|
Record
of Events for William Holland Thomas' Legion,
Walker's Battalion, Levi's Battery Light Artillery,
North Carolina
Troops, April 1862-April 1864.
Courtesy of Jackson County [North Carolina] Genealogical Society; Copyright © 1998-99 Jackson
County Genealogical Society, Inc
| Courtesy www.grahamcounty.net |
|
| Adams Brothers of Thomas' Legion |
| Thomas Legion of Indians and Highlanders |
|
| Thomas Legion Battle Flag, courtesy Museum of the Cherokee |
[Jackson County (North Carolina) Genealogical Society Note: Microfilm shows these two companies
mixed together as one regiment: Thomas' Legion, and Walker's Battalion of Thomas' Legion for each company letter. Compiled
Records Showing Service of Military Units, Official Records of the Confederate Armies. National Archives Microfilm Series
M861, Roll #42: 62 NC Infantry.]
Field and Staff
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Battalion Headquarters was
at Coker Creek, Tennessee at last muster.
March 6.– Removed to Strawberry Plains, Tennessee.
April 8.–
[Removed] to Zollicoffer, Tennessee.
Regiment
[Note: no record of events were reported.]
Second Company A
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, April 9, 1862.
April 9.–
I, James W. Terrell, of the state of North Carolina, Jackson County, do certify that
I was myself mustered into the service of the Confederate States on April 9, 1862 by [George Washington] Morgan, Major
of Third Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers and Recruiting Officer as shown on the written roll and that the within named Indians
were all mustered in on that day as shown by the roll as an organized company. I further certify that I am well acquainted
with the Indians residing in North Carolina, having been for years connected with them in an official capacity; that I have
been the mustering and inspecting officer for this company, as well as for Captain [Gideon M.] Hanks' Company of Indians
belonging to the same command and have regularly mustered and inspected them ever since they have been in the service; that
I can at any time identify the Indians named on this roll, and that this roll is correct.
James
W. Terrell,
Captain,
Inspecting
and Mustering Officer.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, [May]-October 1862.
Formerly Company A, Sixteenth
Regiment, North Carolina Troops, commanded by Captain [James Robert] Love of General [William Dorsey] Pender's
Brigade, General [Ambrose Powell] Hill's Light Division, Major-General [Thomas Jonathan] Jackson's Corps. The
company has been in the following battles:
May 7.– At Barhamsville, Peninsula, Virginia.
May 31.–
At Seven Pines, Lieutenant J. R. Love wounded and one killed.
June 26.–
At Mechanicsville, Virginia, six killed and ten wounded.
June 27.– At Gaines' Mill, four wounded.
June
30.– At Frazier's Farm, Captain A. W. Coleman killed.
August 9.– At Cedar River.
August
24.– At Rappahannock River.
August 27-30.– At Manassas, Virginia.
September 1.–
At Antiller near Fairfax, Virginia.
September 15.– At Harper's Ferry.
September 16-17. – At
Sharpsburg, [Maryland].
September 20.– At Shepherdstown.
October 5.– Transferred from the
Army of Northern Virginia to the Military Department of East Tennessee.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, November-December
1862.
Stationed at Gatlinsburg, January-February 1863.
Stationed at Clark's Creek, Washington County,
Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Have been on scouting duty all the time in the mountains between Tennessee and North Carolina.
[Matthew
Hale] Love,
Captain.
| Thomas' Legion of Indians and Highlanders |
|
| Some of the Soldiers that Served in the Thomas Legion |
Walker's Battalion
Company A
Stationed in Cherokee County, North Carolina, July 18, 1862.
July 18.–
Muster-in of volunteers in the State of North Carolina, Cherokee County, Captain C. C. Berry, Company A, for the Confederate
States service in Colonel [William] C. Walker's Battalion of Colonel William H. Thomas' Legion for three years
or the war for local defense of the Carolinas, East Tennessee, Southwestern Virginia and the Cumberland Mountains in Kentucky.
I
certify that this company was mustered into the service of the Confederate States by me on July 18, 1862 in Cherokee County,
North Carolina.
[William Williams] Stringfield,
Captain,
Mustering
and Inspecting Officer.
Stationed at Camp Coker Creek, July 18-August 31, 1862.
Stationed at Coker Creek,
November-December 1862.
Station not stated, January-April 1863.
Station not stated, [September 1]-October
31, 1863.
September 6.– Marched from Bristoe, Virginia.
September 7.– Arrived at Jonesborough,
Tennessee.
September 8.– Company A, with Companies B, C, E, and H, Walker's Battalion, engaged the enemy at
Limestone, Tennessee, having to march from Carter's Depot; killed twenty or thirty, and captured 260 prisoners.
September
9.– Returned to Jonesborough.
September 17.– Marched to Carter's Depot, twelve miles.
September
21-22.– Skirmished with the enemy that began at 2 o'clock. No loss on our part.
September 23.– Marched
to Zollicoffer, Tennessee, nine miles.
September 28.– Returned to Carter by railroad.
September 29.–
Marched from Carter to Jonesborough, Tennessee, twelve miles.
October 2.– Marched to Fulton's Station, fifteen
miles.
October 4.– Marched to Greeneville, Tennessee, ten miles.
October 5.– Marched from
Greeneville at 2 a.m. Engaged the enemy at daybreak. Skirmished three hours.
October 11.– Attacked by the
enemy near Greeneville, Tennessee at daybreak by three times our number. Enemy fell back. We followed four miles then marched
to Zollicoffer, sixty miles in thirty hours. Our loss slight.
October 12.– Arrived at Carter at 9 a.m.
October
13.– Returned to Zollicoffer by railroad.
October 15.– Marched to Bristoe, Virginia.
October
16.– Marched to Abingdon, Virginia. There lay in line of battle two days and nights.
October 28.–
Left Abingdon and moved to the front. Followed the enemy down by way of Blountsville, Kingsport, was [illegible] at Holston,
Rogersville and Bean's Station. [General Robert] Ransom's Division being along. Fell back.
Stationed near Whitesburg,
Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Marched to Blain's Cross-Roads, Tennessee, 125 miles; thence to Rogersville, forty-nine
miles; thence to Whitesburg, Tennessee, eighteen miles, Bull's Gap.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, January-February
1864.
January 15.– Moved to the front.
January 17.– Were on picket near Mossy Creek.
January
21.– Returned to Bull's Gap.
January 24.– Sent to secure the mountains between Tennessee and North
Carolina from bushwhackers. Killed a few.
January 30.– Came to Carter's Depot to meet a raid; none came.
February
3.– Walker's Battalion sent to Zollicoffer to guard bridge on railroad. There yet.
Company B
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, September-October 1862.
Station not
stated, January-February 1863.
Stationed at Camp Creek, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Stationed at Carter's
Depot, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, May-June 1863.
June 30.– This company was on the march from
Jonesborough, Tennessee to Carter's Depot, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, and is the reason why it was not mustered
on July 7 making the record of the company from April 30 to June 30.
G.
M. Hanks,
Captain,
Commanding
Company B.
Walker's Battalion
Company B
Stationed at Camp Coker Creek, Tennessee, July 19-October 31, 1862.
Stationed at Coker Creek, Tennessee,
November-December 1862.
Stationed at Coker Creek, Monroe County, Tennessee, January-February 1863.
The company has been stationed on the North Carolina and Tennessee border to apprehend conscripts and deserters, and
to suppress disloyalty of East Tennessee Tories. They constantly have some men out on scouting expeditions and have rendered
considerable service in this particular. The company is now about full and in good condition and would be of valuable service
in the field.
W. W. Stringfield,
Major,
Mustering
and Inspecting Officer.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Stationed at Loudon,
Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Stationed near Abingdon, Virginia, July 1-October 31, 1863.
July 18.– Left Loudon,
Tennessee.
July 20.– Arrived at Carter's.
September 1.– Left Carter's. Arrived at Bristoe,
Virginia.
September 6.– Left Bristoe.
September 7.– Arrived at Jonesborough, Tennessee.
September
19.– Engaged in the Limestone fight.
October 11.– Fought at Henderson's [Mill] and Rheatown.
October
31.– Left Abingdon, Virginia. Marched to Bristoe, from Bristoe below Blountsville to Spurgeon's [Mill].
Stationed
near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
November 21.– Left Spurgeon's [Mill] and marched in
the direction of Kingsport, from Kingsport in the direction of Knoxville, passing Rogersville, Moorsburg and Rutledge, etc.
December
5.– Formed junction with Longstreet's Corps at Blain's Cross-Roads.
December 6.– Left Whitesburg
and marched to Bull's Gap.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
January 15.–
Marched below Morristown, Tennessee, distance ten miles.
January 17.– From thence [marched] to the front near
Mossy Creek, six miles.
January 20.– Marched back to Bull's Gap.
January 21.– Marched on Chucky
Run scouting after bushwhackers, etc., in Laurel and Greasy Coves, etc., etc., etc., from thence to Carter's Depot.
February
3.– [Went] from Carter to Zollicoffer by rail.
Company C
Stationed at Pigeon River, Haywood County, North Carolina, June 13, 1862.
June 13.–
Muster-in roll of Captain Elisha G. Johnson's Company, of North Carolina Volunteers, known as [Company C] from Haywood
County in the Legion of Colonel Thomas mustered into the service of the Confederate States... for the local defense of the
Carolinas, East Tennessee, Southwestern Virginia and the Cumberland Mountains in Kentucky for the term of three years or war
from June 13, 1862.
Elisha G. Johnson,
Mustering
Officer.
Stationed at Flat Creek Bridge, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, September-October
1862.
Stationed at Flat Creek Bridge, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, January-February 1863.
Stationed at Carter's
Depot, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, March-April 1863.
Stationed at Charleston, Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Stationed
near Blountsville, Tennessee, September-October 1863.
Station not stated, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Carter's
Depot, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
| Thomas Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders |
|
| 1903 Reunion with Cherokee of the Thomas Legion in Attendance |
Walker's Battalion
Company C
Stationed at Maryville, Tennessee, September 29-October 31, 1862.
Stationed at Knoxville, Tennessee, January-February
1863.
This company has been stationed at Knoxville, Tennessee, since last muster, doing guard and
other duty.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
At last muster this company was on detached
service at Knoxville, Tennessee.
March 20.– Marched to Strawberry Plains, Tennessee.
April 8.–
[Marched] to Zollicoffer, Tennessee.
Stationed at Loudon, Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Since last muster this company
marched from Greeneville, Tennessee to Loudon and has been scouting in the counties of Monroe and Roane for bushwhackers,
deserters and conscripts. Its principal duty is guarding the railroad bridge at this place.
Stationed near Blountsville,
Tennessee, September-October 1863.
September 1.– Left Carter's Depot, Tennessee to Bristol.
September
6.– [Went) to Carter's Depot for train.
September 7.– Marched to Telford's [Station]; thence to
Limestone. Engaged the enemy.
September 9.– Back to Jonesborough.
September 16.– Marched to
Carter's Depot.
September 21.– Skirmished with enemy during the night.
September 22.– Marched
to Zollicoffer.
September 28.– [Marched] for train to Carter's Depot.
September 29.– Marched
to Jonesborough.
October 1.– Qn march to Greeneville.
October 4.– Reached Greeneville.
October
10.– Started in night and came upon the enemy at daylight.
October 11.– Skirmished with them to
near Rheatown.
October 12.– Reached Carter's Depot.
October 13.– Took train for Zollicoffer.
October
14.– Marched to Bristol.
October 15.– Marched to Abingdon, Virginia.
October 28.–
Left Abingdon. Now in camp four miles west of Abingdon, Virginia.
October 31.– Left Abingdon.
Stationed near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
December 4.– Marched to Blain's Cross-Roads,
distance 125 miles.
December 23.– [Marched] to Rogersville; thence to near Whitesburg (eighteen miles).
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee and Virginia
Railroad, April 7, 1864.
This company was raised in Blount County, Tennessee in the month of September 1862 by authority
granted by Major-General [John Porter] McCown then in command of the Department of East Tennessee, and desired to be
placed in a Tennessee command, but as no regiment or battalion where it was organized, it was assigned to Thomas' Legion,
composed principally of North Carolinians.
September 1, 1863.– This company, with the other companies of the
command to which it was attached, was on duty guarding the bridges on the East Tennessee and Virginia, and East Tennessee
and Georgia Railroads until September 1, 1863. It having been previously placed in the brigade now commanded by Brigadier-General
[Alfred Eugene] Jackson.
September 8.– It participated in an engagement with the enemy at Limestone
Bridge on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad on September 8, 1863.
September 21-October 11.– Also in
an engagement at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad on September 21, 1863 and at Henderson's Mills, Greene
County, Tennessee on October 11, 1863.
February 1, 1864.– In October 1863 it was placed in the division commanded
by Major-General Robert Ransom and continued in said division until about February 1, 1864.
Company D
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, January-April 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Watauga Bridge,
Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Stationed on the march near Blountsville, Tennessee, September-October 1863.
September 22.– This company was in the picket fight at Carter's Depot, Tennessee in the night.
October 11.–
[Was] in the action above Greeneville.
Stationed near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed
at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, April 8, 1864.
Walker's Battalion
Company D
Stationed at Maryville, September 28, 1862.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, not dated.
Stationed
at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, September 30-December 31, 1862.
Company E
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, September-October 1862.
October 5.–
Transferred from Sixteenth Regiment, North Carolina Troops (Army of Northern Virginia).
Stationed at Strawberry Plains,
Tennessee, November-December 1862.
Company E of the regiment of Thomas' Legion Description Roll on file in Adjutant
and Inspector-General's Office, Richmond, Virginia, marked Company L, Sixteen Regiment, North Carolina Troops.
William
H. Thomas,
Colonel,
Commanding
Legion.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, January-February 1863.
Originally Company L, Sixteenth Regiment,
North Carolina Troops.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
This company was formerly Company
L, Sixteenth North Carolina Volunteers and has seen the "Elephant" in and through-out the Virginia Campaign under "Stonewall"
Jackson and was transferred to this command in September 1862.
W.
W. Stringfield,
Major,
Mustering
and Inspecting Officer.
Stationed at Lick Creek Bridge, East Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Originally Company L,
Sixteenth Regiment, North Carolina Troops; Captains [Robert Gustavus Adolphus] Love, E. G. Johnson, Allen
D. Howell.
Stationed near Blountsville, Tennessee, September-October 1863.
Stationed at Whitesburg,
Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Walker's Battalion
Company E
Stationed at Valleytown, North Carolina, [September 8-November 29, 1862].
September 8.–
Captain Stephen Whitaker was authorized by Colonel Thomas to raise a company of mountaineers. Approved by Major-General
McCown, commanding Department of East Tennessee and Carolina.
September 30.– Reported with forty men
according to the laws of North Carolina. Organized with a captain and reported with forty men.
November 29.–
With these forty men already in service, with others added, organized into a company with company officers.
Stationed
at Valley River, Cherokee County, North Carolina, January-February 1863.
This company has been stationed on Valley
River, Cherokee County, North Carolina partly for the purpose of filling up its ranks and partly for the purpose of defending
that section from the depredations of Tories and deserters, who would soon fill up the mountains of East Tennessee and West
North Carolina if allowed so to do. The company is soon to be moved to Coker Creek, Monroe County, Tennessee and near the
North Carolina line.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
March 5.–
This company was at Camp Valleytown, Cherokee County, North Carolina. Arrived at Coker Creek, Tennessee.
April 28.–
Arrived at Zollicoffer, Tennessee.
Station not stated, September-December 1863.
October 31.–
Left Abingdon, Virginia [marched] to Bristol, fifteen miles; thence to Blain's Cross-Roads, about 100 miles; thence back to
Rogersville, forty-five miles; thence to Whitesburg, Tennessee, eighteen miles.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, East Tennessee,
January-February 1864.
| Walker's Battalion |
|
| Lt. Col. William C. Walker, commanding First Battalion, Thomas Legion |
Company F
Station not stated, July 19, 1862.
Organized July 19, 1862, Strawberry Plains,
Tennessee.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, July 19-August 31, 1862.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains,
Tennessee, September-October 1862.
Organized July 19, 1862 for Colonel Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, January-February 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, March-June
1863.
Station not stated, September-October 1863.
Stationed at camp near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed
at Limestone Depot, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Walker's Battalion
Company F
Stationed at Maryville, July 4-September 24, 1862.
Company G
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, July 19-August 31, 1862.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee
(Bridge), September-October 1862.
September 1.– The company was organized and received into
service.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, November-December 1862.
This company has been on duty at
Strawberry Plains Bridge, Tennessee since September 1, except during the month of December when it was with Colonel Thomas
in suppressing a Tory rebellion in Cocke County, Tennessee and Haywood County, North Carolina; traveled near 300 miles.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, January-February 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, March-April
1863.
Stationed at Limestone Depot, Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Station not stated, September-October 1863.
September
21.– [In] skirmish at Carter's Depot, Tennessee.
October 11.– In battle at Henderson Depot or Rheatown,
Tennessee.
Stationed at Whitesburg, East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, November-December 1863.
Stationed
at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Walker's Battalion
Company G
Station not stated, September 30, 1862.
These troops volunteered and were mustered
into the service of the Confederate States by Captain James W. Terrell under authority of the commanding general to
serve in my legion, September 30, 1862.
William H. Thomas,
Colonel,
Commanding
Legion of Highlanders.
Company H
Stationed at Fort Montgomery, Cherokee County, North Carolina, July 23, 1862.
July 23.–
Muster-in of volunteers in the state of North Carolina in Cherokee County for the Confederate States service for Colonel Thomas'
Legion of Indians and Highlanders (North Carolina Volunteers) for the local defense of the Carolinas, East Tennessee, Southwestern
Virginia and the Cumberland Mountains in Kentucky. I certify that the above roll exhibits the true conditions of Captain [Thomas
J.] Cooper's Company as mustered in and received into the service of the Confederate States on July 23, 1862.
W.
W. Stringfield,
Captain,
Mustering
and Inspecting Officer.
Stationed at Camp Cooper, Chilhowee, East Tennessee, July 23-October 31,
1862.
Stationed at Camp Iron Mountain, East Tennessee, November-December 1862.
Stationed at Iron Mountain, Blount County,
Tennessee, January-February 1863.
February 6.– James W. Cooper, First Lieutenant of company detached and
Sergeant J. M. Colvard, Privates John P. Ammons, David C. Ammons, John A. Crisp, and John P.
Colvard to North Carolina for seven days to catch deserters reported them, distance fifty miles from this camp.
February
8.– Sergeant Jason S. Hyde and two men, [detached] four days to carry prisoners to Knoxville, East Tennessee.
February
14-20.– J. W. Cooper, First Lieutenant, and four men [detached] to Knoxville for five days in charge of prisoners,
distance ______ to Knoxville from these camps. Lieutenant Eli Ingram detailed with eleven men to Cades Cove as scouts
for four days commencing February 16, distance from here sixteen miles.
Stationed at Carter's Depot,
Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, May-June 1863.
May 3.– Change of station
from Carter's Depot to Greeneville, Tennessee, thirty-six miles.
May 22.– Thence [moved] from Greeneville
to Zollicoffer, Tennessee, forty-five miles.
Station not stated, September-October 1863.
Stationed
at Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Walker's Battalion
Company H
Stationed at Camp Johnson, Tennessee, to March 7, 1863.
March 5.– The company
was organized.
March 7.– Mustered and inspected.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, March [8]-April
30, 1863.
This company was organized at Coker Creek, Monroe County, Tennessee March 5.
March 11.– Marched
to Strawberry Plains, Tennessee.
April 8.– [Marched] to Zollicoffer, Tennessee.
Stationed
at Loudon, Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Stationed near Abingdon, Virginia, [September 1]-October 31, 1863.
October 31.–
Left Abingdon, Virginia. Marched to Bristol, Tennessee, fifteen miles; thence to Blountsville, twelve miles; thence to Blain's
Cross-Roads, about 100 miles; thence back to Rogersville, forty-five miles; thence to Whitesburg, Tennessee, eighteen miles.
Stationed near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Zollicoffer, Tennessee, January-February
1864.
Company I
Stationed at Valley River, Cherokee County, North Carolina, July 24, 1862.
Stationed at Strawberry Plains,
Tennessee, July 24, 1862-February 28, 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee, March-April 1863.
Stationed at Zollicoffer,
East Tennessee and Valley Railroad, May-June 1863.
Stationed on the march near Blountsville, Tennessee, September-October
1863.
Stationed at camp near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, Tennessee,
January-February 1864.
Those marked in the margin thus # were dropped from the last rolls as deserters.
But having received official information of them being on duty with Colonel Thomas (since the evacuation of
East Tennessee)
I therefore have taken them back on these rolls.
[Joseph]
A. Kimsey,
First Lieutenant,
Commanding
Company I, Regiment, Thomas' Legion.
| Commanding colonel W. H. Thomas |
|
| Senator, Cherokee chief, and Colonel William Holland Thomas |
Company K
Stationed at Winter's Gap, September 27-December 31, 1862.
September 27.–
Organized and reported.
Stationed at Winter's Gap, Anderson County, Tennessee, January-February 1863.
While stationed
at Winter's Gap the company captured and took 134 prisoners, killed twenty bushwhackers and wounded several others.
Stationed
at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee, March-April 1863.
This company has been stationed at Winter's Gap, Anderson County,
Tennessee and did good service in keeping under the Tories and bushwhackers.
Stationed at Zollicoffer,
Tennessee, May-June 1863.
Stationed on a march from Abingdon, Virginia to Blountsville, Tennessee, September-October 1863.
Stationed
near Whitesburg, Tennessee, November-December 1863.
Stationed at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee, January-February 1864.
Stationed
at Carter's Depot, East Tennessee, April 6, 1864.
This company was originally made up during the summer of 1862 of
detailed men from different commands for the purpose of scouting in Anderson, Roane and adjoining counties of East Tennessee,
those counties being more or less infested by bushwhackers.
September 27, 1862.– After receiving several recruits,
the company was regularly organized on September 27, 1862 and attached to Thomas' Legion, it being understood that that command
was organized for scouting in the mountains of East Tennessee and North Carolina.
April 7, 1863.– From the
time of its organization, until April 7, 1863, the company was stationed at Winter's Gap, East Tennessee on detached duty
and employed in divesting the adjacent country of bushwhackers and straggling renegades. During that time we killed and captured
near 200 of them.
Since then we have been with the Legion nearly all the time and engaged
principally in guarding railroad bridges in upper East Tennessee, up to the time of the invasion of East Tennessee.
During
the fall of 1863 we participated in several of the fights and skirmishes in that portion of the state. The principal one of
which took place near Greeneville, Tennessee, where we were completely surrounded, and had to contend with at least ten to
one. But we succeeded in fighting our way out through the enemy's lines without the loss of a man from our company, and only
one wounded.
After that we marched from Abingdon, Virginia with General Ransom's Division
to near Knoxville, where we formed a junction with [James] Longstreet's Corps, and then fell back with it to the vicinity
of Rogersville. Then after various marches and a scout or two in the mountains on the Tennessee and North Carolina line, we
were sent to Carter's Depot, where we have been stationed for more than two months to the present time.
J. T. Levi's Battery Light Artillery
Thomas' Legion
Stationed at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, April 1-June 30, 1863.
May 12.–
This battery was first stationed at this point.
May 23.– Ordered to Carter's Station on the [East] Tennessee
and Virginia Railroad. Ordered to this point where it has since remained.
June 20.– The battery engaged the
enemy at this point for hours, inflicting some punishment upon them, killing and wounding several. The guns were captured
and spiked, and otherwise injured carriages burned and cut to pieces. Eleven members of the company captured and paroled by
the enemy. This company was formerly of the disbanded troops of the Virginia state line.
Stationed
at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, July-August 1863.
Stationed at Blountsville, Tennessee, September 1-November 10, 1863.
Stationed
at Carter's Depot, November /11J, 1863-February 29, 1864.
Notes courtesy Matthew Parker:
A record of any unit's events may be difficult to compile, because
many Confederate records were intentionally destroyed as the war neared its conclusion. For example, not a single
source survived the war to corroborate the total number of Confederate casualties, so best estimates have always been used.
The histories for Southern units were usually recorded by the
unit historian, but because the soldiers were ordered to burn their respective unit's records, lest the United States use
them as evidence for possible treason charges, the primary source for the Confederate unit is drawn from memoirs
written some 35 years after the war. From a single soldier's memoirs -- often written after 1900 -- is
the primary source for most Rebel regiments. Memoirs are problematic at best, because the soldier was prone to forget
important dates and actions which occurred so long ago. While embellishment and omission of facts were
common, as with all memoirs, the old warrior generally had physical and emotional scars, too, so not all acts
of commission and omission should be viewed under the light of judgment, but perhaps with empathy.
The record of events was basically a diary with entry dates, recording
unit location, any action that occurred, company transfers, as well as other material information. A regiment's
record of events, or sketch as many refer to it, sometimes offers battle casualty totals, but since it often lacks
accurate numbers it should not be used a reliable source. Casualty reports for a battle were far from static, because
weeks and even months after a single engagement, soldiers who were initially recorded as wounded, may have had their names moved
into the mortally wounded category.
Missing in action after battle reports was at crisis proportions, because
many of the soldiers were captured and moved to prison camps, while others had in fact deserted. As a general rule by
the 1880s, the most quoted Civil War statisticians Fox, Dyer, and Phisterer, all agreed that the remaining missing in
action soldiers should be considered killed in action, which meant tens-of-thousands of soldiers, but since best estimates
have been applied to the total Confederate casualties, killed in action merely increased the estimated total number.
Courtesy of Jackson County [North
Carolina] Genealogical Society; Copyright © 1998-99 Jackson County Genealogical Society, Inc.
Recommended Reading: Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern
Virginia,
1861-1865 (Hardcover). Description: A
companion to his previous work, Lincoln's Cavalrymen, this
volume focuses on the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia its leadership, the military life of its officers and men as
revealed in their diaries and letters, the development of its tactics as the war evolved, and the influence of government
policies on its operational abilities. All the major players and battles are involved, including Joseph E. Johnston, P. G.
T Beauregard, and J. E. B. Stuart. As evidenced in his previous books, Longacre's painstakingly thorough research will make
this volume as indispensable a reference as its predecessor.
Advance to:
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,
dedicated an unprecedented 10 years of his life to this first yet detailed history of the Thomas Legion. But
it must be said that this priceless addition has placed into our hands the rich story of an otherwise forgotten era of
the Eastern Cherokee Indians and the mountain men of both East Tennessee and western North Carolina who would fill the
ranks of the Thomas Legion during the four year Civil War. Crow sought
out every available primary and secondary source by traveling to several states and visiting from ancestors of the Thomas Legion to special collections,
libraries, universities, museums, including the Museum of the Cherokee, to various state archives and a host of other
locales for any material on the unit in order to preserve and present the most accurate and thorough record
of the legion. Crow, during his exhaustive fact-finding, was granted access to rare manuscripts, special collections, privately
held diaries, and never before seen nor published photos and facts of this only legion from North Carolina. Crow remains
absent from the text as he gives a readable account of each unit within the legion's organization, and he includes a
full-length roster detailing each of the men who served in its ranks, including dates of service to some interesting lesser known facts.
Storm in the Mountains, Thomas' Confederate Legion of Cherokee Indians and
Mountaineers is presented in a readable manner that is attractive to any student and reader of American history, Civil
War, North Carolina studies, Cherokee Indians, ideologies and sectionalism, and I would be remiss without including the
lay and professional genealogist since the work contains facts from ancestors, including grandchildren, some of which
Crow spent days and overnights with, that further complement the legion's roster with the many names,
dates, commendations, transfers, battle reports, with those wounded, captured, and killed, to lesser yet
interesting facts for some of the men. Crow was motivated with the desire to preserve
history that had long since been overlooked and forgotten and by each passing decade it only sank deeper into the annals
of obscurity. Crow had spent and dedicated a 10 year span of his life to
full-time research of the Thomas Legion, and this fine work discusses much more than the unit's formation, its
Cherokee Indians, fighting history, and staff member narratives, including the legion's commander, Cherokee chief and
Confederate colonel, William Holland Thomas. Numerous maps and
photos also allow the reader to better understand and relate to the subjects. Storm in the Mountains, Thomas' Confederate Legion of Cherokee Indians and Mountaineers is
highly commended, absolutely recommended, and to think that over the span of a decade Crow, for us, would meticulously
research the unit and present the most factual and precise story of the men, the soldiers who formed, served, and died
in the famed Thomas Legion.
Recommended Reading: North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster
(Volume XVI: Thomas's Legion) (Hardcover, 537 pages), North Carolina Office of Archives and History. 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 below...
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.
Recommended Reading: Confederate
Military History Of North Carolina: North Carolina
In The Civil War, 1861-1865. Description:
The author, Prof. D. H. Hill, Jr., was the son of Lieutenant General Daniel Harvey Hill (North
Carolina produced only two lieutenant generals and it was the second highest rank in the army)
and his mother was General “Stonewall” Jackson’s wife's sister. In Confederate
Military History Of North Carolina, Hill discusses North Carolina’s massive task of preparing and mobilizing
for the conflict; the many regiments and battalions recruited from the Old North State; as well as the state's numerous
contributions during the war. Continued below...
During Hill's Tar Heel State
study, the reader begins with interesting and thought-provoking statistical data regarding the 125,000 "Old North State"
soldiers that fought during the course of the war and the 40,000 that perished. Hill advances with the
Fighting Tar Heels to the first battle at Bethel, through numerous bloody campaigns
and battles--including North Carolina’s contributions at the "High Watermark" at Gettysburg--and concludes with Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
Highly recommended!
Recommended Viewing: The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns. Review: The
Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns is the most successful public-television miniseries in American history. The 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation,
reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When
people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters
and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with
still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era
he depicts. Continued below...
The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew
only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller,
and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the
words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained
photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. "Hailed
as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling." "[S]hould be a requirement for every
student."
Recommended Reading: The Life of Johnny Reb: The Common Soldier of the Confederacy (444
pages) (Louisiana State University Press) (Updated edition: November 2007) Description: The
Life of Johnny Reb does not merely describe the battles and skirmishes fought by the Confederate foot soldier. Rather,
it provides an intimate history of a soldier's daily life--the songs he sang, the foods he ate, the hopes and fears he experienced,
the reasons he fought. Wiley examined countless letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, and official records to construct this
frequently poignant, sometimes humorous account of the life of Johnny Reb. In a new foreword for this updated edition, Civil
War expert James I. Robertson, Jr., explores the exemplary career of Bell Irvin Wiley, who championed the common folk, whom
he saw as ensnared in the great conflict of the 1860s. Continued below...
About Johnny Reb:
"A Civil War classic."--Florida Historical Quarterly
"This book deserves to be on the shelf of every Civil War modeler and enthusiast."--Model
Retailer
"[Wiley] has painted with skill a picture of the life of the Confederate
private. . . . It is a picture that is not only by far the most complete we have ever had but perhaps the best of its kind
we ever shall have."--Saturday Review of Literature
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