8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment

8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment
19th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion
Active1863–1865
Country Confederate States
Allegiance Mississippi
Branch Confederate States Army
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
TypeCavalry
SizeBattalion
Regiment
NicknameDuff's Battalion/Duff's Regiment[1][2]
BattlesAmerican Civil War

The 8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment, originally formed as the 19th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion and also known as Duff's Battalion or Duff's Regiment was a unit of the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War. As part of Forrest's Cavalry Corps, the 8th Mississippi Cavalry fought in numerous skirmishes and battles in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida before surrendering in May, 1865.

History

Duff's Battalion was organized in North Mississippi in the fall of 1863 by Major William L. Duff, a veteran of the 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment.[3] After major Confederate defeats earlier that year, military strategy in Mississippi shifted to hit-and-run raids on Union supply lines intended to disrupt federal operations elsewhere. New troops were recruited in North Mississippi at this time, and numerous independent cavalry organizations were consolidated to form new cavalry regiments to aid in this effort.[4] Duff's Battalion was assigned to McCulloch's Brigade, General James R. Chalmers' division, in Forrest's Cavalry Corps. The battalion's first action was a raid against the Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Moscow, Tennessee in December.[3][5]

In February 1864, the battalion fought under Jeffrey E. Forrest at the Battle of Okolona, losing 8 killed and 9 wounded.[3] The battalion also took part in the infamous Battle of Fort Pillow in April, where Black soldiers of the United States Colored Troops were summarily executed by the Confederates after surrendering.[6]

At the Battle of Brice's Cross Roads in June, the battalion contributed to General Nathan Bedford Forrest's defeat of a larger Union force that had set out from Tennessee. The battalion suffered 9 dead and 47 wounded in this engagement.[3] In July, 1864, the battalion was upgraded to regimental strength and renamed the 8th Mississippi Cavalry.[7] During the federal expedition to Tupelo, Duff's battalion was attacked by Union cavalry on July 13, losing its battle flag and suffering 47 casualties.[3][8] The following day the battalion fought at the Battle of Tupelo, where Colonel Duff was severely wounded.[3]

In the fall of 1864 the regiment was sent to Mobile, Alabama and the vicinity of Pensacola, Florida,[9] where they clashed with Federal troops at Milton, Florida in October, 1864.[3]

In March 1865 the regiment was sent to North Alabama as Forrest gathered his remaining cavalry for a final defense of the state.[9] In the final weeks of the war, the 8th Regiment was consolidated with the 6th Mississippi Cavalry, and Forrest's Cavalry Corps surrendered on May 3, 1865.[3]

Commanders

Commanders of the 8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment/19th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion:[3]

  • Col. William L. Duff
  • Lt. Col. William L. Walker
  • Maj. Thomas A. Mitchell[7]

Organization

Companies of the 8th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment/19th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion:[3][10]

  • Company A, "Williams' Company"
  • Company B, of Calhoun County.
  • Company C, "Duff Guards"
  • Company D
  • Company E, of Lowndes County.
  • Company F, of Lowndes County.
  • Company G, of Lowndes County.
  • Company H
  • Company I
  • Company K, of Clay, Chickasaw, and Calhoun Counties.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume 31, Serial 56. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 580.
  2. ↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume 39, Serial 78. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 631.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rowland, Dunbar. (1908). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, Volume 2. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. pp. 826–829.
  4. ↑ United States War Department (1895). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume 31, Serial 56. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. p. 705.
  5. ↑ Bradley, Michael R. (2012). They Rode With Forrest. Gretna LA: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 67.
  6. ↑ Tapp, Bruce (June 1996). ""These devils are not fit to live on God's earth": War Crimes and the Committee on the Conduct of the War, 1864-1865". Civil War History. 42 (2): 116–132.
  7. 1 2 "Battle Unit Details 21st Regiment, Mississippi Infantry". US National Park Service. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Jordan, Thomas (1868). The Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. N.B. Forrest, and of Forrest's Cavalry. New Orleans: Blelock & Company. p. 504.
  9. 1 2 3 Moseley, T.M. (November 1926). "Cavalry Company of Volunteers". Confederate Veteran. XXXIV (11): 425, 435. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Jordan, Thomas (1868). The Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. N.B. Forrest, and of Forrest's Cavalry. New Orleans: Blelock & Company. p. 698.
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