8th California Infantry Regiment

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8th California Volunteer Infantry
8th California Infantry Regiment flag.svg
National color of the regiment
ActiveMarch 31, – October 24, 1865
Country United States
Allegiance Union
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Size960 (total enrollment)
Part of Department of the Pacific
Engagements Industry barque disaster (Co.A)
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Colonel Allen L. Anderson

The 8th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Raised in the last year of the war, it spent its entire term of service serving in posts around San Francisco Bay, and on the Columbia River, attached to the Department of the Pacific, before mustering out in late 1865.

Contents

History

The regiment was mustered into Federal service on March 31, 1865, under the command of Regular Army Colonel Allen L. Anderson, attached to the District of California in the Department of the Pacific. It was the last California regiment raised under the congressional act of July 1864, and had a total enrollment of 960 in ten companies. Its headquarters was initially located at Alcatraz Island but moved to Fort Point in April. The companies of the regiment were raised during late 1864 and early 1865. Most companies did their whole service at Fort Point, Angel Island, and Alcatraz. Companies A and B were the only elements of the regiment that operated outside the Bay Area. [1] The Civil War ended ten days after the regiment was mustered in, so the regiment did mostly garrison duty and saw little active service.

Commander

Flags

The regimental flag is stored in the state's capitol and is one of four national colors from the California Volunteers to survive the War. It was lowered to haft mast on April 9 when Private Willian Frank's body carried by members of company G. [2]

Company B carried their own flag but it did not fly for long. The flag was stolen by their commanding officer and sold. He was later arrested and tried by a court-martial. [3]

Company assignments

Casualties

The regiment suffered five enlisted men dead, four from disease [1] and one was killed while firing a salute. [7]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Office, California Adjutant General's (1890). Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867. State office. pp. 796–825.
  2. 1 2 "Marysville Daily Appeal 9 April 1865 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  3. "Weekly Butte Record 4 November 1865 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
  4. Daily Alta California, 30 March 1865
  5. "Graveyard of the Pacific: Shipwrecks on the Washington Coast". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  6. Hunt, Aurora (2004). The Army of the Pacific: Its Operations in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Plains Region, Mexico, Etc., 1860-1866. Stackpole Books. p. 235. ISBN   978-0-8117-2978-9.
  7. 1 2 Office, California Adjutant General's (1890). Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867. State office. p. 818.
  8. "Marysville Daily Appeal 9 April 1865 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  9. "California and the Civil War: Regiments of the California Volunteers in Federal Service: 8th Regiment of Infantry". www.militarymuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-11-02.

Bibliography