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VIII Corps Civil War Facts
Middle Department
These battles, which occurred between May 9th and October 19th, 18;64, were fought wholly, or in part, by the Army of West Virginia, which was, for the most part, identical with the forces in the two divisions under General George Crook. These 2 divisions, by a provisional arrangement, formed a part of the VIII Corps, and eventually came to be known as the corps itself.
The VIII Corps proper was created by General Orders No. 84, July 22, 1862, which designated the troops under Maj. Gen. John E. Wool as the VIII Corps. These forces were stationed in Maryland, at Annapolis, Baltimore, Harper's Ferry, along the Baltimore & Ohio R. R., east of Cumberland, and along the railroad from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, Virginia.
During the summer of 1864,and, also, in Sheridan's campaigns in the Valley, the VIII Corps was commanded by Gen. George Crook; the 1st Division, comprising 3 brigades, was commanded by Col. Joseph Thoburn; the 2nd Division, containing 2 brigades, was commanded by Col. Isaac H. Duval. There were 22 regiments of infantry in the 2 divisions. Col. Thoburn was killed at Cedar Creek, the last battle in which the corps participated. Col. Duval was wounded at Opequon, whereupon Col. Rutherford B. Hayes succeeded to the command of Duval's (2d) Division. The field return of troops, dated September 10, 1864, shows that the Army of West Virginia -- Crook's 2 divisions had only 7,507 effective men.
At the battle of Winchester, however, July 24, 1864, Crook's command contained 3 divisions, Sullivan's, Duval's, and Mulligan's. Col. Mulligan, the hero of Lexington, was killed in that battle, and his division was cut up so badly that it was consolidated into one brigade, which was transferred to the 1st Division, where it became the 3rd Brigade (Campbell's) of that division.
Gen. Lew Wallace was assigned to the command of the VIII Corps on March 12, 1863, and was in command at the battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864. But that battle was fought chiefly by Ricketts' Division of the VI Corps; the only troops of the VIII Corps which were engaged, were some regiments from the Baltimore garrison, organized as the 1st Separate Brigade of the VIII Corps, Gen. E. B. Tyler commanding. On July 11th, Gen. Ord was assigned to the command of the corps, but on the 28th it was restored to Gen. Wallace. In December, 1864, the 1st and 3rd Brigades of the 1st Division (Thoburn's) were transferred to the Army of the James, then near Richmond, and were designated as the Independent Division of the XXIV Corps, Gen. J. W. Turner commanding.
The VIII Corps proper remained in service until August 1, 1865, when its existence terminated.
Major Battles Fought In
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