≡ Menu

8th Florida Infantry

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 on July 5, 1862.  Individual companies mustered into Confederate service for three years between May 8 and July 4, 1862.1
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel David Lang
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel William Baya
WilliamBaya8thFL3

Major Thomas E. Clarke
Commander Image

Captain J. Anthony Pacetty
Commander Image

Commander 5
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4,5

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army6,7

  • Commander: Colonel David Lang 8
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army9

  • Commander: Colonel David Lang10
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army11

  • Commander:
    • Colonel David Lang (?)12
    • Lieutenant Colonel William Baya (at least August 16, 1864)13
  • Unit Strength:
    • 106 officers and men PFD (August 16, 1864)14
  • Weapons: Springfield and/or Enfield Rifles15

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army16,17

  • Commander:
    • Colonel David Lang18
    • Captain J. Anthony Pacetty (at least September 30, 1864)19,20
  • Unit Strength: 83 officers and men PFD (September 30, 1864)21
  • Weapons: .57 and .58 caliber (presumably mix of Springfields and Enfields)(September 30, 1864)22

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army23

  • Commander: Major Thomas E. Clarke24
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army25,26

  • Commander: Colonel David Lang (November & December 1864)27,28
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army29,30,31,32

  • Commander:
    • Colonel David Lang (temporarily commanded the brigade on at least January 22 and apparently in February as well)(January & February 1865)33,34
    • ? (while Lang commanded the brigade)(January 1865)35
    • Major Thomas E. Clarke (while Lang commanded the brigade in February)(February 1865)36
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Finegan’s Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army37,38

  • Commander: None listed. (March & April 1-2, 1865)39,40
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles41:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Weldon Railroad (June 23, 1864)
  • Reams’ Station (June 30, 1864)
  • Weldon Railroad (August 21, 1864)
  • Bellfield (December 9, 1864)
  • Hatcher’s Run (February 5-7, 1865)
  • Farmville (April 7, 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

    Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

    Sources:

    1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and Arkansas by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 24-25 ↩
    2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and Arkansas by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 24-25 ↩
    3. This image of Lieutenant Colonel Baya appears courtesy of Colonel Elizabeth Masters, daughter of Colonel John J. Masters and current owner of the image.  It may NOT be reproduced without her express written consent.  All rights reserved.  Colonel Masters is a cousin of Lieutenant Colonel Baya.  This image also appears here thanks to the generosity of Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images Magazine.  This image originally appeared in the following article: “A Floridian At War.” Military Images, vol. 24, no. 3, 2002, p. 28.  Click this link to learn more about this fine publication. New subscribers can take advantage of a special introductory rate of 50% off by using the discount code PETERSBURG at shopmilitaryimages.com. ↩
    4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112 ↩
    5. Confederate Muster Rolls Survey: Introductory Chapters from Florida in the War Between the States. Date Unknown. University of Florida Digital Collections. http://ufdc.ufl.edu/FS00000030/00001: Sibley has Perry’s Brigade without a commander and Finegan’s Brigade commanded by BG Joseph Finegan for his June 1864 OOB.  However, the source cited here as well as other sources place the combination of the two units as either June 1, 1864 or immediately following the Battle of Cold Harbor.  As a result, I have the two brigades combined into one Florida brigade commanded by BG Joseph Finegan.  The brigades were definitely combined by July 1864.  This is the only month where any confusion over their status shows up. ↩
    6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112 ↩
    7. Confederate Muster Rolls Survey: Introductory Chapters from Florida in the War Between the States. Date Unknown. University of Florida Digital Collections. http://ufdc.ufl.edu/FS00000030/00001: Sibley has Perry’s Brigade without a commander and Finegan’s Brigade commanded by BG Joseph Finegan for his June 1864 OOB.  However, the source cited here as well as other sources place the combination of the two units as either June 1, 1864 or immediately following the Battle of Cold Harbor.  As a result, I have the two brigades combined into one Florida brigade commanded by BG Joseph Finegan.  The brigades were definitely combined by July 1864.  This is the only month where any confusion over their status shows up. ↩
    8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112 ↩
    9. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 121 ↩
    10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 121 ↩
    11. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130 ↩
    12. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130: Sibley has Lang commanding the 8th Florida, but an August 16, 1864 Inspection Report shows Lang as commanding the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Florida regiments in a demi-brigade. ↩
    13. Confederate Inspection Report 6-P-17: Finegan’s and Perry’s Brigades, August 16, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    14. Confederate Inspection Report 6-P-17: Finegan’s and Perry’s Brigades, August 16, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    15. Confederate Inspection Report 6-P-17: Finegan’s and Perry’s Brigades, August 16, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    16. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139 ↩
    17. 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. 1312. ↩
    18. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139 ↩
    19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 139 ↩
    20. Confederate Inspection Report 15-P-24: Finegan’s/Perry’s Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    21. Confederate Inspection Report 15-P-24: Finegan’s/Perry’s Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    22. Confederate Inspection Report 15-P-24: Finegan’s/Perry’s Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. ↩
    23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149 ↩
    24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149 ↩
    25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
    26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166 ↩
    27. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157 ↩
    28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 166 ↩
    29. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175 ↩
    30. 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 1174: “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. ↩
    31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185 ↩
    32. 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 1272: “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. ↩
    33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175 ↩
    34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185 ↩
    35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175 ↩
    36. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185 ↩
    37. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193 ↩
    38. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203 ↩
    39. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193 ↩
    40. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203 ↩
    41. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and Arkansas by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 24-25 ↩

    Tagged as: , , , , ,

    { 0 comments… add one }

    Leave a Reply

    Next post:

    Previous post:

    Search SOPO

    SOPO RSS Feed

    Subscribe to The Siege of Petersburg Online RSS Feed

    Links