8th Vermont Infantry
| 8th Vermont Infantry | |
|---|---|
| Active | February 18, 1862 to June 28, 1865 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Port Hudson Opequon Fisher's Hill Cedar Creek |
The 8th Regiment, Vermont Volunteer Infantry was a three-year infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in both major theaters, first in Louisiana and then in Virginia, from February 1862 to June 1865. It was a member of the XIX Corps.
The regiment was mustered into Federal service on February 18, 1862, at Brattleboro, Vermont. It was engaged in, or present at, the Occupation of New Orleans, Raceland, Boutte Station, Bayou des Allemands, the Steamer "Cotton," Bisland, and Port Hudson, in the Department of the Gulf, and Opequon, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, and Newtown in the Shenandoah Valley campaign.
After the Union captured New Orleans, it enlisted a number of German-Americans who had been Louisiana citizens. In October 1862, 130 men from the 8th were captured along with seven German-Americans. The Confederates determined that these Germans had been enlisted in the Confederate Army and were therefore traitors. They were forced to dig their own graves, then were shot. The remainder of the prisoners were well-treated and eventually paroled.
It moved with the XIX Corps to take Port Hudson, Louisiana in April 1863. In the battle which followed on May 27, it lost 12 men, including the Brigade Commander, and had 76 wounded.
During the Battle of Cedar Creek, the 8th Vermont Infantry played a critical role in the fighting. In the early morning fog of 19 October 1864, confederates crossed Cedar Creek near Strasburg, Virginia, and attacked Union forces in their camps. After routing the Union's VIII Corps, the Confederate attack struck at the XIX Corps. While the XIX Corps fought back from entrenched position, a second Confederate Corps joined the battle flanking their trenches. In order to escape the trap Brigadier General William H. Emory, commander of the XIX Corps, ordered the 2nd Brigade of his First Division to move forward, engage, and delay the two Confederate Corps.
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