Local History Collections

(Description ID: 606890)

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums

8th Kentucky Confederate Cavalry Photograph Album

LH-410

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content
Inventory 

Introduction
This collection was acquired by the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums in 2016.

Biographical Sketch
The 8th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment was formed during the late summer of 1862 and mustered into Confederate service in September. General John Hunt Morgan’s regiment was a handpicked unit of approximately 2,200 men.

In June 1863, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan left his Tennessee camp on a raid with nearly 2,500 men, intending to divert the attention of the Union Army of the Ohio from southern forces in the state of Ohio. On July 8, 1863, Morgan crossed the Ohio River at Brandenburg, Kentucky and entered Indiana against orders. After his victory at the Battle of Corydon, Morgan headed eastward in Ohio. Pursuing him, was Union Brigadier General James Shackelford. On July 19, 1863, Morgan attempted to cross the Ohio River into West Virginia at Buffington Island near Pomeroy in Meigs County, Ohio. Union forces of Brigadier General E. H. Hobson and Henry M. Judah captured between 800 and 1,200 of Morgan’s troops. Some three hundred escaped across the Ohio River.

Most of the men of the 8th were captured at Buffington Island on July 19, 1863. The remaining men were eventually flanked and then cut off by Union forces on July 26, 1863 at New Lisbon, Ohio, prior to being imprisoned at Camp Douglas, Illinois. The unit was never reorganized. Following Morgan’s death the men of the 8th who had not been captured were merged with the Kentucky 12th Cavalry Regiment to form the Kentucky 8th/12th Consolidated Cavalry Regiment.

Scope and Content
This photograph album, containing 25 carte de visites, of which 22 are identified Confederate soldiers of the 8th Kentucky Cavalry, who were part of General John Hunt Morgan’s troops. Nearly all are believed to have been captured in Ohio on April 19 and April 26, 1863. These same men were imprisoned at Camp Douglas,, Illinois.

The album is believed to have been owned by Caleb Doyle of Shelbyville, Shelby County, Kentucky, who was a private in Company C, 8th Kentucky Cavalry. Each picture is identified in the same handwriting. Most of the images are back marked D. F. Brandon, Camp Douglas, Illinois. A single loose cdv of a Confederate soldier and one of General James Longstreet and John Wilkes Booth were unidentified. Fold3.com was used to research rank, company, date and place of capture, as well as additional information on transfers, notification of signed amnesty and/or notifications of death while imprisoned.    

Inventory
Ac. 5917
One album

*A James B. Gordon served in the 8^th Kentucky Regiment, G/F Company.  He was captured at Buffington Island, Ohio on 19
July 1863. James B. Gordon is the only Gordon listed in the 8^thRegiment roster. He was a prisoner at Camp Douglas, Illinois.
He held the rank of Private until his death at Camp Douglas.