From: "Military History of Mississippi 1803-1898"; Dunbar Rowland

     Colonels - Guilford G. Flynt, John C. Wilkinson, wounded at Murfreesboro, killed at Atlanta; Aden McNeill, killed at Chickamauga.

     Lieutenant-Colonels - James T. Gates, Aden McNeill, John F. Smith, killed near Pine Mountain.

     Majors - George F. Peek, William Watkins, killed at Resaca; John F. Smith, promoted; Andrew E. Moody.

     Colonel - Greene C. Chandler, War Department list State Troops

Company E. Tullahoma Hard Shells of Lauderdale County, mustered into State service at Paulding 29 July, 1861

     Captains - James L. Sansom, G.W. Ryan, B.F. Moss.

     First Lieutenant - Benjamin F. Moss

     Second Lieutenant - Frazier Bridges.

     Third Lieutenant - William B. Ferrell, D. Highsmith

     Total original enrollment, 888 officers and men.  Some companies were full, others were depleted by enlistments into regiments expected to go sooner into active service outside the state.

     The companies of this regiment, the eighth in the State organization, Army of Mississippi, enlisted for twelve months, assembled in rendezvous at Enterprise in August, 1861, and the field officers, Flynt, Gates and Peak, were elected August 31.  They were "mustered into the Confederate States service early in October (W.L. Austin's sketch) and ordered to Pensacola at once."  The regiment was encamped there with the forces under General Bragg, opposite Fort Pickens, held by the Union troops, through the fall and winter of 1861, during which time there were severe artillery engagements.  They were not ordered to Corinth, as were the Ninth and Tenth, but remained at Pensacola until that place was evacuated in May, 1862, when the regiment was ordered to Mobile, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Gates.  About this time the regiment was reorganized and re-enlisted for three years.  From Mobile they were transferred to Pollard, Ala., and Washington, Fla., and thence moved to Chattanooga when General Bragg was preparing for his campaign in Kentucky.  In the organization of Bragg's Army of the Mississippi, at Chattanooga, August 18, 1862, the Eighth, Lieut.-Col. A. McNeill, was assigned to J.K. Jackson's Brigade, Withers' Division, Polk's right wing.  The Fifth Mississippi and Fifth Georgia were the other regiments of the brigade.  Withers' Division was with Gen. Kirby-Smith, and advanced to Bardstown, near Louisville.  They were not engaged in the battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8th, after which the army retreated through Cumberland Gap to East Tennessee, moved to Chattanooga and advanced towards Nashville to meet the union army under General Rosecrans.

     Jackson's Brigade was in line with Breckenridge on the east side of Stone's River at the opening of the battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862, and was sent across, with Adams' Brigade, to attack Palmer's Division, after Chalmers and Donelson and Coltart had failed to make headway.  The brigade of three regiments had only 874 men in all in this fight, and 41 were killed and 266 wounded.  The attack failed, as did also one that followed, by Preston's and Palmer's Brigades.  General Polk reported that Jackson assailed the Federal lines with energy and, after a severe contest, was forced to fall back.  The contest continued for three hours.  Col. John C. Wilkinson was severely wounded in the breast and sent to the hospital at Murfreesboro, where he became a prisoner when the Confederate army retreated.  Lieut. J.J. Hood was also among the killed.  The total casualties of the Eighth Regiment were 20 killed and 113 wounded, which must have been a large proportion of its numbers engaged.  The various companies selected the following for the Roll of Honor; W.T. Robertson, A; J.H. Bonds, B; W.J. Pitman, C; G.B. Risher, D; S.T. Massey, E; D.F. Hilbun, F; A.W. Atwood, G; J.C. Lucy, H; Joel Foster, I; W.W. Watson, K.

     When Bragg's army fell back to the Tullahoma line, the Eighth was stationed on the river at Bridgeport, Ala., where it remained until July, 1863, part of the regiment being engaged at times in hunting deserters and bushwhackers in Northern Alabama.  Bragg fell back to Chattanooga in July, and Rosecrans advanced upon that stronghold August 16.  The Eighth was then at Chattanooga.  A return of August 27, 1863, reports 3 men killed and 1 wounded by the explosion of a single shell from the enemy's batteries on Waldron's Ridge.  Rosecrans' flank movement through the mountains followed, and Bragg retreated to Lafayette, Ga.

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