Eighth Georgia Battalion

Eighth Georgia Battalion (Gist Brigade) 1861-1865 American Civil War

The guns of the Civil War and voices of the men who fought in the great conflict are long silent.  The issues over which the war was fought were settled long ago on the bloody battlefields and later in the halls of Congress.  Though it is still a work in progress our country has worked long and hard to heal the scars left by the Civil War.  The men on both sides who fought and died are at rest now and no longer hear the terrible sound of cannon and musket fire or the mournful sounds of the battlefield.  The men and the units of the North and the South who participated are a part of the pageant of our American history and their lives and deeds need to be remembered and discussed.  I knew relatives who lived with those who actually fought in the Civil War and attended Civil War reunions in the early 1900s.  Their stories of their grandfather, the Civil War and “Dixie” were a part of the fabric of my life growing up in the South.  

It was with this in mind that my son William Fuller and I created this Civil War unit site to honor the unit and our ancestors in the Eighth Georgia Battalion, Private Andrew Jackson Moss, Private Gilbert Moss and  four other members of the Moss family served with the 8th Georgia Battalion.  Much of the materials presented here are the result of the work of numerous individuals and historians who over the years helped keep the memory of the men, the units and events of the Civil War alive for future generations.  As we receive additional information and do more research we will be adding to the site from time to time and hope those who view the site will contact us with comments.  We  hope any descendants of Gist Brigade will feel free to contact us with information we may add to the site.  Photos can be viewed on the photo archive section of the web site. Our sincere thanks for taking a look at our web site.  

Ron Fuller, Great Great Grandson of Andrew Jackson Moss, Private, Eighth Georgia Batallion

In 1850 a  Kentucky militia captain penned a poem in memory of soldiers killed in the Mexican War.  Captain Theodoro O’Hara went on to serve as a colonel in the Confederacy.  The first lines of his poem “The Bivouac of the Dead” speak volumes about the Civil War and how the nation as a whole honored those who participated.  My son and I sincerely hope this web site will encourage other descendants who know of  their ancestors’ units and history to create similar sites and help keep their memory alive for future generations of historians and family members.  

The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat

The soldiers last tattoo!

No more of life’s parade shall meet

That brave and fallen few.

On fame’s eternal camping ground

Their silent tents are spread ,

And glory guards with solemn round

The bivouac of the dead.