The 8th Louisiana Infantry enrolled 1,321 men during the Civil War. It lost 252 men killed or died of their wounds, 171 died of disease, 2 men murdered and 1 died in an accident. Eighty men deserted and 56 took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

1861

Organized at Camp Moore, Louisiana.

June 15

Mustered in 889 men under Colonel Henry B. Kelly, Lt. Colonel Francis Nicholls and Major John Baptiste Eugene Prados. Seven companies mustered in for the duration of the war and the remaining three for three months.

The regiment mustered 889 men. The companies came from:

Company A - Creole Guards from East Baton Rouge Parish

Company B - Bienville Rifles from Orleans Parish

Company C - Attakapas Guards from St. Martin Parish

Company D - Sumter Guards from Orleans Parish

Company E - Franklin Sharpshooters from Franklin Parish

Company F - Opelousas Guards from St. Landry Parish

Company G - Minden Blues from Claiborne Parish

Company H - Cheneyville Rifles from Rapides Parish

Company I - Rapides Invincibles from Rapides Parish

Company K - Phoenix Company from Ascension Parish.

July 17

Six companies of the regiment arrived at Manassas and were assigned to the brigade of Brigadier General Milledge Bonham.

July 21

Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)

Reserve Guard. Attached to 1st Louisiana Brigade.

October 21

The regiment was brigaded under Brigadier General Taylor with the 6th, 7th and 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiments and Wheat's Battalion and was assigned to Ewell's Division.

Winter

Northern Virginia

1862

April

Major Prados was defeated during the reorganization.

May

Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Attached to Taylor's Louisiana Brigade of Ewell's Division, which joined Jackson's Army of the Valley in the Shenandoah.

May 7

Adjutant Trevanion D. Lewis was appointed major

May 23

Capture of Front Royal

May 25

First Battle of Winchester

Lt. Colonel Nicholls lost his left arm. Major Lewis took over command of the regiment.

May 30

Part of the regiment was captured at Front Royal.

June 1

Mount Caramel

June 8-9

Battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic

The regiment lost 9 men killed and 37 wounded

Seven Days Battles

The regiment lost 15 men killed and 69 wounded

June 27

Battle of Gaines' Mill

July 1

Battle of Malvern Hill

August 9

Battle of Cedar Mountain

August 27-28

Bristoe Station and Kettle Run

August 29

Second Battle of Manassas

September 1

Battle of Chantilly

Maryland Campaign

91 casualties

September 12-15

Siege and Capture of Harpers Ferry

September 17

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

Commanded by Major Tevannion D. Lewis. The regiment lost 103 casualties. Major Lewis was wounded.

October 15

Lt. Colonel Nicholls was promoted to brigadier general. Major Lewis was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Alcibiades de Blanc was promoted to major

December 13

Battle of Fredericksburg

The regiment was in reserve and suffered no casualties

1863

January 19

Jubal Early was promoted to Major General. He had been commanding Ewell's Division since Alexander Lawton was wounded at Sharpsburg. The division would be known afterwards as Early's Division.

April 6

Colonel Kelly, who had frequently been absent due to illness, transferred to Military Court. Lieutenant Colonel Lewis was promoted to colonel, Major De Blanc promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain German A. Lester of Company E to major.

May 3-4

Marye's Heights and Salem Church (Chancellorsville Campaign)

The regiment lost 12 killed and 71 wounded. Colonel Lewis was captured, Lieutenant Colonel DeBlanc was captured at Banks Ford and Major Lester was wounded.

May 18

Colonel Lewis and Lieutenant Colonel De Blanc were paroled from Old Capitol Prison and rejoined the regiment.

June 13

Second Battle of Winchester

Hay's Brigade circled around the west side of Winchester and assaulted the Star Fort on the northwest side of town. The 6th, 7th and 9th were in the front line with the 5th and 8th in support as the brigade stormed the fort, capturing its artillery and driving off the defenders. Captain Albert DeJean was killed.

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel Trevanion D. Lewis and brought 296 men to the field. On July 1st it helped crush the Union Eleventh Corps north of Gettysburg. It lost heavily in the July 2 evening attack on Cemetery Hill, losing its colors, 14 men killed, 50 wounded and 11 captured. Colonel Lewis, Captain Victor St. Martin and Lieutenant A. Randolph were killed and Lt. Colonel DeBlanc was wounded. Major German A. Lester took command of the regiment after the attack.

July

Lieutenant Colonel De Blanc was promoted to Colonel while in the hospital at Lynchburg. He would not be able to return to the regiment. Major Lester was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

October 9-22

Battle of Bristoe Station

November 7

Battle of Rapahannock Station

The regiment was part of two brigades defending a bridgehead on the north bank of the Rappahannock River that was overrun in a rare night attack. Over 1,600 Confederate prisoners were taken from the eight understrength regiments defending the bridgehead, with only a few men swimming across the river at their backs. Of the 1200 men of Hays' Louisiana Brigade, 699 were captured. The 8th Louisiana lost 162 men captured.

November-December

Mine Run Campaign

1864

March

500 of the 699 men from the brigade captured at Rappahannock Station were exchanged and returned to duty

May 5

Battle of the WIlderness

May 8

The regiment with the rest of Hays' Brigade was transferred to Johnson's Division.

May 12

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The regiment fought in the defense of the Mule Shoe

June 1-3

Battle of Cold Harbor

Lieutenant Colonel Lester was killed on June 1

June

Lynchburg Campaign

June

The regiment moved to the Shenandoah Valley with the Second Corps to become part of Early's Army of the Valley.

June 1864

Early's Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Assigned to Hays' Brigade (Colonel William R. Peck commanding) of Brigadier General Zebulon York's Consolidated Louisiana Brigade in Gordon's Division of the Army of the Valley

July 9

Battle of Monocacy

Commanded by Captain Louis Prados

August 15

Lieutenant Colonel De Blanc transferred to the Invalid Corps.

August 25

Shepherdstown

September 19

Third Battle of Winchester

September 21-22

Battle of Fisher's Hill

October 19

Battle of Cedar Creek

October

The ten regiments of the Louisiana brigade were reorganized as a battalion of six companies with less than 500 men, although it would continue to be referred to as a brigade. Colonel Raine Peck (at 6'3" and 300 pounds known as "Big Peck") was given command of the brigade.

December

The regiment left the Army of the Valley and returned to the Petersburg defences with the remnants of the Second Corps

1865

January-March

Siege of Petersburg

February 5-7

Battle of Hatcher's Run

February 18

Colonel Peck promotd to brigadier general and transferred to the Western Theater. Colonel Eugene Waggaman of the 10th Louisiana was given command of the brigade of 400 men

March 25

Battle of Fort Stedman

April 2

Final Assault on Petersburg

April 6

Battle of Sayler's Creek

April 9

Appomattox Court House

The regiment surrendered 3 officers and 54 enlisted men. The entire brigade ony had 373 men.

Dernerville Deblanc