The Other 8th Virginia Regiments

Battle flag of the "Bloody Eighth," also knows as the "Berkeley Regiment."

The designation “8th Virginia Regiment” was used three times in two wars for non-militia units: twice in the Revolution and once in the Civil War. The existence of three regiments of the same name sometimes causes confusion for researchers and genealogists. This confusion is exacerbated by the fact that two of them were recruited in overlapping territory and the third was recruited nearby. This post is intended to make it easy to distinguish among them, and to provide a little bit of service history.

In the French and Indian War, Virginia had one "Virginia Regiment," notably commanded for part of the war by George Washington. The was (briefly) a 2nd Virginia Regiment, as well. In the Revolution, the Old Dominion had 15 numbered regiments. In the Civil War it had 64.

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The Original 8th Virginia, 1776-1778

A recreated "grand division banner" of the 8th Virginia. The original survives in a private collection. This was not the regimental banner, but rather one of a pair of flags used for tactical direction.

This website is dedicated to the history of the original 8th Virginia Regiment. It was authorized in the Virginia Convention’s second authorization of troops in December of 1775, recruited over the winter, and took the field in March and April of 1776.  The 8th Virginia was commanded initially by Col. Peter Muhlenberg, Lt. Col. Abraham Bowman, and Maj. Peter Helphenstine. These field officers were from Woodstock, Strasburg, and Winchester, respectively. Bowman succeeded Muhlenberg as colonel when the latter became a general early in 1777.  The regiment originally had ten companies. For more, see the the "Soldiers" page on this website.

Most of the men in the original regiment signed up for two-year enlistments that ended in the spring of 1778 at Valley Forge. That, combined with casualties and weak recruiting, left the regiment significantly understrength when it marched out of Valley Forge. At the Battle of Monmouth, it was provisionally combined with the 4th and 12th regiments, which were also understrength, as the “4th-8th-12th Virginia Regiment.” The 4th, the 8th, and the 12th had all served together in Charles Scott’s brigade since the spring of 1777.

The “New” 8th Virginia of 1778-1779

Members of the James Wood II Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, hold a modern flag honoring Col. Wood's leadership of the "new" 8th Virginia Regiment, originally the 12th Virginia Regiment. This photo was taken at the grave of Maj. Gen. Adam Stephen, who commanded both regiments in 1777.

On September 14, 1778, the Virginia line was consolidated from 15 regiments down to 11. As part of this consolidation, Bowman’s 8th Virginia was folded into the 4th Virginia under Col. John Neville and Bowman was released as a supernumerary officer. The original 8th Virginia ceased to exist and the 12th Virginia was renumbered to be the “new” 8th Virginia.

​The 12th Virginia had been authorized by the three-month old Virginia General Assembly in October of 1776 and recruited over the coming months, in part by regimenting formerly independent frontier companies. The original field officers were Col. James Wood of Winchester, Lt. Col. John Neville of Frederick County and West Augusta, and Maj. Charles Simms of Prince William County and later Fairfax County. Its captains were Andrew Waggoner (Augusta County), Benjamin Casey (Hampshire County), Stephen Ashby (Hampshire County), Michael Bowyer (West Augusta District), Matthew Arbuckle (western Botetourt County), William McKee (Rockbridge County), Jonathan Langdon (Dunmore, later known as Shenandoah County), Joseph Mitchell, Rowland Madison, and Thomas Bowyer (Botetourt County). All of these counties except Botetourt had raised companies for the original 8th Virginia.

In October of 1777, after Germantown but before the Valley Forge encampment, George Slaughter was promoted to become the new major of the 12th Virginia. He had, up until that time, been a captain in the original 8th Virginia. He resigned in November to deal with a family emergency. In January, he was succeeded by Jonathan Clark, who likewise had until that time been a captain in the original 8th Virginia.
 
When the 12th was redesignated in September of 1778, it’s field officers were Col. John Neville, Lt. Col. Charles Fleming, and Maj. Jonathan Clark.  It continued in service until 1779 when the line was reorganized again.

The Confederate 8th Virginia 

Another 8th Virginia Regiment was authorized by the Governor of Virginia in May of 1861 for service in the Confederate Army. It was led by Col. Eppa Hunton, Lt. Col. Charles Tebbs, and Maj. Norborne Berkeley. Major Berkeley was named in honor of Gov. Norborne Berkeley (1718-1770), a popular late-colonial governor. Berkeley, the regiment's best-remembered commander, was a graduate of VMI from Aldie, Loudoun County. Three of his brothers also served as officers in the regiment, leading it to sometimes be called the “Berkeley Regiment.” (It did not recruit in Berkeley County (named for the governor), as is sometimes assumed.) It was also called the “Bloody Eighth” because of its hard service.

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The Civil War 8th Virginia’s original companies and captains were Company A, the “Hillsboro Border Guards,” raised in Loudoun County and led by N.R. Heaton; Company B, the “Piedmont Rifles,” raised at Rectortown in Fauquier County and led by Richard Carter; Company C, the “Evergreen Guards,” raised in Prince William County and led by Edmund Berkeley; Company D, “Champe’s Rifles,” raised at Haymarket in Prince William County and led by William Berkeley; Company E, “Hampton’s Company,” raised at Philomont in Loudoun County and led by Mandley Hampton; Company F, the “Blue Mountain Boys,” raised at Bloomfield in Loudoun County and led by Alexander Grayson; G Company, “Thrift’s Company,” recruited at Dranesville in Fairfax County and led by James Thrift; H Company, the “Potomac Grays,” raised at Leesburg in Loudoun County and led by Capt. Morris Wampler; Company I, “Simpson’s Company,” raised at Mount Gilead and North Fork in Loudoun County and led by James Simpson, and Company K, “Scott’s Company,” raised in Fauquier County and led by Robert Scott.

The origin of this 8th Virginia flag has not be ascertained. It is visibly old, but may be a recreation. It is owned by a collector.

The regiment fought at First Manassas, Ball’s Bluff, the Peninsula Campaign, Gaines’ Mill, and Second Manassas. It suffered a 70 or 80 percent casualties at Gettysburg. Hunton was promoted to general in August of 1863, after which the regiment was led by Col. Norborne Berkeley, Lt. Col. William Berkeley, and Maj. Charles Berkeley, leading to the “Berkeley Regiment” nickname. After Gettysburg it participated in the Overland Campaign, the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, and the Appomattox Campaign. Most of the surviving men were either killed or surrendered at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, shortly before the surrender at Appomattox. A full service record can be found here.

In 1905, Edmund Berkeley wrote a poem to welcome Union veterans to a reunion at the Manassas Battlefield that is notable for the grace shown to men who had fired at him on that very field. It was published by the Society of the Army of the Potomac in the report on its fortieth reunion.

O Lord of love, bless thou to-day
This meeting of the Blue and Gray.
Look down, from Heaven, upon these ones,
Their country's tried and faithful sons.
As brothers, side by side, they stand,
Owning one country and one land.
Here, half a century ago,
Our brothers' blood with ours did flow;
No scanty stream, no stinted tide,
These fields it stained from side to side,
And now to us is proved most plain,
No single drop was shed in vain;
But did its destined purpose fill
Of carrying out our Master's will,
Who did decree, troubles should cease
And his chosen land have peace;
And to achieve this glorious end
We should four years in conflict spend;
Which done the world would plainly see
Both sides had won a victory.
And then this reunited land
In the first place would ever stand
Of all the nations, far and near,
Or East or Western hemisphere.
Brothers, to-day in love we've met,
Let us all bitterness forget,
And with true love and friendship clasp
Each worthy hand in fervent grasp
And in remembrance of this day
Let one and all devoutly pray:
That when our earthly course is run
And we, our final victory won,
Together we'll pass to that blessed shore
That ne'er has heard the cannon's roar;
And where our angel comrades stand
To welcome us to Heaven's bright strand.