Alabama Museums

[rebracer]

Working in New Orleans I have the good fortune of being a few blocks down from Confederate Memorial Hall and their wonderful collection. I try to visit every couple of months as I thoroughly enjoy just being in the building. While there to day at lunch I was surprised to see a something new there, the regimental flag of the 24th Alabama, most of what they have on display are Louisiana centric artifacts and rightly so. What got me thinking today is there a similar museum or museums in Alabama that contain items specific to Alabama units? I tried a search but am not really seeing anything about Alabama museums. Any suggestions?

 

[redbob]

The state flag collection is housed at the State Archives in Montgomery. There is also the Confederate Soldiers Home Museum/site in Mountain Creek (about 1/2 ways between Birmingham and Montgomery).

 

[zburkett]

Where would be the best place to research the 8th Alabama?

 

[redbob]

Where would be the best place to research the 8th Alabama?

As simple as it may seem, I often start by putting the regiment say : 8th Alabama Infantry CSA in a search engine and the results often point me in a direction to go such as the Alabama State Archives. They were part of Wilcox's brigade which was the 8th,9th,10th,11th & 14th regiments.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Where would be the best place to research the 8th Alabama?

Some sources:

- Colonel Hilary A. Herbert's History of the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, C.S.A., ed. by Maurice S. Fortin, The Alabama Historical Quarterly, vol. 39, 1977, no. 1, 2, 3, 4, published by The Alabama State Department of Archives and History. It includes a roster.

- See the online Library of Congress' Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers for period publications from Alabama.

- The Mobile Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Division has many reference works, including: Partial list of Mobile companies with partial membership of each serving in the Confederate war. Rosters of companies C, E, F, G, H of the 8th are listed there.

- Peruse the 1907 Census of Confederate Soldiers for men of the 8th, especially Mobile County.

I have compiled a good amount of other information on the 8th at Gettysburg.

 

[redbob]

There are also two books listed on Amazon pertaining to the 8th Alabama.

 

[Legion Para]

Where would be the best place to research the 8th Alabama?

What type of research do you want to do?

Alabama State Historical Society
Alabama State Museum
Mobile Historical Society
Mobile History Museum
University of Alabama
Museum of the Confedetatecy

Take a look where (County) each Company was raised. Some of these Counties may have County Historical Societies and these would be other places to contact.

• Comany A "Alabama Rangers" - many men from men from Perry County
• Company B "Governor's Guards" - many men from Coosa County
• Company C "Alex Stephens' Guards" - many men from Mobile County
• Company D "Independent Blues" - many men from Dallas County
• Company E "Hamp Smith Rifles" - many men from Mobile County
• Company F "Greenville Guards" - many men from Butler County
• Company G "German Fusileers"- many men from Mobile County
• Company H "Mobile Independent Scouts" - many men from Mobile County
• Company I "Emerald Guards" - many men from Mobile County
• Company K "Southern Guards" - many men from Perry County

I will list other sources once you have finished with those above.

 

[Legion Para]

Some sources:

- Colonel Hilary A. Herbert's History of the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, C.S.A., ed. by Maurice S. Fortin, The Alabama Historical Quarterly, vol. 39, 1977, no. 1, 2, 3, 4, published by The Alabama State Department of Archives and History. It includes a roster.

- See the online Library of Congress' Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers for period publications from Alabama.

- The Mobile Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Division has many reference works, including: Partial list of Mobile companies with partial membership of each serving in the Confederate war. Rosters of companies C, E, F, G, H of the 8th are listed there.

- Peruse the 1907 Census of Confederate Soldiers for men of the 8th, especially Mobile County.

I have compiled a good amount of other information on the 8th at Gettysburg.

 

[UCVRelics]

Where would be the best place to research the 8th Alabama?

Here is a link to the Alabama Archives, they have a lot on the 8th Alabama.

http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/search/searchterm/8th alabama infantry/order/date

 

[zburkett]

Thanks to all. The 8th Alabama camped on my farm in the winter of 63/64. During that time they returned their battle flag to the Governor of Alabama and were issued a new flag which they carried to Appomattox. They tore up that flag rather than surrender it. I have seen the 8ths flag that was captured in 62 and returned to Alabama in 1905. What I would like to find is either the flag returned to Alabama in 63 or find what the flag issued to replace it looked like. The streamers on the flag at Appomattox were saved by the flag barrier and I would like to find out what they looked like as well. We have a small memorial to the 8th in our living room and I would like to have one of their flags associated with our farm reproduced for that memorial.

 

[redbob]

Thanks to all. The 8th Alabama camped on my farm in the winter of 63/64. During that time they returned their battle flag to the Governor of Alabama and were issued a new flag which they carried to Appomattox. They tore up that flag rather than surrender it. I have seen the 8ths flag that was captured in 62 and returned to Alabama in 1905. What I would like to find is either the flag returned to Alabama in 63 or find what the flag issued to replace it looked like. The streamers on the flag at Appomattox were saved by the flag barrier and I would like to find out what they looked like as well. We have a small memorial to the 8th in our living room and I would like to have one of their flags associated with our farm reproduced for that memorial.

I appreciate your efforts to honor these men and I would think that if anyone can put you on the right track that it will be the state archives. The website that @ucvrelics.com mentions actually has a picture of the 8th Alabama's flag.

 

[zburkett]

Thanks, the flag in the archives is the flag captured in 62. I would like to find either the battle honors on the flag returned in 63 or those on the streamers presented by the ladies of the Cave plantation for the new flag.

 

[UCVRelics]

Thanks to all. The 8th Alabama camped on my farm in the winter of 63/64

Whats the address

 

[zburkett]

Its on Marquis Road in Orange County, Virginia. About ten miles in a straight line to the Wilderness.

 

[zburkett]

It is a part of the Cave Plantation. Nina Cave made the streamers for the new battle flag. The plantation house is next door to my home.

 

[redbob]

It is a part of the Cave Plantation. Nina Cave made the streamers for the new battle flag. The plantation house is next door to my home.

Well, one of my ancestors probably walked through your yard as he was with the 11th Alabama.

 

[zburkett]

I sometimes ride or walk the pastures just to listen to the ghost. They are still here and know they are welcome. Actually, there are a lot of ghost in Orange County when you are willing to listen. When you are coming this way contact me.

 

[AUG]

Thanks to all. The 8th Alabama camped on my farm in the winter of 63/64. During that time they returned their battle flag to the Governor of Alabama and were issued a new flag which they carried to Appomattox. They tore up that flag rather than surrender it. I have seen the 8ths flag that was captured in 62 and returned to Alabama in 1905. What I would like to find is either the flag returned to Alabama in 63 or find what the flag issued to replace it looked like. The streamers on the flag at Appomattox were saved by the flag barrier and I would like to find out what they looked like as well. We have a small memorial to the 8th in our living room and I would like to have one of their flags associated with our farm reproduced for that memorial.

History of the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Regiment, CSA by Colonel Hilary A. Herbert can be read here:
http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/compoundobject/collection/quarterly/id/1143


You've probably already seen this @zburkett, but on page 135 Col. Herbert says:

"The 8th Alabama was hutted in a wood about one and a half miles from Orange C. H., near the house of old Captain Cave, who had two lovely daughters. The writer was to ride as the knight of one of Captain Cave's daughters, Miss Nina, at a tournament which was to take place in (General Ambrose Powell) Hill's Corps (ours) on the 1st of May. It turned out that I was not to attend the tourney, because the 8th on the day before was sent to the front to strengthen our outposts; but Miss Nina had already, in compliment to her knight, presented to the regiment a tassel and two beautiful pennants for its flag. On the pennants, one red, and the other white, were printed the names of the principal battles in which the regiment had been engaged. The history of these pennants I digress here to tell of, as it shows how curiously incidents of the long ago often confront us in the present. In 1896, the writer was spending a few days at the Chamberlin Hotel at Old Point Comfort, Va., and John A. Browne, a former member of Co. "D" 8th Alabama, who had married a Virginia girl, and was now a resident of Suffolk, Va., where he had risen to prominence, came over to see him. Browne had with him the identical tassel and pennants Miss Cave had given me at Orange C. H. These pennants had fallen into his hands, when the men of the regiment tore up the flag at Appomatox rather than surrender it as will be hereafter related. When I called Browne's attention to the fact that these pennants had been given to me by Miss Cave he left it for me to decide whether they belong to him or to me. I felt bound to decide in his favor on the ground that he had saved them and had so long had them in possession. He thanked me heartily and promised to will them to me or mine at his death. Browne, brave fellow, has since died and his widow has since sent me the tassel and pennants which I prize beyond expression."
​

If the new flag was from the Richmond Depot and was issued prior to April 1864 then it was probably a Third Bunting Issue. The Fourth Bunting Issue started to be issued out by April or May of that year.

 

[zburkett]

Thanks AUG. I had not seen that. I have "First For The Duration" by Green. There are also random mentions in local histories. Somehow I feel this farm is more those men's than mine and I hope they are happy with me being the steward of it.

 

[redbob]

Thanks AUG. I had not seen that. I have "First For The Duration" by Green. There are also random mentions in local histories. Somehow I feel this farm is more those men's than mine and I hope they are happy with me being the steward of it.

I would hope that they would be pleased that you remember them and are being a good keeper of their memories.