8th Michigan Infantry Regiment

United States Regiments & Batteries > Michigan > 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment

The 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment lost 11 officers and 212 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 3 officers and 223 enlisted men to disease during the Civil War.

1861
The regiment was organized at Grand Rapids, Michigan and at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan.
September 23 The 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment was mustered in under the command of Colonel William Fenton and Lieutrenant Colonel Frank Graves of Niles, Michigan.
September 27 Left Michigan for Washington, D.C.
September 28 Camp at Meridian Hill
October 9 Moved to Annapolis, Maryland and attached to Stevens’ 2nd Brigade, Sherman’s South Carolina Expeditionary Corps.
October 19

Sherman’s Expedition to Port Royal, S. C.
November 7

Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, Port Royal Harbor
November 8 Hilton Head, South Carolina.
December 7 Occupation of Beaufort, South Carolina.
December 17 Chisholm Island
1862
January 1 Port Royal Ferry, Coosaw River
January-April Guard and picket duty at Beaufort
April Attached to 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Department of the South
February 23-26 Reconnoissance up Bull River (Detachment)
April 1-12 Duty at Battery Halleck, Tybee Island, during siege of Fort Pulaski.
April 10-11

Bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski
April 16 Reconnoissance to Wilmington and Whitmarsh Islands and actio
April-June Duty on Port Royal Island
May 29 Pocotaligo (1 Co.)
June 1-28 Operations on James Island, South Carolina.
June 16

Battle of Secessionville

Captain Ralph Ely of Company C was wounded.
June 28-July 7 Evacuation of James Island
July 12-17 Moved from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to Newport News, Virginia. Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac
July 25-August 3 Colonel Fenton took command of the brigade as senior colonel.
August 4-6 To Fredericksburg, Virginia.
August 7-27 Operations on the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers
August 27-
September 2

Pope’s Campaign in Northern Virginia
August 29

Battle of Groveton
August 30

Second Battle of Bull Run
September 1-8 Colonel Fenton again took command of the brigade as senior colonel.
September 1

Battle of Chantilly
September 6-22

Maryland Campaign

Transferred to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps
September 10 Major Watson resigned and Captain Ely Ralph Ely of Company C was promoted to major.
September 14

Battle of South Mountain
September 16-17

Battle of Antietam

The 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment was commanded at the Battle of Antietam by Lieutenant Colonel Frank Graves.

From the War Department tablet for Welsh’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

On the morning of the 17th Welsh’s Brigade was in reserve on the eastern slope of the ridge on the left bank of the Antietam, nearly opposite the Burnside Bridge. About 2 P.M., after Sturgis’ Division had carried the bridge, the Brigade crossed and, following the road to Sharpsburg about 250 yards, formed line west of the road.

The Brigade then advanced over the high ground west of the road, gradually crossing to the east, until its right was near this point, its center in the ravine and at the stone mill, and its left in the apple orchard beyond, when the attack of A.P. Hill on the left flank of the Corps compelled it to withdraw to the banks of the Antietam, where it remained until the evening of the 18th.
September 27 Lieutenant Colonel Frank Graves resigned due to ill health. Major Ralph Ely was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
September 30-October 8 Colonel Fenton took command of the brigade as senior colonel. Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Ely took command of the regiment.
October 8-26 Colonel Fenton took command of the division as senior officer.
October 11-November 18 March up the Potomac to Leesburg, Va. to Falmouth, Va.
October 26 Colonel Fenton again took command of the brigade as senior colonel.
December Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac
December 12-15

Battle of Fredericksburg
December 15-February 11 Colonel Fenton again took command of the brigade as senior colonel.
1863
January 20-24 “Mud March”
February 13 Moved to Newport News, Va.
March 15 Colonel Fenton resigned for reasons of health.
March 19-23 Moved to Kentucky and duty at various points in that State attached to the Army of the Ohio
May 1 Frank Graves rejoined the regiment and mustered in as colonel.
June 7-14 Moved to Vicksburg, Miss. and attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee
June 14-July 4

Siege of Vicksburg
July 4-10 Advance on Jackson, Miss.
July 10-17

Siege of Jackson
July 18-22 Destruction of Mississippi Central Railroad at Madison Station
July 23-August 4 Camp at Milldale
August 4-18 Moved to Covington, Ky., thence to Crab Orchard, Ky. attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Ohio
September 10-26 Burnside’s Campaign in East Tennessee. March to Knoxville, Tenn.
October 10 Action at Blue Springs
November 4

Knoxville Campaign
November 15 Lenoir
November 16

Campbell’s Station
November 17-December 5

Siege of Knoxville
December Camp at Blain’s Cross Roads
1864
January 8-25 Veterans marched over Cumberland Mountains to Nicholasville, Ky., over 200 miles, in midwinter, and reached Detroit
March 9 Ordered to Annapolis, Md. and duty there attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac
May 4-June 15

Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River
May 5-7

Battle of the Wilderness

Colonel Frank Graves was captured on May 6 and murdered by his captors when he refused to give up his boots. Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Ely took command of the regiment and was promoted to colonel.
May 8-21

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 10 Ny River
May 12

Assault on the Salient
May 23-26

North Anna River
May 23-24 Ox Ford
May 26-28 On line of the Pamunkey
May 28-31

Totopotomoy
June 1-12

Battle of Cold Harbor
June 1-3 Bethesda Church
June 16-19

Before Petersburg
June 16

Siege of Petersburg
July 30

Mine Explosion, Petersburg
August 18-21

Weldon Railroad
September Attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps
September 29-October 2

Poplar Springs Church
October 8 Reconnoissance on Vaughan and Squirrel Level Roads
October 27-28

Boydton Plank Road, Hatcher’s Run
1865
March 25

Fort Stedman
April 2

Fall of Petersburg
April 2

Fort Mahone
April 3 Occupation of Petersburg
April 4-20 Guard Southside Railroad assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 9th Corps
April 20-23 Moved to Alexandria
May 23 Grand Review
June-July Guard and patrol duty at Washington, D.C.
July 30 The 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment mustered out