In 1864, Governor Zebulon Vance wrote that "the condition of Western North Carolina is deplorable." He was referring to the bushwhackers and outlaws, and because there was no food many were starving.
While at his home in Cherokee County during sick leave on January 3, 1864, Lt. Colonel William C. Walker was awakened and murdered by outlaws. The murder of the unit's battalion commander vividly
reflected Western North Carolina's anarchy during the Civil War (unharmed, Mrs. Walker died on November 4, 1898). Furthermore, Walker's murder is stated to have greatly altered Colonel Thomas's
view of the war and underscored his initial position and pleas to protect North Carolina's western counties. Thomas retained the
Cherokee Life Guard, in part, because of Walker's death. During the winter of 1863-64, Thomas and the Cherokee Battalion operated against raiders and bushwhackers in the North Carolina mountains, while the Legion fought bushwhackers in East TN.
(O.R., Series 1, Volume 32, part II, p 611). Also see hellish conditions in Western North Carolina: O.R., IV, pt. 2, pp. 732-734, O.R., 1, 53,
pp. 324-336, O.R., 1, 32, pt. II, pp. 610-611, and Shelton Laurel Massacre.
Cherokees Skirmish Union Cavalry at Deep Creek N.C. - February 2, 1864
In early February 1864, Union General Samuel D. Sturgis, a graduate
of the U.S. Military Academy in 1846 and a veteran of the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, ordered Major Francis M. Davidson and 600 of the 14th
Illinois Cavalry (with three pieces of artillery) to pursue and destroy Colonel Thomas' Legion. Chief Thomas and three
companies (Cherokee companies with some whites) of the legion had returned to Cherokee County for Home Guard and
recruitment duties. The 600 advancing horsemen totally surprised Thomas and his men. Ten miles west of Quallatown, at
Deep Creek (Bryson City area), the Cherokees swiftly formed a skirmish line and for one hour held-at-bay the advancing
Union cavalry. Once the soldiers exhausted their ammunition, they retreated into the "rugged mountainous country,"
and, in one report, Thomas reported their losses as two Indians killed and 18 prisoners. He added, the Yankees suffered
the loss of one captain, one lieutenant, 6 killed, several wounded, and 1 captured. On the other hand, Davidson exclaimed
to General Sturgis that the "nest of Indians may be considered as entirely destroyed, nearly 200 of them having
been killed." He also reported that the Confederates suffered several wounded, and that they captured 54 Rebels.
The Union report, to have finally wiped out the Cherokees, is at best an exaggeration. Although Colonel Thomas
mourned the death of his men, he found humor in the Union boasters. (Union Report, O.R., 32,
i, pp. 137-138; Thomas's Preliminary Report, O.R., 1, 53, p. 314; and Colonel Palmer's Report, O.R., 1, 32, pt. II, p. 749).
On Feb. 22, 1864, Major (later Lt. Colonel) James A. McKamy wrote to Samuel Cooper (A&IGO). He stated that on Feb. 14, 1864, Captain Garner N. Loudermilk of Company H, Walker's Battalion deserted to the Federals, and McKamy further stated
that on Feb.
14, 1864, Loudermilk also signed the United States' Oath of Allegiance. In the same correspondence, McKamy stated that Captain William
B. Nelson of Company B, Walker's Battalion deserted and refused to return to the command. They
were the highest ranking officers to desert from Thomas' Legion.
Quallatown, N.C., February 28, 1864.
TO THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF SOUTH CAROLINA:
SIRS: At the commencement of the present war I urged the Carolinians to make preparations
for defending the passes in the Smoky Mountain for their common protection, and to aid as far as I could in keeping back the
Northern vandals, by the express permission of President Davis, I raised a Legion of Indians and Highlanders. Last fall when
East Tennessee was unfortunately surrendered to the enemy, I, with the Indians, was ordered to fall back on the Smoky Mountains
to check the progress of the enemy.
[In the same letter, Thomas also emphasized that the Indians were starving and he further pleaded with South
Carolina’s officials to immediately send the Cherokees provisions of corn, flour, rice, beans, grain, and cotton for
clothes. He further offered to pay for these provisions at his own expense. Should food fail to arrive the Indians will certainly
die and Thomas’ Legion will lack sufficient force to protect South Carolina’s northwestern region. Hence, the
Legion will retreat across the “Blue Ridge Line” and Lincoln will have access to subjugate South Carolina. Subsequently,
the South Carolinians met his requests, thus postponing the Indians’ starvation.]
Your obedient servant,
WM. H. Thomas
Colonel Thomas’ Legion Indians and Highlanders
Battle at Carter's Depot Tennessee - April
25, 1864
The Cherokee Battalion was with Thomas,
while the infantry regiment and Walker's battalion were currently assigned to Jackson's Brigade (O.R., 1, 32, pt. III, p. 802), and located in East Tennessee.
Abstract from return of the District of Western
North Carolina, Col. John B. Palmer, C. S. Army, commanding, for the month of April, 1864; headquarters Asheville, N.C.
[Included in the command]
Mouth of Tuckaseegee, Col. William
H. Thomas, commanding Thomas’ Legion*
Present for duty: 7 officers,
196 men; Aggregate present, 206; Aggregate present and absent 283.
* [O.R. offers a footnote]
The larger portion of Thomas’ Legion is in Brigadier-General Jackson’s Brigade in East Tennessee.
The three companies reported here are composed of Indians principally (O.R., 1, Volume 32, pt. III,
p. 865).
On April 1, 1864, General Longstreet's army returned to Richmond, while several of General Burnside's regiments marched toward Carter's Depot, Tenn.
On April 26, William Stringfield recorded in his diary*: "Carter's Depot, Tenn—Yesterday & today are noted ones for this place
& people. The Yankees came & attacked us 700 strong [The Legion's surgeon, John Lawing, recorded
enemy strength at 2000] yesterday morning about 11 am—The 3rd Indiana & 9th Michigan Cavalry [and 2 pieces of artillery].
This first demonstration was at Deavault’s Ford below this—the river being too deep to ford—they returned
to this point & “pitched in” to us. They were han[d]somely repulsed at all points. I ran some narrow risks—but
a Kind Providence shielded me through all, our loss 5 captured—11 Killed. Theirs 3 captured 3 killed & 17 wounded.
One report[ed] their loss at 19 Killed and 27 wounded besides several drowned at the ford [Ninth Michigan fatalities included
one major and one lieutenant]. Ed Gammond’s Co is said to have acted gallantly. Our men all did their duty well. The
fight lasted till dark last Evening & from day light till 9 am to day, after which the Enemy retired towards Jonesboro
[The enemy had charged Thomas' Legion and hand-to-hand combat ensued, with the Yankees ultimately being forced to retreat].
I was ordered by Gen Jackson to follow them a few miles which I did to Johnson’s Depot & learned that they had finally
left. So much for standing [and defending] ones ground & fighting when the occasion presents like this. Levi’s Battery
& the 44th Tenn Volunteers reinforced us this evening. So let the Yankees come." In the Western Democrat in Charlotte,
North Carolina, on May 10, 1864, the Thomas Legion's Surgeon John Lawing declared that "Thomas' Legion met them [the enemy] heroically and repulsed them in a crippled condition." *For authenticity, original spelling is intact.
To: Headquarters Armies Confederate States
May 2, 1864.
There is great difficulty in sparing any
regular force from our main points of operation. Several hundred men, now in the Department of East Tennessee, belonging to
what is known as Thomas’ Legion now called a brigade, under Brigadier General Jackson might well be spared and sent to Colonel Thomas in Western North Carolina.
It had been reported that General Longstreet’s
army having left East Tennessee opened all of Western North Carolina, Northeastern Georgia, Northwestern South Carolina, to
incursions of the enemy. I know of no troops or even local organization to oppose them. Wahalla, Pendleton, Anderson, Greenville,
and Spartanburg, with their powder and paper mills, factories and work-shops, are all at their mercy without some effort is
made at once to effect some organization.
Braxton Bragg, General
"The weather was very cold and we were thinly clad in the clothes we had worn
all summer. We had no underwear or socks and our shoes were badly worn." Private John H. Stewart, Infantry Regiment, Thomas'
Legion (while campaigning in the Shenandoah Valley)
On May 5, 1864, the War Department issued Special Order 105 (O.R., 36, ii, pp. 958-959 and O.R., Series 1, Vol. 39, pt. II, p. 579) ordering Thomas' Legion to Western North Carolina; this action was in response to the deplorable acts of the
bushwhackers and outlaws. It was also designed to defend the region against a Union attack. However, Federal movements in
the Shenandoah Valley postponed the order. Subsequently, Thomas' Legion would return to Western North
Carolina with Special Order 267 (O.R., 1, 43, pt. II, p. 919). During the 1864 Valley Campaign, General Early's Army of the Valley absorbed
the majority of the Department of East Tennessee and Western District of North Carolina. By transferring the bulk of both
commands into the Valley (O.R., IV, III, 520), it allowed bushwhackers to plunder, at will, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. One incident,
the Shelton Laurel Massacre, epitomized the region's lawlessness and anarchy.
Saltworks Campaign - Virginia
Thomas' Legion departed Tennessee (O.R., 1, 39, pt. II, p. 582) and on May 9th arrived in Saltville, Virginia, to defend the precious Saltworks (O.R., 39, ii, 576). The legion remained in the Saltville area until June 1,
1864, and remained in a defensive position, and, although it didn't engage the enemy, the unit suffered losses. On May
23rd, while in Saltville, Fifer Charles Burris of the regiment's Company E died of disease. Burris faithfully enlisted
in May 1861, or three years earlier, and "Miss Bell Pierce, a niece of Major General Stuart, sent a wreath of flowers
to be placed upon Charles Burris's coffin." Meanwhile, the Union army conducted numerous
incursions with the objective to destroy the Virginia Saltworks: Battle of Cloyd's Mountain - May 9, 1864; Battle of Cove Mountain - May 10, 1864; First Battle of Saltville - October 2, 1864; Battle of Marion - December 17-18, 1864; and the final destruction of the Saltworks during the Second Battle of Saltville - December 20-21, 1864.
On June 5, 1864, General David Hunter crushed the smaller Confederate army at Piedmont, killing the
Confederate commander, General "Grumble'' Jones, and capturing nearly 1,000 prisoners. Piedmont was an unmitigated disaster
for Confederates in the Valley. Confederate Generals Imboden, Vaughn, and William "Grumble" Jones left a gap greater than
a 1/4 mile wide in their center. Intentional or not, it was their Achilles heel. This breach caused Thomas' Legion
to receive the Union’s massive frontal assault while leaving Imboden and Vaughn's brigades as bewildered spectators.
During the battle the Virginians broke in confusion and rapidly retreated through the ranks of Thomas’ Legion; the fighting
Highlanders fought valiantly until orderly retreating before the advancing Union army. Love ordered Stringfield to “Rally
as many troops as you can and drive off the enemy!” Confederate General Imboden wrote in his diary, “I asked Stringfield, will your men fight again?” Stringfield replied, “We will fight like hell if you give us the chance!”
Will and about 80 Tennesseans
rushed to the fence and hastily pulled down the rails for cover and, immediately, 2,200 cavalry of General Julius Stahel’s First New York Cavalry
Division rapidly advanced upon Stringfield’s position (O.R., 1, 37, pt. I, p. 77). While Thomas’ Legion fired several volleys into the advancing cavalry, an artillery battery with great accuracy began
pounding the First New York Cavalry. The cavalry retreated, regrouped, and once
more advanced into welcoming metal from Thomas’ Legion. General Stahel had served in the Austrian army
and emigrated to the U.S. in 1859. He was
wounded during the Battle of Piedmont and as a result was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1893 (O.R., 1, 37, pt. 1, pp. 613-614). During the battle, Commanding General "Grumble" Jones shouted to Love's fighting infantry, "Brave Carolinians I will bring you help!" He soon returned with the Thirty-sixth and Sixtieth Virginia
Regiments; but it was too late. While riding his horse and rallying the Highlanders and Virginians, General Jones was shot
in the head and fell dead (O.R., 1, 37, pt. 1, p. 606, O.R., 37, i, pp. 94-95 and O.R., 37, i, pp. 150-151). Among the legion's killed were Captain Julius M. Welch, Company E; Lieutenant James Conley, Company F; Lieutenant Adam Peck, Company D; and Sergeant Welch, Company F.
The battlefield
was littered with countless dead horses and men. “I was surrounded by two cavalrymen and with sabers drawn the Federals
yelled, surrender, you damn rebel! I answered them with pistol shots and struck the second one with my sword! He fell to the
ground and then he surrendered,” recalled Stringfield. He further recorded that their "loss in prisoners was great because of the loss of our leaders and guides who knew
the country and our men were picked up by the enemy's cavalry. Finally, Brigadier-General J. C. Vaughn, of the Tennessee troops, succeeded in taking our men off of the field with little confusion and no loss of guns or wagons. This halted
their pursuit. Our forces slowly and sullenly retreated towards Staunton."
The Thomas Legion's Stringfield was quite accurate in his diary account on June 5, 1864: "Battle of New Hope [the main engagement occurred at Piedmont, however, Stringfield was referring to New Hope, which is
located about 1 mile from Piedmont. The Confederate flank extended to New Hope, and this is one reason why
some battles have many names]. Gen W. E. Jones commanded our army & placed us before the Enemy who attacked us vigorously
at 9am. We repulsed every assault gloriously till 3 P.M. when our right wing held by the 60th Va Regt. gave way & threw
the line into confusion—giving the field to the Enemy. My men did well. Our loss will reach 100 Killed—250 wounded
& 955 prisoners. [The] Enemy’s loss [was] very great in Killed & wounded. We lost no wagons or artillery. [The]
Loss in my Regt.—15 Killed, 24 wounded & 21 missing." His revised report in 1901 for Clark's Regiments recorded the "loss of the Sixty-ninth
was 20 killed, 30 wounded, and 21 missing, and the loss of a small battery of four guns."
On the afternoon of June 17, Hunter's army reached the outskirts
of Lynchburg, even as General Early's vanguard began to arrive by rail from Charlottesville. After a brief, but fierce engagement,
General Hunter retreated into West Virginia. Early pursued for two days, returned to the Valley, and then advanced his
troops north to the Potomac River. Stringfield stated that they "fell
back to Rockfish Gap, awaiting another battle with the enemy; but the enemy preferred burning houses and desolating
the country, which they did at Staunton, Lexington, and Lynchburg." Then, General Breckinridge resumed command of the Confederates and they advanced through Rockfish
River, Amherst Court House and to Lynch-burg. At Lynchburg, the legion took position in breastworks, was reinforced by
General Early, and then the Confederates took the offensive. Stringfield stated that they rapidly followed "Hunter,
who being greatly pressed and, as he [Hunter] says, out of ammunition, dodged off into and went down the Kanawha Valley,
leaving our forces in the undisputed possession of the Shenandoah Valley."
Attached to Smith's Brigade, Breckenridge's Division, the Thomas Legion passed through Staunton, New
Market, Harrisonburg, Strasburg, and Winchester. Stringfield exclaimed that, while, "Here we met an ovation indeed.
The entire populace crowded the streets and nearly wild with joy; mothers, wives and sisters embraced sons, husbands and brothers."
And, "On to Washington was the army's cry!" The legion dined at Martinsburg on July 4; crossed the Potomac and camped
on the ole Antietam battlefield on July 5; arrived on the outskirts of Harper's Ferry on July 6-7; passed Middletown
on July 8; and to Frederick City on July 9. On July 9, Early defeated a hastily organized Union force under Maj. Gen. Lew
Wallace at the Monocacy River (General Wallace is author of the 1880 epic classic Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ).
Wallace retreated toward Baltimore, leaving "open the road to Washington." Although Thomas'
Legion is listed in the Monocacy Order of Battle, it was held in reserve and didn't engage in the fight. After Monacacy, Gen. Early continued to Washington.
On
the afternoon of July 11, Early's command, numbering no more than 12,000 infantry, demonstrated before Washington's fortifications, which were weakly manned by garrison troops, and demanded its surrender. Although Early captured the defenses outer
lines, veteran reinforcements (VI and XIX Corps), diverted from Grant's army to meet the threat on the capital, began arriving
at mid- day, and by July 12, fully manned the Washington entrenchments. After a brief demonstration at Fort Stevens, Early
called off an attack on the capital. The Confederate army withdrew that night, recrossed the Potomac River at White's Ford
and entered the Valley by Snickers Gap. Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, commanding the pursuing Union army, attempted to engage
Early. "We burned
the palatial mansion of Postmaster-General Blair, in retaliation for the burning, by Hunter, of Governor Letcher's residence
at Lexington, Va., one month before," Stringfield recalled. Many in Early's army were "anxious to enter Washington, but
feared for its citizens because so much misery had been brought on the South by the vile mis-creants of Washington."
“We didn’t take Washington,” Early told his staff officers, “but we scared Abe Lincoln like Hell!”
Battle of Cool Spring Virginia - July 17-18, 1864
When General Jubal Early aborted the campaign to sack Washington, Union cavalry approached the
rear of the Confederate army. "Old Jube" ordered sharpshooters from Thomas' Legion to engage the cavalry. Lt. Robert T. Conley
and twenty-five marksmen from Company "F" of Love's Regiment were instrumental in forcing the enemy across the river. Union
Colonel Thoburn, 1st West Virginia, thought that they were unobserved by the Confederates and then a "sharp musketry
fire from the opposite bank was opened upon the head of the column as it approached the river" (O.R., Vol. 37, pt. 1, pp. 290-292). The Battle of Cool Spring is also referred to as Snicker's Ferry, Snicker's Gap, Island Ford, & Parkers Ford. Lt. Conley and Thomas' Legion were complimented for their "coolness and bravery in the fight,"
stated General Gabriel C. Wharton to James R. Love, December 8, 1864. Meanwhile, Confederate General Ramseur engaged
the Union army at Rutherford's Farm.
Under a directive to prevent Union reinforcements from
reaching Grant, Early was quick to take advantage of Wright's departure. He attacked and routed Crook's command at Second
Kernstown on July 24, and pressed the retreating Union forces closely. When Crook retreated toward Harpers Ferry, Early sent
his cavalry to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to exact tribute or burn the city. The citizens refused to comply, and McCausland's
cavalry burned the center of the town in retaliation for Hunter's excesses in the Valley. The Thomas Legion was attached to General Wharton's division, and it attacked the Union's right flank. Stringfield proclaimed, we
were "advancing upon the enemy–touching elbows with the "Old Stonewall Brigade" on our left–and when known to our men, a shout rent the air. The fruit of this victory was the capturing of 1,200
to 1,500 prisoners, and several stands of arms, wagons, cannon, etc. Generals Breckinridge, Wharton and Col. Tom Smith, our
Corps, division and brigade leaders; and Colonel Love, Major McKamy, and all
company officers and men, did well and were conspicuous for gallantry" (Clark:
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions From North Carolina in the Great War 1861-65, Vol. III, p. 751.)
Early's
cavalry assisted in the Battle of Folck's Mill (Cumberland) Maryland on August
1 and at the Battle of Moorefield (Oldfields) West Virginia on August 7. Stringfield reported that the
enemy's "cavalry was daring, but their infantry were not of much force, made up of city scum and foreign mercenaries." On
August 18 the Confederates gave the enemy battle at Kernstown and forced their retreat to two miles north of Winchester;
the Thomas Legion's "regiment led in this assault upon and capture of the fort, northwest of the town." General John C. Breckinridge was corps commander; he wore a linen duster and, while on foot, led the charge
which continued till after dark. In this charge a cannon ball passed under Stringfield, "tearing a great hole in the
ground." The Thomas Legion captured thirty Dutch or Hessian pickets and then halted on the north side of the fort.
Subsequently, the Thomas Legion adjusted their line and reformed to a half mile of Breckenridge's Corp. While the Thomas
Legion infantry's sharpshooters skirmished with the enemy near historic Charles
Town at the Battle of Summit Point, West Virginia on August 21, Generals Early and Anderson launched a converging attack against Sheridan. As Early
struck the main body of Union infantry at Cameron's Depot, Anderson moved north from Berryville against Sheridan's cavalry
at Summit Point. Results of the fighting were inconclusive, but Sheridan continued to withdraw. The next day, Early advanced boldly on Charles Town, panicking a portion of the retreating Union army but, by late afternoon,
Sheridan had retreated into formidable entrenchments at Halltown, south of Harpers Ferry, where he was beyond attack. On August 25, two divisions of Sheridan's cavalry intercepted
Early's advance, but the Confederate infantry forced them back to the Potomac River in a series of actions along Kearneysville-
Shepherdstown Road. Early's intentions were revealed, however, and on August 26, Sheridan's infantry attacked and overran
a portion of the Confederate entrenchments at Halltown, forcing Anderson and Kershaw to withdraw to Stephen-son's Depot. Early
abandoned his raid and returned south, establishing a defensive line on the west bank of Opequon Creek from Bunker Hill to
Stephenson's Depot. On August 28 the legion engaged Sheridan's cavalry and also lost 25 men to an ambush. Early, "expecting only a small
skirmish, was leisurely riding along with his staff." The legion's sharpshooters, being severely pressed, were reinforced
by the entire Fifty-first Virginia Regiment, which was brigaded with the legion. Generals Breckinridge and Wharton, corps and division commanders, respectively, were with their staff, "when suddenly
a battery of several guns was unmasked close upon them. Several men and horses were killed and wounded in the rapid flight
down the half mile lane." General Breckinridge, mounted on a splendid Kentucky thoroughbred, never lost his bearing. He said to Stringfield: "Major, look out
for yourself and tell General Wharton to bring up his division and post it behind that hill, pointing to a gently rolling
hill in the front, and hurl those fellows back over there, pointing to a brigade of Sheridan's cavalry led by Custer." "Neck
and neck advanced Custer's cavalry through the fields north, and only a few hundred yards off." Colonels Smith, Love and others,
however, were on the alert and at the proper moment rose to their feet and delivered a "well directed and destructive fire
and sent them whirling back through the field, leaving numbers of horses and men behind them." On August 29, Union cavalry forded the Opequon at Smithfield Crossing (Middleway) but were
swiftly driven back across the creek and beyond the hamlet by Confederate infantry. Union infantry of the VI Corps then advanced
and regained the line of the Opequon.
On
September 2-3, Averell's cavalry division rode south from Martinsburg and struck the Confederate left flank at Bunker Hill,
defeating the Confederate cavalry but being driven back by infantry. Meanwhile, Sheridan concentrated his infantry near Berryville.
On the afternoon of September 3, Anderson's command encountered and attacked elements of Crook's corps (Army of West Virginia)
at Berryville but was repulsed. On September
3rd Stringfield stated that "Sheridan's cavalry ran over ours on the pike in the forenoon, but they were soon hurled back."
Early brought his entire army, including Thomas' Legion, up to Berryville on the 4th, but found Sheridan's position at
Berryville too strongly entrenched to attack. Early again withdrew to the Opequon line. On September 5, the Confederates fell back to
Bunker Hill, the enemy following rather closely, but the "gallant Rodes whirled upon and scattered them." Private
E. C. Conner, of Company F, Swain County, "a bright and brave lad of 17 years" was killed, and, carried back a half mile and
buried in an open grave, all within a half an hour and during the retreat.
Opequon or Third Winchester was the largest and most desperately contested battle of the Civil War in the Shenandoah
Valley, resulting in more than 8,000 casualties. Because of its size, intensity, and result, many historians consider
this the most important conflict of the Shenandoah Valley. Sheridan defeated the Confederate army
again three days later at Fisher's Hill (September 22), forcing it to retreat up the Valley to near Waynesboro. Lt. Gen.
Jubal Early suffered about 23 percent casualties. Casualties for the larger Union army under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan exceeded
5,000, nearly 20 percent. The Union XIX Corps sustained 40 percent casualties (2,074 men) and lost every regimental commander
during its assaults on the Middle Field and Second Woods. The Middle Field ranks with some of the most sanguinary fields
of the Civil War, witnessing more than 3,000 casualties. Union General Russell was killed, McIntosh, Upton, and Chapman wounded.
Confederate Generals Rodes and Goodwin
were killed, Fitzhugh Lee, Terry, Johnson, and Wharton wounded.
On September 19th, one-third of Early's
army was detached and had joined Lee's Army, and Vaughn's Tennessee Cavalry had left. Sheridan rapidly advanced and attacked all along the line from Berryville to
Winchester. At Opequon, with heavy fire, the legion assisted in repelling every
assault and even forced the enemy across the river but, because of the superior numbers, was forced to retreat to the hills around Winchester. In the afternoon,
on the left wing, the Sixty-ninth had been holding a large force in check, while most of the division had been sent to repel
the final assault upon the center. Stringfield wrote that we "were again assaulted in great force and finally surrounded
by Custer's and Averill's Cavalry, and driven back losing, however, no wagons and only two cannon." "Our men fought like heroes, deploying and fighting as
in squad drill and holding the enemy in check till Early could bring back his infantry line; but for this dare-devil spirit
shown by our men, and their utter refusal to surrender, great damage would have resulted." The Confederates made a hasty retreat
up the Valley for two days, followed by the enemy who took most of its wagons. "They attempted to run over us again on the
21st and the 22nd but, with the loss of only our sick and wounded, we beat them back," recalled Stringfield.
In a brigade numbering only a few hundred,
the legion was in a position on the extreme left where
it had to repel an assault of several thousand cavalry. It suffered many casualties: killed, wounded, and captured,
75 total. Lt. Col. McKamy and Captains Singleton and Young were captured. Lieutenants Welch (Company F), Jones (Company D), and George (Company K) were all killed.
The Sixty-ninth suffered, perhaps, one of the highest losses.
During the battle there was also inclement weather and "the brigade didn't have tents, and many officers
and enlisted men became sick." They were compelled to often camp upon the battle ground of the previous days, and where corpses of horses
and men were often exposed and unburied, making horrid the atmosphere and water. On October 15, 1864, Colonel Love proclaimed that "we have 600 wounded at Winchester, the enemy has 6,000. Our army fell back to near Staunton and, after resting there for several days, again turned down the
Valley. At this time Major Stringfield was ordered to Western North Carolina." At best, Love's account of 600 Confederate
wounded is referring to its Division (not its Corps), and 6000 Federal casualties is considered a
preliminary report. The estimated casualties for Third Winchester are generally reported as 8,630 total (US 5,020; CS
3,610). Stringfield had been ordered to the mountains to command the legion's elements in Western North
Carolina and East Tennessee.
Governor Zebulon Vance to David L. Swain, September 22, 1864
I have never before been so gloomy about the condition of
affairs. Early’s defeat in the Valley I regard as the Turning point of the campaign & confidentially, I fear seals
the fate of Richmond though not immed-iately. It will require our utmost exertions to retain our footing in Va. until 1865
comes in. McLellan's [presidential election] defeat is placed among the facts & abolitionism is rampant for
four years more. The army in Georgia is getting demoralized. John
C. Inscoe, The Heart of Confederate Appalachia, 232.
We must fight this
fight out--there must be no turning back now--too much precious blood has been shed. —Major General Stephen
Dodson Ramseur to his wife, September 17, 1864
The Battle of Cedar Creek dealt the crushing
blow to the Confederacy in the Shenandoah Valley and, with William T. Sherman's successes in the Atlanta Campaign, spurred
the reelection of President Abraham Lincoln.
The Sixty-ninth was now reduced to only
150 men (excluding several companies that didn't participate in the Valley Campaigns and were in Western North Carolina and
East Tennessee) and it participated in all the movements of Early's army, including Cedar Creek. The Legion, supporting Early's left wing–confronting the Unions right wing–was ordered to "carry the enemy's works."
The Legion was initially unsuccessful and had "left a number of men, killed and wounded, between the lines." Soon,
however, the attack was renewed. The flank movement was a success. "Our troops bearing down upon the enemy like a western
tornado carried everything before them," recalled Stringfield. This was "followed up for several miles down the valley towards
Middleton in the early forenoon," thus gaining one of the most conclusive victories. Stringfield exclaimed that they
assisted in the capture of "sixteen or eighteen hundred prisoners, five or six hundred wagons, and thirty-six cannon,
with lots of small arms and supplies." "All together we only had ten or twelve thousand men, the enemy had thirty thousand."
His troop strength estimates were very accurate. The Confederate army fielded
five infantry divisions (Gordon, Wharton, Ramseur, Pegram, Kershaw) and two cavalry divisions, mustering about 15,265 soldiers. The Union army had a two-to-one advantage with its
three infantry corps (Wright, Emory, Crook) and two cavalry divisions (Merritt and Custer) for a total of 31,944.
Meanwhile,
Captain Matthew H. Love commanded several companies of Thomas' Legion (which didn't participate in General Early's Valley Campaigns) in
the skirmish with the Federals at Russellville, Tennessee. General Martin, however, refused to allow the Cherokees
to leave North Carolina and participate (O.R., 1, 39, pt. III, p. 834). Union General Alvan C. Gillem (a Tennessean
and West Point graduate) launched a thunderous frontal attack against General Vaughn’s Confederates. “General
Vaughn’s retreating cavalry swept by my men in the wildest disorder. My men were hastily thrown across the road and
an ineffectual attempt was made to stop the fleeing cavalry and induce them to form a line,” stated Confederate Colonel
Palmer. While the Federals advanced, Thomas’ Legion rushed forward in a brave attempt to check them, and Captain
Jeter’s Artillery Battery hurled direct and devastating fire into the Union columns and forced their
retreat. The Asheville News on November 3, 1864, stated that "the Legion’s
cool and well directed fire checked the enemy’s advance.”
Return to North Carolina: "Earned and Granted"
"Many
of them [Thomas' Legion] joined with the promise that they were not to be taken out of the State except in the North Carolina
mountain of defense." Captain Robert A. Akin, Company H, Walker's Battalion, Thomas' Legion
On
November 9, 1864, Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders was finally granted its priceless orders (O.R., 1, 43, pt.
II, p. 919) to return, guard, and defend their beloved Western North Carolina. The Valley Campaign was extremely costly for Thomas' Legion. Those bloody five months
in 1864 caused 80% attrition in their ranks. The unit had entered the Valley with over 700 effectives and returned to the
Tar Heel State with about 100. They had died for their beliefs and rights. The combat fatalities, diseases, wounds, prisoners
of war, grueling marches, poorly armed, no pay or shoes, harsh winters, heat stroke receptive summers, and
very little food and water were a definite reflection of the war's arduous toll in the legion. And to imagine each of the five human-senses taxed beyond the worst imaginable nightmare would only begin to allow
one to identify and depict the soldier's life. Although the Cherokees didn't participate in Early's Valley Campaigns, they were devastated by mumps and measles; after
the war, smallpox killed more than one hundred.
General Wharton's farewell to Thomas'
Legion: "The patience and cheerful endurance of the toilsome march, brief rests and hard fighting which you and your gallant
band ever exhibited has won my hearty commendation and leaves each of your patriotic command a record bright and unsullied."
In December 1864 the traditional Christmas joy was overshadowed by the tearful
reunion with the elements of the Thomas Legion. These respected Highlanders had fought in numerous battles and in
various campaigns, and, now, as a greatly reduced fighting force they were a band-of-brothers with unbreakable "Esprit de
Corps." Providence soon whispered that this wasn't the respite they often dreamed about. Private William Cathey,
Company A, Love's Regiment, Thomas' Legion states on December 1, 1864, that they "recently caught 17 Yankees and 1 deserter and sent
them to Asheville."
Skirmishes at Soco Gap and Soco Creek North Carolina - March 6, 1865
Throughout 1864,
skirmishing continued in East Tennessee, and Confederate troops continued to guard the mountain passes against incursions
into Western North Carolina. Then, during the winter of 1864-65,
Union scouting parties began to make hit-and-run raids across the mountains. President Jefferson Davis was also concerned about the Union army's mountain raids and he wrote
an official letter of confidence in Thomas' Legion on Jan. 4, 1865. But, by
1865, the Confederacy had failed, and Colonel George W. Kirk and the Union's 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment believed it would encounter minimal opposition and resistance as they continued sacking Western North Carolina communities.
Although the Confederacy was doomed, the Thomas Legion's
highest calling was protecting North Carolina's mountain citizens. In late February and early March of 1865, Federal Col.
George Kirk continued his raids into North Carolina's most western counties. The Union's 3rd North Carolina was
commonly referred to as Kirk's Raiders, because they often pillaged and plundered the region. On February 4th, Kirk
and a small army of 400 cavalry and 200 infantry left Newport, Tenn., and crossed into Haywood County, North Carolina, via
the old Cataloochee Turnpike on a raid that reached Waynesville, the county seat. Kirk's Raiders, armed with Spencer repeating
rifles, entered Waynesville and pillaged stores, stole numerous horses, killed about 20 men, and burned several
houses, including Lt. Col. James R. Love's house (also the former residence of James Love's ancestor, the Revolutionary
War hero Robert Love). Next, they attacked the Waynesville jail, freed the prisoners, and then burned the jail. Slow and impeded communication,
the vastness of Western North Carolina, and few Home Guard made it extremely difficult to defend the area (O.R., 1, 32, pt. II, p. 553). Stringfield stated that "it had been reported in Tennessee that Kirk’s troops
would be welcomed in North Carolina. They were, but with bloody hands to hospitable graves." Lt. Col. Love's regiment fought Kirk's Raiders
in Haywood County, and Lieutenant Conley's Sharpshooters engaged and forced the enemy to retreat across
the Balsam Mountains at Soco Gap, which has an elevation of 4345 feet, is located 13 miles northwest of Waynesville, and the
Cherokees refer to Soco Gap as Ahalunun'yi or Ambush Place. On the morning of March 6th, Lt.
Col. Stringfield and a "battalion with many Cherokees from Jackson and [present-day] Swain Counties" engaged the retreating
Kirk's Raiders at Soco Creek (the Cherokees call it Sagwa'hi or One Place), thence, forcing them across
the Smoky Mountains towards Sevierville, Tenn. The Confederates claimed to have killed a few Federals, wounded several, and captured some horses.
Thomas' Legion had Kirk in a "box," but, fortunately for the Federals, each soldier in the legion only had about five
bullets. Kirk also hoped to capture Thomas during his many Western North Carolina raids. However, at Soco Gap and Soco
Creek the soldier that was almost captured, killed, or even scalped was Kirk. This was Kirk's hardest fighting in Western North Carolina and sent a resounding message that Thomas'
Legion was still a "force of reckoning."
Greeneville, April 10, 1865—1
p.m.
Brigadier-General Whipple,
Chief of Staff:
The following information has
just been sent to me by Major Steele, my aide-de-camp, who accompanied Colonel Kirby:
Prisoners and deserters from the
rebel army reported to me while at Warm Springs [presently Hot Springs, Madison County], N.C., that George Stoneman passed
through Walkersborough…They also report Colonel Thomas’ Legion, consisting of 800 infantry, 400 Indians, 1 four-gun battery with 150 men, and about 450 cavalry stationed at Quallatown, N.C., preparing for a raid on the Knoxville
and Chattanooga Railroad, at Loudon or Charleston.
D. S. Stanley
[Union] Major-General
O.R. 1, 49, pt. II, p. 309
| Route of Union General George Stoneman's Raid |
|
| (Stoneman's Raid) |
On March 10, 1865, Confederate General James Green Martin (O.R., 1, 49, pt. 1,
p. 1048) reported similar strength for Thomas' Legion. In Clark's, Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions
from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865, Volume III, p. 759, Lt. Colonel Stringfield recorded that
the "fragments of the Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth and Sixty-ninth North Carolina reported 488." Stringfield failed to
mention that in the exact report General Martin recorded the Thomas Legion's strength at 1055. In Martin's
report the 69th North Carolina Regiment is referring to Henry's Cavalry. Although General Stanley believed Thomas' Legion was preparing for
a raid into East Tennessee, Colonel Thomas had no intention on destroying railroads or pursuing the
enemy. His entire command was finally united, in a defensive position, and prepared for guerrilla warfare. Will Stringfield's account for Clark's Regiments,
35 years after the war, is misleading because in his writings he never interchanges the Sixty-ninth Regiment
with the Thomas Legion. In other words, his precedent reflects
that the Sixty-ninth Regiment and Thomas' Legion is one and the same unit but, as stated, they are different
units. His failure to include the Thomas Legion in General Martin's report further promotes the impression
that the legion's companies, which didn't participate in the Valley Campaigns, never rejoined the legion. In addition, it
promotes the impression that the deserters and absentees never returned to the unit, when in fact many had rejoined.
Colonel Bartlett, a New Yorker and commanding colonel of the
Union's 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment, was ordered to intercept and destroy Thomas' Legion. Consequently, Bartlett's forces advanced the
French Broad River and almost captured Asheville. "Without the prompt and vigorous steps taken by Colonel G. Westly Clayton"
and the 62nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Asheville would have been captured. General Martin ordered Lt. Colonel Love and the infantry regiment to hold
the Swannanoa Gap against the enemy approaching from Salisbury. In preparation for the Union assault, Love ordered the regiment
to cut down trees as a defense (an Abatis and it was a perfect ambush). While Love's Regiment of battle-hardened veterans was entrenched in good
ground at Swannanoa Gap, they soon encountered General Gillem's entire, but under-strengthened, division (O.R., 1, 49, pt. II, p. 539). On April 20, 1865, they struck the division with enfilading fire and
forced their retreat to Mill Creek, McDowell County. General George Stoneman recorded that General Gillem "was opposed at
Swannanoa Gap by a considerable force." (General Alvan Gillem's Official Report: O.R., 1, 49, pt. II, p. 446 and O.R., 1, 49, pt. 1, 335; General George H. Thomas's Official Report: O.R., 1, 49, pt. 1, 345.)
The Final Days: United We Stand
"Thomas' Legion captures Union occupied city and then surrenders"
East of the
Mississippi River, "The Last Shot" of the American Civil War transpired in White Sulphur Springs (present-day Waynesville), North Carolina, while "The Final Formal
Surrender" of Confederate forces occurred at Franklin, North Carolina.
Both historical events are referenced to Thomas' Legion. Colonel William Holland Thomas's
historical final moment occurred on May 9, 1865, one month after General Robert E. Lee's surrender, and three weeks after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Furthermore, in May 1865, many Confederate soldiers doubted the War’s end.
As Union General
George Stoneman's* army advanced westward across North Carolina, news of his great plundering of numerous North Carolina counties
rapidly spread through Western North Carolina (General George Stoneman graduated West Point in 1846
and was a veteran of the Mexican War). These warnings allowed Colonel Thomas’ Legion ample opportunity to respond. General James Martin
was unlawfully apprehended at Asheville; however, he was soon released since he
previously agreed to a truce with General Stoneman. Subsequently, General "Old One Wing" Martin joined the forces
of Thomas' Legion.
*The Union
Army recruited two mounted infantry regiments within North Carolina, and both units were principally raised from Western North Carolina counties: 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment and 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment. Recruitment of these regiments epitomized the "Brother's War" and the men serving in the
two Union mounted infantry regiments were commonly referred to as Home Yankees. Union Major General George Stoneman's command
as it concerns Western North Carolina in 1865: Second North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment, Lieut. Colonel William C.
Bartlett; Third North Carolina Mounted Infantry Regiment, Colonel George W. Kirk; First Brigade, Commanding Colonel Chauncey
G. Hawley; Fourth Division, Department of the Cumberland, Brig. General Davis Tillson; District of East Tennessee, Major General
George Stoneman (to view entire Union District of East Tennessee,
including 1st and 2nd Brigades, and Brig. Gen. Gillem's Cavalry Division, see O.R., 1, 49, pt. II, pp. 538-539).
According
to O.R., 1, 49, pt. II, pp. 407-408, General Davis Tillson (Stoneman's Cavalry Raid)
ordered Colonels Bartlett (Union's 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry) and Kirk (Union's 3rd North Carolina Mounted
Infantry) to advance through Western North Carolina and suppress the remaining Confederate forces in the mountains.
General Tillson had attended the U.S. Military Academy and because of a severe foot injury his foot was
amputated and, subsequently, he left West Point. Lieutenant Robert T. Conley and Company F of Love's
Regiment would soon engage Colonel Bartlett's 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry at Waynesville. And during the night of May 6, 1865, while Bartlett and his men enjoyed the spoils of Waynesville,
they would find themselves surrounded by both the Cherokee Battalion and Love's Regiment. In Lt. Colonel Walter Clark's:
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great
War 1861-65, Volume 3, p. 761, Stringfield stated that Thomas' Legion presently numbered "750 soldiers,
including 200 Cherokees, and was ready for battle." These numbers
are underscored by General Martin's report in Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. On March 10, 1865,
General Martin reported: "Effective Total Present for Duty in Thomas' Legion at 943 and Aggregate Present and Absent
at 1473." This included Love's Regiment, McKamy's Battalion*, Indian Battalion, and Barr's Battery (O.R., 1, 49, pt. 1, p. 1048). Colonel Thomas's prayers were answered:
the scattered "Legion" was finally united.
*Lt. Colonel McKamy commanded the battalion after the death of Lt. Colonel Walker. However, when McKamy was captured at 3rd Winchester, Lt James A. Robinson assumed command of the Battalion.
Robinson commanded the Battalion for the remainder of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign (September 19, 1864--until its return
to North Carolina with Special
Order 267). Then, Lt. Colonel Stringfield commanded the Battalion, with Captain Whitaker commanding it at war's end.
"East of the Mississippi River this event is considered "The Last Shot" of the Civil War"
On May 4, 1865, General Davis Tillson ordered Lt. Col. William Bartlett
and the Union's Second North Carolina Mounted Infantry to Waynesville (O.R., 1, 49, 1, 339).
On May 6, 1865, Lieutenant Robert T. Conley and a small company from Thomas' Legion clashed with Bartlett's regiment in White Sulphur Springs. While
Conley was passing through the woods, he was unaware of Bartlett's presence and literally stumbled into his regiment. Conley
rapidly formed a skirmish line and commenced firing causing the Yankees to run in confusion. Consequently, the Union regiment
retreated, but without one of its soldiers. In the Civil War the last man killed east of the Mississippi River was Union soldier James
Arwood at White Sulphur Springs, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Mr. Conley often stated, "I still have James Arwood's
gun as a relic." The Last Shot should also be defined as the last Union and Confederate forces in combat east
of the Mississippi and should not be viewed or confused with the United States Army fighting bushwhackers and outlaws. Colonel Thomas also ordered Private John S. Rice to exchange his Confederate uniform for civilian clothes. He then
instructed Private Rice to infiltrate Colonel Bartlett's camp and to exaggerate and profess that a large Confederate force
is located in the "Balsam Mountains to the south, and in the Smoky Mountains to their west, and in the New Found Mountains
to the north." Later, that night, Chief Thomas instructed the Cherokees to build hundreds of small bonfires in the surrounding
mountains. After they built the fires, the Cherokees began their ancient dances (a war dance known as the "te yo hi") and displayed their chilling
"war whoops" until the morning of May 7th. This activity created the impression that there was a massive Confederate force
poised to converge on the Union troops. The intimidating "Cherokee War Whoops and Dances" were common practice in Cherokee War Rituals. (The May 6-7 activities are currently known as Psychological Operations or PSYOPS.)
On May 7th, Colonel Bartlett believed
he was outnumbered and surrounded by a massive Confederate force, so a flag-of-truce was exchanged with Colonel
Thomas. Some reports state that Thomas initially sent the flag-of-truce, while other reports reflect that Bartlett initiated
or sent the flag. Regardless, the outcome is concrete (see O.R., 1, 49, pt. II, p. 669). Moreover, there is credence that Bartlett believed that he was confronted
by superior numbers. According to Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, April 10, 1865, Union Maj. Gen. D.
S. Stanley believed and recorded: "Thomas' Legion consisted of 800 infantry, 400 Indians, 1 four-gun battery with 150 men, and about 450 cavalry, and were stationed
at Quallatown, North Carolina." (O.R.,1, 49, pt II, p. 309.) Confederate
General Martin (O.R., 1, 49,
pt 1, p. 1048), Union General Stanley (O.R.,1, 49, pt II, p. 309), and the Thomas Legion's Lt. Colonel Stringfield (Histories of the Several
Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865, Volume 3, page 761) recorded similar
strength for the "Legion." Apart attrition from
deaths, diseases, wounds, and imprisonment (prisoners of
war) sources reflect that most of the Thomas Legion deserters had rejoined the legion. They had previously deserted or returned
to Western North Carolina to perform "Home Guard" duties. They had protected their homes and families during the area's
anarchy and had rejoined the legion for the remainder of the War. After all, the legion was initially formed
with the intent to defend East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.
On the morning
of May 9th the Confederates desired another meeting with Colonel Bartlett. General
Martin (after the war Martin resided in Asheville, N.C., until his death on October 4, 1878) and Colonels Thomas
and Love, all met with Bartlett. Thomas also selected twenty to twenty-five of the largest Cherokees to attend. Chief Thomas and his Indian
soldiers displayed their Cherokee customs by "stripping to their waists and then painting and feathering themselves." Stringfield admirably stated that "fortunately for our country, the Cherokee Indians inhabited the wildest
section and were loyal to us to the last."
Bartlett, impressed or intimidated (or perhaps both) by
the Confederate leaders and their Cherokee escort, announced his terms stating that the Thomas Legion must relinquish its arms and equipment. Bartlett
further added, with a promise, that he and his troops would also exodus the area.
Thomas knew, however, that Kirk's 3rd North Carolina was stealing every
remaining horse, cow, and ox in the county, and had even sacked nearby Franklin and Macon
County (see Stoneman's Cavalry Raid and Kirk's Raiders: Route, Civil War
Murders, Depredations, Lawlessness, and Battles). Thomas invokes Psychological Warfare or PSYWAR: With a loud and stern voice the infuriated Thomas avowed, "If
your men don't surrender I will unleash the Indians to scalp your Yankee regiment!"
The Chief added that "the men of his Legion will not surrender their arms and equipment." However, Thomas knew
Union reinforcements would shortly arrive and he even received additional information about General Lee's surrender.
Martin quickly intervened and acknowledged they could come to agreeable terms. Bartlett later replied that the "terms
will be honored." However, Bartlett did collect some guns and it may have been a token gesture on behalf of Thomas to
appease the Union generals. To state that Thomas was brilliant is an understatement. He understood that if Bartlett and
Kirk did not present some Confederate guns and rifles to their superiors, it could promote another Union raid through
Western North Carolina. By presenting a few guns it appears his plan was successful since no follow-up invasion transpired
(also see O.R., 1, 49, ii, pp. 754-755). Thomas' Legion of Indians and Highlanders is perhaps the only military unit to have captured an enemy occupied
city in order to negotiate its own surrender. Where was Lt. Col. Stringfield? On April 25, 1865, General Martin had sent written orders to Col. Stringfield
and ordered him to advance to Knoxville, with a flag-of-truce, and present General George Stoneman with the “Western District of North Carolina's surrender terms.”
Official Order of Surrendering Confederate Forces
On
May 10, 1865, Union troops capture Confederate President Jefferson Davis near Irwinville, Georgia.
May 12, 1865, is the "The Final Surrender" for Thomas' Legion. The First Battalion's Company E soldiers signed the parole papers beginning on May 12, with the last signature recorded on May 14, 1865 (Thomas had surrendered on May 9, 1865).
Captain Stephen Whitaker and Company E, First Battalion of Thomas' Legion were stationed at nearby Franklin, North Carolina. Whitaker and Company E had recently Skirmished at Hanging Dog, Cherokee County,
and were advancing toward White Sulphur Springs to reinforce Thomas when they were intercepted. General Tillson had ordered Colonel George Kirk and the Union's 3rd North Carolina to Franklin (O.R., 1, Vol. 49, pt. II, p. 689), and, when they approached the battalion, Captain Whitaker formed a skirmish line. Consequently, he received word of Thomas and Martin surrendering at Waynesville, and then
Whitaker and his company also surrendered. On May 14, 1865, the Legion's soldiers finished signing the paroles
and they viewed Whitaker roll them up, tie them, place them in a Haversack, and give them to Col. Kirk's Courier. "And
thus at 10 o'clock in the morning of May 14, 1865, our Civil War Soldier Life ended and our Every Day Working Life began,"
exclaimed John H. Stewart of the Thomas Legion. The soldiers surrendered to Kirk understanding that additional fighting was futile and senseless, and, finally, the aftermath embraced the region. The Union forces never subjugated Western North Carolina, and, to this day, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians bestows honor and gratitude to their great white
chief.
"The men of the old Legion are not ashamed of their Confederate record and there is no bitterness to our
late foe." Lt. Colonel William Stringfield on May 10, 1901
...continue to 1861-1863 (Skirmishes and Battles)
Highly
Recommended Reading: Storm in the Mountains: Thomas' Confederate Legion of Cherokee Indians
and Mountaineers (Thomas' Legion: The Sixty-ninth North Carolina Regiment). Description:
Vernon H. Crow, Storm in the Mountains, spent 10 years conducting extensive Thomas Legion's research. Crow was
granted access to rare manuscripts, special collections, and privately held diaries which add great depth to this rarely
discussed Civil War legion. He explores and discusses the unit's formation, fighting history, and life of the legion's
commander--Cherokee chief and Confederate colonel--William Holland Thomas. Continued below...
Numerous maps and photographs allow the reader to better understand and
relate to the subjects discussed. It also contains rosters which is an added bonus for researchers and genealogists. Crow,
furthermore, left no stone unturned while examining the many facets of the Thomas Legion and his research is conveyed on a
level that scores with Civil War students and scholars alike.
NEW! North Carolina
Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster (Volume XVI: Thomas's Legion) (Hardcover, 537 pages), North Carolina Office of Archives and
History (June 26, 2008). Description: The volume begins with an authoritative
246-page history of Thomas's Legion. The history, including Civil War battles and campaigns, is followed by a complete
roster and service records of the field officers, staff, and troops that served in the legion. A thorough index completes
the volume. Continued...
Volume XVI
of North Carolina Troops: A Roster contains the history and roster of the most unusual North Carolina Confederate Civil
War unit, significant because of the large number of Cherokee Indians who served in its ranks. Thomas's Legion was the creation
of William Holland Thomas, an influential businessman, state legislator, and Cherokee chief. He initially raised a small
battalion of Cherokees in April 1862, and gradually expanded his command with companies of white soldiers raised in western
North Carolina,
eastern Tennessee, and Virginia.
By the end of 1862, Thomas's Legion comprised an infantry regiment and a battalion of infantry and cavalry. An artillery battery
was added in April 1863. Furthermore, in General Early's Army of the Valley, the Thomas Legion was well-known for its fighting
prowess. It is also known for its pivotal role in the last Civil War battle east of the Mississippi
River. The Thomas Legion mustered more than 2,500 soldiers and it closely resembled a brigade. With troop roster, muster records, and Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) this volume
is also a must have for anyone interested in genealogy and researching Civil War ancestors. Simply stated, it is an outstanding
source for genealogists.
Bibliography:
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies; Vernon H. Crow, Storm in the Mountains: Thomas' Confederate
Legion of Cherokee Indians and Mountaineers; Vernon H. Crow, The Justness of Our Cause; Walter Clark,
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865; Weymouth T. Jordan and Louis
H. Manarin, North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865; E. Stanly Godbolt, Jr. and Mattie U. Russell, Confederate Colonel and Cherokee
Chief: The Life of William Holland Thomas; The Civil War Diary of William W. Stringfield, Johnson City, TN: East Tennessee
Historical Society Publications; John H. Stewart Papers (Private Collection); The Thomas Legion Papers (thomaslegion.net/papers.html); D. H. Hill, Confederate Military History Of North Carolina: North Carolina In The Civil War, 1861-1865; Charles
H. Kirk, History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry (Philadelphia: Privately printed, 1906); Moore's Roster;
Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion; Diary of Edward O. Guerrant, October 10,
1863; North Carolina Division of Archives and History; National Archives and Records Administration; Library
of Congress; State Library of North Carolina; North Carolina Museum of History; Digital Library of Georgia; Museum of the
Cherokee Indian; Official Website of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation (cherokee-nc.com); Duke University; University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill); University of Tennessee (Knoxville); Tennessee State
Library and Archives; Western Carolina University; North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; John R. Finger,
The Eastern Band of Cherokees; Paul A. Thomsen, Rebel Chief: The Motley Life of Colonel William Holland Thomas C.S.A.; Christopher
M. Watford, The Civil War in North Carolina: Soldiers' and Civilians' Letters and Diaries, 1861-1865, Volume 2: The Mountains; John
C. Inscoe and Gordon B. McKinney, The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War; National
Park Service, The American Civil War; National Park Service: Soldiers and Sailors System; The
Papers of Jefferson Davis, Rice University;
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Ohio State University; Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies, Cornell University; John C. Inscoe, Mountain Masters: Slavery and
the Sectional Crisis in Western North Carolina; William R. Trotter, Bushwhackers:
The Civil War in North Carolina, The Mountains; Appalachian Summit; Sean Michael O'Brien, Mountain Partisans:
Guerrilla Warfare in the Southern Appalachians, 1861-1865; Noel C. Fisher, War at Every Door: Partisan Politics and Guerrilla
Violence in East Tennessee, 1860-1869; Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook; The Sylva Herald; Smoky Mountain News; Jackson
County Genealogy Society; Cashiers Historical Society; Macon County Historical Society & Museum; American Neurological
Association; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke;
Victoria Casey McDonald, A Pictorial History: The African-Americans of Jackson County; General Assembly of North Carolina,
Session 2005; archives.gov; whitehouse.gov; senate.gov; bioguide.congress.gov.
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