8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment, USA

Organized at Jefferson City, Bolivar, Warsaw and Linn Creek December 18, 1861, to May 6, 1862. Unattached, Dept. of Missouri, to September, 1862. District of Southwest Missouri to July, 1865.

Post and scout duty at Lebanon, Neosho and Springfield, Mo. Gouge's Mill March 26, 1862 (Detachment). Humansville, Polk County, March 26 (Cos. "A," "B," "D" and "E"). Warsaw April 8, 17 and 28. Licking May 4. Cross Timbers July 28. Lone Jack August 16 (2 Cos.). Lamar November 5 (Detachment). Operations in Sugar Creek Hills December 23-31. Operations against Marmaduke in Missouri December 31, 1862, to January 25, 1863. Sarcoxie Prairie, Newton County, February 10, 1862. Scouts in Barton and Jasper Counties February 19-22 (Detachment). Greenville Road on Granby March 3 (Detachment). Scout near Neosho April 19-20 (Cos. "L" and "M"). Scout from Newtonia to French Point and Centre Creek with skirmishes May 3-18 (Detachment). French Point May 15 (Detachment). Jasper County June 10. Scout from Greenfield to Golden Grove and Carthage August 6-9 (Co. "A"). Capture of Fort Smith, Ark., August 31. Devil's Back Bone, Ark., and Fort Smith September 1. Cotton Gap September 1. Quincy, Mo., September 4 (Co. "A"). Attack on train between Fort Scott and Carthage September 6 (Detachment). Operations against Shelby September 22-October 26. Near Widow Wheeler's October 4 (Cos. "L" and "M"). Jasper County October 5. Humansville October 16-17. Harrisonville October 24. Buffalo Mountain October 24. Near Neosho November 4-6 (Detachment). Shoal and Turkey Creeks, Jasper County, November 18 (Detachment). DeGreen's Farm, near Lawrenceville, Ark., November 19. Scout from Springfield to Howell, Wright and Oregon Counties November 28-December 18. Springfield, Mo., December 16. Scout from Forsyth to Batesville, Ark., December 26, 1863, to January 2, 1864. Operations in Northwest Arkansas January 16-February 15. Clear Creek and Tomahawk, Ark., January 22. Sylamore Creek and near Burrowsville, Ark., January 23. Cowskin Bottom, Newton County, January 23 (Detachment). Rolling Prairie, Ark., February 4. Near California House February 12 (Detachment). Scout from Lebanon into North Alabama and skirmishes March 17 - April 1 (Co. "G"). Scout from Springfield toward Fayetteville, Ark., April 28-May 7 (Cos. "A," "B," "C" and "K"). Bee Creek May 2 (Co. "I"). Spavinaw, Ark., May 13. Mill and Honey Creeks May 30-31. Diamond Grove and Neosho June 3. Scout from Forsyth through Ozark and Douglass Counties June 5-12 (Co. "I"). Diamond Grove Prairie August 1 (Detachment). Operations in Southwest Missouri August 1-28. Rutledge August 4 (Detachment). McDonald County August 5. Cowskin August 5-6. Near Enterprise and Buffalo Creek August 7. Diamond Grove August 21. Fayetteville, Ark., August 28. Carthage September 22 (Detachment). Moreau Botttom, Jefferson City, October 7. Little Blue October 21. Independence October 22. Big Blue, State Line, October 22. Westport October 23. Engagement on the Marmiton or battle of Charlot October 25. Mine Creek, Little Osage River, Marias des Cygnes, October 25. Newtonia October 28. Expedition to Quincy October 29-November 8. Cane Creek October 29-80. Newtonia October 30. Quincy November 1. Near Quincy November 1-2. Hermitage November 2. Expedition from Springfield to Fort Smith, Ark., November 5-16 (Detachment). Cane Hill November 6. Duty at Lebanon, Neosho and Springfield till July, 1865. Mustered out July 17, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 77 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 131 Enlisted men by disease. Total 212.

Partial Roster

Company A

James Jasper Akard (1838-1919) Lieutenant-Captain. Son of Joseph Dell Akard and Keziah Dunnegan. Enlisted as a Lieutenant in Company A of the 15th Missouri Reserve Corps in July 1861. Transferred to the 8th Cavalry in May 1863. Wounded in October 1864 during a skirmish near Jefferson City, Missouri. Promoted to Captain and held that rank until discharge on January 25, 1865. After the war he served in the Missouri State Legislature and Sheriff of Polk County, Missouri.

Company D

John H. Akard (1832-1883) Sergeant. Son of Jonas Akard and Elizabeth Hopkins, husband of Mary E. Jackson. After the war he was at one time the Shooting Champion of the World. Buried at Akard Cemetery, Fair Play, Polk County, Missouri.

Jonas Akard Dunnegan (1838-1863) Private-Corporal. Son of Mathew Dunnegan and Priscilla Akard. Died in September 1863. Buried at Akard Cemetery, Fair Play, Polk County, Missouri.

Thomas H. B. Dunnegan (1842-??) Corporal-First Sergeant.  Son of Mathew Dunnegan and Priscilla Akard, husband of Sallie Beggs. After the war he was engaged in merchandising and served as County Clerk, Deputy Sheriff and Associate Judge of the County Court of Cass County, Missouri

Company L

Samuel Acord (1838-1922) Private-Lieutenant. Dade County, Missouri. Son of Cornelius Acord and Sarah C. Stewart, husband of Susan Bethina Underwood.  Transferred from Company G, 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment. Promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on 1 January 1864. Buried in Omer Cemetery, Cedar County, Missouri.