by rail—an aggregate of one thousand seven hundred and seventy-four (1774) miles.
The death casualties in the 8th Regiment of Infantry were as follows: Killed, three (3) commissioned officers and fifty-four (54) enlisted men—total, fifty-seven (57); died of wounds, disease, etc , seventy (70) enlisted men, or an aggregate death list of one hun- dred and twenty-seven (127). Over two hundred and fifty (250) men of this command were wounded a't divers times in the severe battles in which this regiment was engaged.
The 8th Regiment participated in the following engagements, viz.: Skirmish at Maryland Heights, July 7, 1863; skirmish at Funkstown, Md., July 12, 1863; battle of the Wilderness, Va., May 6 to 7, 1864; battle of Spottsylvania, Va., May 8-20, 1864; battle of Harris' Farm, Va., May 19, 1864; battle of North Anna, Va., May 23-27. 1864; battle of Shady Grove, Va., May 30, 1864; battle of Bethesda Church, Va., May 31 and June 1, 1864; battle of Cold Harbor, Va., June 2-5, 1864; assault on Petersburg, Va., June 17-18, 1864; siege of Petersburg, Va., 1864-65; battle of Weldon Railroad, Va., August 18-21, 1864; battle of Poplar Springs Church, Va., September 30, 1864; battle of Chapel House, Va., October 1-3, 1864; battle of Peeble's Farm, Va., October 7, 1864; battle of Hatcher's Run, Va., October 27, 1864; raid to Hicksford, Va., December 7-12, 1864; battle of Dabney's Mill, Va., February 6, 1865; battle of White Oak Road, Va., March 31, 1865; battle of Five Forks, Va., April 1, 1865; surrender at Appomattox, Va., April 9, 1865.
History courtesy of the Archives of Maryland Online. 8th Maryland Infantry
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