8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment

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8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
Flag of Wisconsin.svg
ActiveSeptember 13, 1861 September 5, 1865
Country United States
Allegiance Union
Branch Infantry
Size Regiment
Engagements
Commanders
Colonel Robert C. Murphy
ColonelGeorge W. Robbins
Colonel John W. Jefferson
Colonel William B. Britton
Old Abe, the live war eagle of Wisconsin, 1876. From the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress Old Abe, the live war eagle of Wisconsin, from the Centennial LCCN2012650046.jpg
Old Abe, the live war eagle of Wisconsin, 1876. From the Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

The 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. They served in the western theater of the war, most notably in the Vicksburg campaign. The 8th Wisconsin Infantry was probably most famous for their military mascot, Old Abe, a bald eagle that accompanied the regiment into battle; Old Abe's legacy lives on through its likeness utilized in the 101st Airborne Division unit patch.

Contents

Service

The 8th Wisconsin was raised at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service September 13, 1861. [1]

The regiment was mustered out on September 5, 1865, at Demopolis, Alabama. [1]

Jerome Case chose the eagle mascot as the trademark of Case Corporation Old Abe Case mascot.JPG
Jerome Case chose the eagle mascot as the trademark of Case Corporation

Battles

The 8th Wisconsin Infantry along with their mascot Old Abe The War Eagle attended numerous battles and lesser engagements during the war: [2]

Commanders

Total enlistments and casualties

The 8th Wisconsin initially mustered 870 men and later recruited an additional 333 men, for a total of 1,203 men. [4] The regiment lost 2 officers and 53 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 2 officers and 219 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 280 fatalities. [5]

8th Wisconsin Infantry, Company Organization
CompanyOriginal MonikerPrimary Place of RecruitmentCaptain(s)
AWaupuca Union Rifles [6] Waupaca County [7]
  • Josiah B. Redfield (wounded mustered out)
  • Charles Christiansen (mustered out)
BSheboygan County Indepdendents [6] Sheboygan County [8]
  • David B. Conger (resigned)
  • Albert E. Smith (mustered out)
  • Charles P. Stewart (mustered out)
CEau Claire Eagles [6] Eau Claire County [9]
  • John E. Perkins (DOW)
  • Victor Wolf (discharged)
  • Thomas G. Butler (actingmustered out)
DFox Lake Volunteer Rifles [6] Columbia County, Dodge County, and Pierce County [10]
  • William J. Dawes (POW discharged)
  • Benjamin S. Williams (mustered out)
ERough and Ready Guards [6] Dane County [11]
  • William C. Young (promoted)
  • Jacob Leffler (mustered out)
FCarwford County Volunteers [6] Crawford County, Vernon County, and Sheboygan County [12]
  • James H. Green (mustered out)
  • John W. Greenman (actingmustered out)
GJanesville Fire Zouaves [6] Rock County [13]
  • William B. Britton (promoted)
  • Charles P. King (woundedmustered out)
  • Milton H. Doty (actingmustered out)
HSugar River Rifles [6] Dane County and Green County [14]
  • Stephen Estee (KIA)
  • Peter B. Willoughby (mustered out)
ILa Crosse County Rifles [6] Washington County, La Crosse County, and Trempealeau County [15]
  • Milo M. Baker (resigned)
  • Alonzo D. Hickok (resigned)
  • Duncan A. Kennedy (mustered out)
  • Samuel J. Sargent (actingmustered out)
KRacine County Volunteers [6] Racine County and Dane County [16]
  • William P. Lyon (transferred)
  • James O. Bartlett (promoted)
  • Theodore A. Fellows (mustered out)

Notable members

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Battle Unit Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  2. "Old Abe the Civil War Eagle, Eau Claire County in the Civil War". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  3. Cyrus F. Jenkins Civil War Diary, 1861–1862: Civil War Timeline: June 30, 1861–1862
  4. 8th Wisconsin Archived March 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Civil war Archive
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Estabrook, Charles E. (1912). Annual Reports of the Adjutant General of the State of Wisconsin for the Years 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: Democrat Printing Company. pp. 52–53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 October 2021.
  7. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 578–581.
  8. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 581–583.
  9. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 583–585.
  10. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 585–588.
  11. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 588–590.
  12. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 590–592.
  13. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 592–594.
  14. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 594–596.
  15. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 597–600.
  16. Wisconsin. Adjutant General's Office (1886). Roster of Wisconsin volunteers, war of the rebellion, 1861-1865. The Library of Congress. Madison, Democrat printing co., state printers. pp. 600–602.

Further reading