In the battles of Donelson and Shiloh two Kentucky regiments, the 25th and 17th Infantry, were so depleted they were consolidated immediately after the last battle. The 25th was then discontinued as an organization, and the two officers who had led it, Col. James M. Shackleford and Lieut.-Col. B. H. Bristow (as will be seen in the account of the 25th Ky.), no longer had a command. They returned to Kentucky and received authority to raise a cavalry regiment for one year's service. Recruiting commenced in August, 1862, the colonel to be James M. Shackleford, and the Lieut.-Col. B. H. Bristow. The 1st Battalion was raised in Henderson and Daviess and adjoining counties, under Maj. James H. Holloway. The 2d was raised in Logan and other counties adjacent, under Lieut.-Col. Bristow, and this battalion was under Maj. J. M. Kennedy. the 3d Battalion was recruited by Maj. J. W. Weatherford, at Lebanon, Ky. The 1st Battalion was mustered into service at Henderson, Ky., September 13, 1862. The 2d and 3d at Russellville, September 8th. The regiment was at that date full, numbering 1,248 men and the whole number was raised in three weeks from the time recruiting began. During the fall and winter of 1862 the 8th Cavalry was engaged in protecting the western part of the state from the raids of bands of Confederates which were called guerrillas.
Col. Shackelford, with Holloway's battalion, attacked Adam Johnson's command at Geiger's Lake, dispersing it, but in the fight Shackleford was wounded, receiving a shot through the foot. Although incapacitated for active service, he did not relinquish command, and even before complete recovery was again in the field with his men. In November, 1862, Holloway's battalion moved from Henderson to Bowling Green. On the march a night attack was made upon the camp by Col. Fowler with his guerilla band. The fire was returned, and Col. Fowler, with several of his men, killed. The 8th suffered no loss.
In October, 1862, when Bragg invaded Kentucky, the 2d and 3d Battalions were ordered to Bowling Green, from which place they operated along the railroad, protecting trains and bridges, and were also used for scouting and reconnoitering. From Bowling Green two companies went on a scout into Tennessee, and captured a hundred Confederates, who were foraging. In November, the 2d and 3d Battalions were ordered to Russellville, and from thence to Hopkinsville, where they spent the winter, operating from that point in every direction against Confederate bands. At the same time the 3d Battalion was sent to Clarksville. In January, 1863, Col. Shackleford was made brigadier-general, and B. H. Bristow became the colonel of the regiment. He continued to command it the remainder of its service. Although the 8th Cavalry did not engage in the larger movements of the armies its service was very hard, the men being constantly on the move with other troops, sometimes through Western Kentucky, sometimes in Tennessee, for the necessary protection of all that section.
It was brigaded with the 28th and 4th Ky. Infantry and 4th Ky. Cavalry, the brigade being under the command of Col. S. D. Bruce. In the organization of the Department of the Ohio, of August 31, 1863, it was placed in the 23d Army Corps, in Gen. Boyle's division.
The principal service of the 8th Cavalry was its participation in the pursuit and capture of Morgan, in July, 1863, under the leadership of its original colonel, then Brig.-Gen. Shackleford. It can be seen from the perusal of the official reports that the pursuit of Morgan was in every was as remarkable as the raid itself. A number of Kentucky regiments, starting from Cumberland river, continued the pursuit for twenty-nine days, crossing the states of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, and finally overtook, surrounded and captured the noted raider, Morgan.
July 26, 1863, Shackleford telegraphed to Gen. Burnside at Cincinnati that he had captured Morgan. On the 27th Burnside replied: "Your dispatch received. The whole country will thank you for your good work. I cannot tell you how thankful I am to you and your command."
After the capture of Morgan the 8th Cavalry returned to Russellville, Ky., having spent a year in continued activity. On the 23d of September, 1863, the term of service having expired, the regiment was mustered out of service at Russellville, Ky., and a great many of the men at once joined other organizations.
The 8th was a remarkably fine body of men, numbering 1,288. It seems a pity that it did not have a three-years term. Its leading officers were splendid men, and some became distinguished after the war. The original colonel, James M. Shackleford, became a brigadier general, and, since the war, United States judge in the Indian Territory. Lieut.-Col. Ben. H. Bristow succeeded Shacleford as colonel, and afterward served as State Senator and United States District Attorney in Kentucky, and as Secretary of the Treasury, in the cabinet of President Grant. He was also a prominent candidate for President in the Republican convention in 1876.
Majs. Holloway, Kennedy and Weatherford were most intelligent and capable officers, the former having served in the state legislature, and the later became colonel of the 13th Ky. Cavalry. John Feland, the regimental quartermaster, was an officer of the greatest efficiency, and has become a prominent lawyer of Kentucky.
The chaplain was the since celebrated Rev. Geo. F. Pentecost. While with the regiment he was greatly esteemed, not only for his piety, but his courage as well. In the pursuit of Morgan, in 1863, he served on Gen. Shackleford's staff, and that officer in his report commends his fidelity, indomitable energy and valor.
In one of the raids in Southern Kentucky two detachments of the 8th accidentally fought each other. One had halted for the night at a tobacco barn, and the other coming up, and believing it was upon the enemy's camp, instantly attacked. In the fight Capt. Elisha Owen was killed and several were wounded. Capt. Lewis Buckner, then a lieutenant, and the sergeant-major of the regiment, W. O. Speed, the writer's brother, were in this fight and were the first to discover the mistake.
As the 8th Cavalry was familiarly known as Shackelford's regiment, and as it was with him in the pursuit of Morgan, in July, 1863, it is proper in this connection to give an extract from Gen. Shackleford's official report of that pursuit. The extract tells of the capture of Morgan.
At the time of the capture, July 26th, the pursuers had been in the saddle from the 27th day of June, as the report shows, making a continuous ride of thirty days, as is stated in the extract here given from the report:
We reached Hammersville at daylight on Sabbath morning, the 26th. We could hear nothing from the enemy. I sent scouts on every road, but without awaiting their return I sent Maj. Rue (who had come up) to take the advance with the detachment, and also with a part of the 3rd Ky. and 1st Ky., under Capt. Ward and Adjt. Carpenter. We proceeded 5 miles in the direction of Salineville, when a courier rushed up from Hammondsville, stating that the enemy was moving upon that place. I ordered Maj. Rue to send a company of his command on the best horses back to ascertain the truth of the report. Within a few minutes an officer came up and announced the enemy at Salineville. We pressed on for that point. Before reaching there I learned of the fight between Maj. Way and the enemy, resulting in the capture of 230 additional of the enemy. My advance, under Maj. Rue and Capt. Ward, went into Salineville.
Learning that Morgan, with about 400 men, had crossed the railroad and was going in the direction of Smith's Ford, I ordered Maj. Rue to return, with the advance, to the head of the column, then on the New Lisbon road. We had gone about 7 miles when a courier from Maj. Rue announced that Morgan had run into the New Lisbon road ahead of him. Within a few minutes a second courier came from Maj. Rue, stating that he had come up with the enemy, and wished me to send forward re-enforcements immediately. The whole column was thrown forward at the utmost speed of the horses. We came to where the roads forked. The enemy had gone to the left, and was between the two roads. My advance had taken the right-hand road. I moved the column on the road the enemy had gone. On our approach several of the enemy started to run. They were ordered to halt, and refusing to do so were fired upon. Just at this moment a flag came from the enemy, the bearer stating that Gen. Morgan wanted a personal interview with me. I caused the firing to cease and moved around to where Morgan and his staff were standing in the road. Morgan claimed that he had surrendered to a militia captain. Maj. Rue had very properly refused to take any action in the premises until I came up. I ordered Morgan and staff to ride forward with Col. Wolford and myself, and ordered Maj. Rue to take charge of the balance of the prisoners. Morgan stated to me in the presence of Col. Wolford and other officers that he had become thoroughly satisfied that escape from me was impossible; that he himself might have escaped by deserting his men, but that he would not do so. He also stated in the same conversation that he did not care for the militia; that he could, with the command he then had, whip all the militia in Ohio; yet he said that since crossing the Ohio he had found every man, woman and child his enemy; that every hill-top was a telegraph and every bush an ambush. After traveling back 2 miles we halted to have the prisoners dismounted and disarmed. Gen. Morgan then desired a private interview. He called three or four of his staff and Col. Cluke. I asked Col. Wolford to attend the interview. He claimed that he had surrendered to a militia captain and that the captain had agreed to parole him, his officers and men. I stated that we had followed him thirty days and nights; that we had met and defeated him a number of times; we had captured nearly all of his command; that he had acknowledged in the presence of Col. Wolford that he knew I would capture him; that he himself might have escaped by deserting his men, but that he would not do so; that we were on the field; that Maj. Rue had gone to his right and Capt. Ward to his left, and the main column was moving rapidly upon his rear; that he had acknowledged that the militia captain was no impediment in his way, showing by his own statement that he could, with the force he then had, whip all the militia in Ohio; that I regarded his surrender to the militia captain, under such circumstances, as not only absurd and ridiculous but unfair and illegal, and that I would not recognize it at all. I stated to him that his demand would not be considered for a moment; that he, together with his officers and men, would be delivered to Maj.-Gen. Burnside at Cincinnati, O., and that he would take such action in the premises as he might think proper. The number of prisoners captured with Morgan was about 350.
From Dyer's Compendium:
Organized at Russellsville, Ky., and mustered in August 13, 1862. Attached to District of Louisville, Ky., Dept. of the Ohio, to November, 1862. Unattached, Bowling Green, District of Western Kentucky, Dept. Ohio, to June, 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 23rd Army Corps, Army of Ohio, to August, 1863. Unassigned, Bowling Green, Ky. 1st Division, 23rd Army Corps, to September, 1863.
SERVICE--Duty at Russellsville, Bowling Green and Hopkinsville, Ky., District of West Kentucky, and at Clarksville, Tenn., operating against guerrillas, until September, 1863. Actions at Morganfield, Ky., August 3, 1862. Madisonville August 25. Morganfield September 1. Geiger's Lake September 3. Near Madisonville September 4. Ashbysburg September 25. Henderson County November 1. Greenville Road November 5. Garrettsburg November 6. Rural Hill, Tenn., November 18. Near Nashville, Tenn., January 28, 1863. Expedition from Bowling Green, Ky., to Tennessee State Line May 2-6. Operations against Morgan July 2-26. Buffington's Island, Ohio, July 19. Mustered out September 23, 1863.
Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 8 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 104 Enlisted men by disease. Total 117.