cryptics - still learning and need some help!!

[jan2006]

Im getting the drift of these but am needing some help with the last few. Would appreciate some answers if you can help - many thanks.
The clues read:
1. might the queen get behind captured soldier?
P _ C _ _

2. author who is extremely polite
_ _ E

3. eastern quarry swapped sides to the same degree
_ _ U _ L _ Y (equally????)

4. 500 trees transformed arid area
_ _ _ E _ T (desert???)

5. career golfer discovered to be very insightful
_ _ _ F _ _ _ I

6. marriage agreement
_ _ I _ N

7. delighted leader ran amok around midnight
_ _ G _ O _ D

8. trail outside Virginia is hard work
T _ L _ A _ L
Many thanks for your help!!!!
Jan

[janbee]

4 yes desert(anagram of trees and d for 500)
3 yes i'd say equally

[albaqwerty]

6. union

[slaney]

1. Power = might
POW = captured soldier
er = queen
2. Poe( author) -.extremes of POlitE

[craft1948]

2 poe

[Quizmonkey]

1 Power (POW = prisoner of war + ER = queen)
3 You're changing the two Rs (right) to Ls (left)
6 Union - but not v good clue (double def)

[albaqwerty]

8 I reckon is TRAVAIL which makes the first L wrong in an answer.

VA is Virginia

[Quizmonkey]

8 Travail - trail outside VA

[janbee]

8 travail?

[Pentalpha8]

5 pro found

[SpodoCommodo]

1 power = ER (queen) after POW (prisoner of war)

2 Poe = the extreme ( in this case leading and last) letters of polite

3 equally = e (eastern) + change r (right) to l (left) in quarry

6 union - 2 meanings of same word

7 regaled = anagram of 'leader' aroung 'g' (middle letter of 'night')

8 travail = 'va' (abbrev for Virginia) within 'trail'

[jan2006]

many thanks for your help and explanations.
Im getting better at these but still cant quite finish them off. More practise I guess!!
Jan