Doug,
As Hayes mentioned, there is a folder at the Alabama Dept of Archives and History on the 8th Confederate which contains historical information relative to that organization but at the time of my last visit, which was several years ago, they did not have service records nor muster rolls for this unit. I suspect that any original muster rolls and papers of the regiment may be in the possession of the National Archives. Pension records for Alabama veterans of the regiment can be found at the ADAH however. The information I have was found in the National Archives microfilm of compiled service records of soldiers in the 8th Confederate at the Birmingham Public Library. Being a Confederate Regular Army unit, I think less emphasis may have been placed on it by earlier students of Alabama Civil War organizations even though the regiment has considerable Alabama affliation.
As far as relic hunting is concerned, I have given up relentless hours of searching the woods as an unprofitable enterprise at this late date. I am proud to say however, that I managed to find one Civil War era button during my Indiana Jones period, and it is an AVC officer's cuff with a Robinson's Extra backmark. Gleaned from an heavily hunted camp in south Alabama 14 years ago. Tell me, if so inclined, were the buttons from the Island 10 area associated with the 1st Alabama? Are they State Seals or AVC? And perhaps, what are the backmark variations you encountered?
Regards,
Greg Wilson
Tupelo, Miss.