in his career, from former U.S. President John Tyler, to Governor John Letcher, Lt. Gov. Montague, and former Navy Secretary Ballard Preston. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Hunton relinquished his militia commission and secured a commission as colonel of the 8th Virginia Infantry, Confederate States Army, composed of seven companies from Loudoun County, two from Fauquier County and one each from Fairfax County and Prince William County. Initially, Charles B. Tebbs was his Lt.Col. and Norborne Berkeley as the regimental Major. The regiment (then of eight companies) was assigned to guard the Potomac River in Loudoun County, along with the Loudoun Cavalry and a Loudoun artillery regiment. During the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard cited its gallantry coming off reserve status in his summary of the Confederate victory. It was then again assigned to protect Leesburg, Virginia, the seat of Loudoun county and an important crossroads for trade across the Potomac River as well as across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although General Beauregard refused to let Col. Hunton take leave to visit his sick wife five miles from that battlefield, Hunton received several leaves from duty during the war due to a fistula which failed to heal, despite various surgeries, until he became a prisoner of war during the war's final days. In October his regiment was part of Nathan G. Evans' brigade near Leesburg, where the temporarily recovered Hunton led his command against a Union force at Ball's Bluff, driving it into the Potomac River. Captains William N. Berkeley and Edmond Berkeley were also cited for their enthusiasm, and for his initiative in capturing about 325 Union prisoners local farmer E.V. White (a/k/a Lige White) would soon be promoted to captain (and ultimately to colonel). In 1862 the regiment left the Centreville area to oppose the Union's Peninsular Campaign. With the confederate evacuation of Northern Virginia Huntons hometown got under union occupation and he had to evacuate his family through Charlottesville to Lynchburg. Despite still suffering from fistula Hunton returned from sick leave to command his regiment from the withdrawal under Yorktown to defend Richmond. Hunton missed both the Battle of Williamsburg and the Battle of Seven Pines due to sickness. Anticipating the Seven Days Battles he disregarded his physician's advise and returned to the army to fight at the Battle of Frazier's Farm and Battle of Gaines' Mill