8th Florida Infantry

In the summer of 1862, the 8th Florida Infantry Regiment was assigned to E.A. Perry's newly formed Florida Brigade alongside the 2nd and 5th Florida. Perry's Brigade served under Anderson’s Division of Longstreet’s First Corps, of the Army of Northern Virginia.

They fought in the Battles of Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, and Antietam from Aug-Sep 1862. Colonel David Lang took command of the Florida Brigade and led them at Fredricksburg in Dec 1862 and Chancellorsville in May 1863. Under Col. Lang's command the Florida Brigade fought at Gettysburg in July 1863. They were attached to Picket's Division, and took part in the famous attack on the Union center on the 3rd day.

After the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania in 1864, the Brigade was joined by the victors of the Battle of Olustee, the 9th, 10th, and 11th Regiments. General Joseph Finegan, the famous commander of Florida forces at Olustee, took command of the Florida Brigade, then known as “Finegan’s Brigade”.

In the last year of war the Florida Brigade fought at Cold Harbor in June 1864 and Petersburg during the winter. The Florida Brigade retreated with the Army of Northern Virginia and surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. By the time of surrender, the regiments were the size of modern-day platoons or companies. The 2nd, 5th, and 8th surrendered 68, 53, and 32 men respectively. The 9th, 10th, and 11th surrendered 124, 162, and 23. Most of the 11th had been cut off in the Army’s retreat and had previously surrendered.