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8th Georgia Cavalry

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Muster In: Organized by the assignment of the seven Georgia companies of the 62nd Partisan Rangers Regiment and three companies of the 20th Cavalry Battalion on July 11, 1864, per S.O. #161, A&IG’s office.  However, this order was not carried out until ca. October 25, 1864.1
Muster Out: April 26, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel Joel R. Griffin
Commander Image

Captain S. B. Jones
Commander Image

Commander 3
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.

Second Offensive Order of Battle:

  • Not yet in existence.

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Hampton’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander: Colonel Joel R. Griffin4
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: The 8th Georgia was formed as a result of Special Orders #161, written on July 11, 1864.  The unit was made up of the 62nd Georgia Cavalry and part of the 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion.5,6
  • Note: The 20th Georgia Cavalry Battalion was broken up in the last week in July 1864.  Companies A, C, and D were placed in what became the 8th Georgia Cavalry.  Companies E, F, and G were made part of the 10th Georgia Cavalry.  Company B was added to the Jeff Davis Legion Cavalry.7

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army8

  • Commander: Colonel Joel R. Griffin9
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Butler’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army10,11

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Joel R. Griffin (was in brigade command on at least September 29-30, 1864)12
    • ? (September 29-30, 1864)13
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Company H of the 8th Georgia Cavalry under Lieutenant A. M. G. Wiggins served with Garnett’s Brigade at Hicksford during this time.14,15

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | Unattached | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army16

  • Commander: Colonel Joel R. Griffin17
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Company H of the 8th Georgia Cavalry under Lieutenant A. M. G. Wiggins served with Garnett’s Brigade at Hicksford during this time.18

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Dearing’s Brigade | ? Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army19,20

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Joel R. Griffin (no reason given for any absence in December 1864)(November & December 1864)21,22
    • Captain S. B. Jones (December 1864)23
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: Company H of the 8th Georgia Cavalry under Lieutenant A. M. G. Wiggins in November and an unknown commander in December served with Garnett’s Brigade at Hicksford during this time.24,25

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle:

Dearing’s Brigade | ? Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (January 1-?, 1865)

Dearing’s Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (January ?-February 21, 1865)26,27,28,29

Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army (February 21-28, 1865)30 ,31

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Joel R. Griffin (took a leave of absence starting on February 17)(January & February 1865)32,33,34
    • ? (after Griffin took leave of absence)(February 1865)35
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: At some point in January 1865, probably when Butler’s Division was sent to South Carolina on January 19, 1865, Dearing’s Brigade shifted orgs and went from Butler and/or Independent to Rooney Lee’s Division.  When, specifically, did this happen?  More research is needed.
  • Note: On February 21, 1865, Colonel William P. Roberts of the 2nd NC Cav. was promoted to Brig. Gen. and took command of Dearing’s old brigade below.  Dearing was transferred to command Rosser’s old brigade.36
  • Note: Company H of the 8th Georgia Cavalry under an unknown commander served with Garnett’s Brigade at Hicksford during this time.37,38

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Roberts’ Brigade | Rooney Lee’s Division | Cavalry Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army39,40

  • Commander: None listed. (March & April 1-2, 1865)41,42
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:
  • Note: On February 21, 1865, Colonel William P. Roberts of the 2nd NC Cav. was promoted to Brig. Gen. and took command of Dearing’s old brigade below.  Dearing was transferred to command Rosser’s old brigade.43
  • Note: Company H of the 8th Georgia Cavalry under an unknown commander served with Garnett’s Brigade at Hicksford during this time.44,45

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles46:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Peebles’ Farm (September 29-October 2, 1864)
  • Jones’ Farm (September 30, 1864)
  • Harman Road (October 2, 1864)
  • Appomattox Campaign (March-April 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, p. 158: Sifakis’ information disagrees with Sibley’s order of battle. Sibley already has the 8th Georgia Cavalry listed in Dearing’s Brigade in June 1864.  One of the two is wrong.  More research is needed. ↩
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, p. 158 ↩
    3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 123 ↩
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 123 ↩
    5. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XL, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), page 763 ↩
    6. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLII, Part 3 (Serial Number 82), pages 1170-1171 ↩
    7. Hopkins, Donald A. The Little Jeff: The Jeff Davis Legion, Cavalry, Army of Northern Virginia. White Mane Books, 1999, p. 223 ↩
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 132 ↩
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 132 ↩
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140 ↩
    11. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1310. ↩
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140 ↩
    13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 140 ↩
    14. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 142 ↩
    15. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1313. ↩
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 151 ↩
    17. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 151 ↩
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 151 ↩
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159 ↩
    20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159 ↩
    22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 159 ↩
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 168 ↩
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1175: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General R. E. Lee, January 31, 1865”; This list contains many commanders who were not there.  They were the “official” commanders but may have been gone on leave.  I have used none of the leaders from this list as a result. ↩
    28. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1183: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, January 31, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from January 26-31, 1865, and the leaders should be accurate for this time frame. ↩
    29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    31. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1273: “Organization of the Infantry and Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, February 28, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from February 28, 1865.  However, leaders listed are from January.  I’ve chosen to ignore the leaders and just use this source for the organization of the order of battle. ↩
    32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    33. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1183: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, January 31, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from January 26-31, 1865, and the leaders should be accurate for this time frame. ↩
    34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 177 ↩
    38. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 188 ↩
    39. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195 ↩
    40. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205 ↩
    41. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 195 ↩
    42. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 205 ↩
    43. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 186 ↩
    44. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 198 ↩
    45. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 207 ↩
    46. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis, p. 158 ↩

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    { 3 comments… add one }
    • sharon mitchell August 26, 2019, 9:49 am

      iam looking for info on company h of this unit my gretgreat grandpa was in it

      ∞
    • Tim Webb December 6, 2021, 3:24 pm

      I am looking for photographs of Colonel Joel Griffin.

      Thanks!

      ∞
    • Brett Schulte December 6, 2021, 4:53 pm

      Me too Tim! I hope someone responds to this at some point.

      Brett

      ∞

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