Thomas' Legion

Thomas' Legion of Indians and Highlanders 69th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
Col. William H. Thomas
Active	September 27, 1862 – May 10, 1865
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch	Confederate States Army
Type	Legion /Regiment
Role	Combined arms formation / Infantry
Size	1,125 men (initial strength)
Engagements	American Civil War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Col.William Holland Thomas

Thomas' Legion,also known asThomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders,Thomas' Legion of Indians and Highlanders,and the69th North Carolina Regiment,was a unit of theConfederate Armyin theAmerican Civil War.The formation was organized in 1862 byWilliam Holland Thomasand fought in thelast skirmish of the war in North Carolinabefore surrendering in May 1865.

The regiment was unusual in several respects. Thomas, the only white chief of theCherokeeIndians,recruited a sizable number of Cherokees. In addition, like a few other Civil War formations, it was a true legion, that is acombined armsunit, consisting of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

William Holland Thomas actively promoted the idea of having Cherokees fight for the Confederacy. In 1862, he organized 200Cherokee Indians in North Carolinaas the Junaluska Zouaves, named after ChiefJunaluska;by April, he had raised the North Carolina Cherokee Battalion.His petition to recruit additional Cherokees and whites was approved by Confederate authorities and he was authorized to raise a legion.

It was officially organized on September 27, 1862, atKnoxville,Tennessee,with recruits coming primarily from westernNorth Carolinaand eastern Tennessee. The unit, under the command of newly elected Colonel William Holland Thomas, initially comprised 1125 men in an infantry regiment and a cavalry battalion.The infantry was organized into ten companies, two Cherokee (Companies A and B) and eight white (C-I, K),and became known as Love's Regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel James R. Love II. Walker's Battalion was raised inCherokee County, North Carolinaby William Stringfieldand led by Lieutenant Colonel William C. Walker. The third element was the Cherokee Battalion, made up of 400 Cherokees.John T. Levi's Light Artillery Battery was added on April 1, 1863.

The unit was mainly assigned to defend the area. A portion of the Legion was sent toPowell's Valleyin late 1862 and was ambushed at Baptist Gap. When Cherokee Lieutenant Astooga Stoga was killed leading a counterattack, enraged Indian comradesscalpedseveral dead or wounded Union soldiers.To defuse the situation, Colonel Thomas had the scalps returned to the Union with apologies.

The Legion was sent east to join GeneralJubal Earlyin theValley Campaigns of 1864in theShenandoah ValleyofVirginia.At this point, the Legion was down to 500 men.It fought in theBattle of Cedar Creekon October 19, 1864.By the time the Legion was transferred back to North Carolina, it mustered fewer than 100 soldiers.An appreciative GeneralGabriel C. Whartonstated, "The gallant conduct of your command rendered your efforts to rejoin your command in North Carolina abortive, and the constant refusal to your many applications for transfer is complimentary evidence of the esteem in which you were held, and a grateful acknowledgement of the services you could render."

Cherokee confederates (Thomas' Legion) at the U.C.V reunion in New Orleans, 1903.

Back in his home state, Thomas brought the unit's strength up to 1200 men, including 400 Cherokees, by April 1, 1865.Eight days later, however,Robert E. Leesurrendered his army toUlysses S. Grant.Thomas and his Legion surrendered to Union forces at Waynesville, North Carolina, on May 10.

See also

• List of North Carolina Confederate Civil War units
• List of American Civil War legions

Bibliography

• Volume XVI ofNorth Carolina Troops 1861–1865 A Roster: Thomas's Legion(2008), Matthew M. Brown and Michael W. Coffey (editors).