General Notes

[coosa1.ged]
Stephen served in the Eighth Alabama Regiment, this being the first
regiment from the state to enlist for the duration of the Civil War. They
served at Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Seven Pines. Nearly one-third were
killed at Second Manassas. They took part in the capture of Harper's
Ferry and the Battle of Gettysburg. When the announcement of surrender
was made, the few remaining veterans wept like children and tore their
old battle flag into shreds to keep as mementos. Stephen and his brother,
William McDonough Rushing, who had also survived the war, move to Texas
where both died soon after. (1)
(1) From the book: "Rushing" Through the Generations by Peggy Rushing Sims
8th Alabama Infantry Regiment
The 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment was the first Alabama command that
enlisted "for the war." It was organized by the War Department at
Richmond on 10 June 1861, with men recruited from Butler, Coosa, Dallas,
Mobile, and Perry counties. The regiment lay at Yorktown, Virginia, for
the first eleven months of its service, and a detachment of it was
engaged in a skirmish near Wynn's Mill. Placed in Gen'l Roger Pryor's
Brigade, the regiment fell back with the army until it was overtaken at
Williamsburg and lost about 100 men. At Seven Pines, it was again under
fire, losing 32 k, 80 w, and 32 missing. Now in the brigade of Gen'l
Cadmus Wilcox, with the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 14th Alabama Regiments, the
8th was under fire at Mechanicsville and took part in the desperate
assault of Gen'l James Longstreet's Division on the enemy position at
Gaines' Mill. Losses in that assault were high, 47% of the 350 men
engaged. Three days later, the regiment was in the line of assault at
Frazier's Farm where it met Union Gen'l Thomas Meagher's Irish Brigade.
Of the 180 effectives there, only 90 were at regimental muster the next
morning. Its ranks soon began to fill and the 8th Alabama marched with
the Army of Northern Virginia towards the Potomac River. At the Second
Battle of Manassas, it was under a destructive fire and lost about 60 men
as it was held in reserve. The regiment took part in the capture of
Harper's Ferry, then it crossed the Potomac River and fought obstinately
at Sharpsburg, losing 67 k and w. It wintered on the Rappahannock, losing
only slightly at Fredericksburg. At Salem Church, Wilcox'Brigade bore the
brunt of the Federal assault, driving the enemy back in confusion and
capturing 1500 prisoners (with losses of 58 k and w). It was in the
exultant army that Gen'l Robert E. Lee led into Maryland for the second
time, and at Gettysburg, 260 casualties were lost out of 420 engaged.
With the army, the 8th recrossed the Potomac and wintered in the vicinity
of Orange Court House. The regiment was again hotly engaged at The
Wilderness, losing heavily there and at Spotsylvania. It was under fire
nearly every day as the Federal army pressed up to Richmond, and its loss
was severe at 2nd Cold Harbor. At Petersburg, the 8th again suffered. It
fought the Union cavalry raid against the Weldon Railroad, and it
participated in the capture of the "Crater." At Deep Bottom, the regiment
participated with some loss, and it lost heavily in the attempt to
dislodge the enemy from their position on the Weldon Railroad. The
regiment assisted at the repulse of the the enemy on the Plank Road below
Petersburg, and they fought as the army retreated up the James River. At
Appomattox, the remnant denied the first rumors of surrender and
indignantly tore their battle-flag into shreds to retain as mementos. Of
1377 men on its roll, the 8th lost 300 killed or mortally wounded, over
170 died of disease, and 236 were discharged or transferred; 16 officers
and 153 men surrendered.
Field and staff officers: Cols. John Anthony Winston (Sumter; resigned,
10 June
1862); Young Lea Royston (Perry; wounded, Frazier's Farm, Salem Church;
retired, 2 Nov 1864