Thomas' Legion Organization and Generals

"North Carolina's sole American Civil War legion"

Thomas’ Legion encompasses the entire command. Within the legion there was infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Thomas' Legion is unofficially known as Love's Regiment and the Sixty-ninth North Carolina Infantry Regiment (not found or recorded on any official document).

Thomas' Legion (69th North Carolina Regiment) should not be confused with the 69th North Carolina Regiment--7th Cavalry: a.k.a. 69th North Carolina Cavalry Regiment, 69th North Carolina State Troops and initially the 14th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion (subsequently enlarged to a cavalry regiment). The organization was officially designated and recorded as Thomas' Legion and not Thoma[s's] Legion.

Unlike a regiment with approximately 1100 soldiers, the "Legion" was a much larger and more comprehensive fighting force and resembled a brigade. On February 20, 1863, while at Strawberry Plains, Thomas' Legion recorded "2556 Aggregate Present and Absent" (Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Vol. 23, part II, p. 644). The legion's two thousand five hundred officers and men (included 400 Cherokees: Cherokee Battalion), were distributed in infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The artillery battery, John T. Levi's Light Artillery Battery (a.k.a. Louisiana Tigers), formerly served in the Virginia State Line Artillery and was added to the legion on April 1, 1863.

As an independent command, Thomas' Legion initially reported directly to Brigadier General Henry Heth, however, this changed throughout the course of the war. (O.R., 1, Vol. 16, pt. II, p. 985, O.R., 1, Vol. 20, pt. II, p. 466, O.R., 1, Vol. 20, pt. II, p. 412, and O.R., 1, Vol. 20, pt. II, p. 415).

The unit served in the Army of Tennessee, Department of East Tennessee (See detailed order for the Department of East Tennessee), Western District of North Carolina (a.k.a. District of Western North Carolina), Department of Western Virginia, and they served with General Jubal "Old Jube" Early in the Army of the Valley during the fierce Valley Campaigns of 1864.

Thomas' Legion served with the following corps, division, and brigade generals:

General Robert Ransom: Graduated the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1850.

General Gabriel Colvin Wharton: Virginia Military Institute graduate-class of 1847.

General Alfred Eugene Jackson: Unlike "Stonewall" Jackson, Alfred Jackson was nicknamed "Old Mudwall" Jackson. Prior to the war he was a farmer. On November 23, 1864, "Mudwall" was relieved of his command and served as a staff officer. Furthermore, he had Colonel Will Thomas arrested and sought to court-martial him.

General Edmund Kirby Smith: Commander of the Department of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. He graduated West Point in 1845 and was strongly opposed to allowing Thomas' Legion the ability to operate as an independent command.

General Simon Buckner: Graduated West Point 1844, Mexican War veteran, resigned commission in 1855, businessman, and commander of Kentucky State Guard. Post-war: Governor of Kentucky, Vice-Presidential nominee in 1896.

General James Green Martin: Native North Carolinian, graduated West Point in 1840, and Mexican-American War veteran. He was nicknamed "Old One Wing", because he lost his arm in the Mexican-American War. At the Battle of Churubusco in Mexico, his right arm was shattered by grapeshot and had to be amputated.

General John Crawford Vaughn: Native Tennessean and Mexican-American War veteran.

General John Porter McCown: Graduated the United States Military Academy in 1840.

General Daniel Smith Donelson: Native Tennessean, graduated West Point in 1825, and died of natural causes in April 1863. See: O.R., I, 23, II, 621, O.R., I, 23, II, 787, and O.R., I, 23, II, 644.

General John Stuart Williams "Cerro Gordo": Lawyer, Mexican-American War, and politician. He received his nickname as a "hero" during the Mexican-American Battle of Cerro Gordo.

General Jubal Anderson Early: Graduated West Point in 1837 and was a veteran of the Mexican-American War. He was affectionately nicknamed "Old Jube."

General Henry Heth: Graduated West Point in 1847. His division made first contact at Gettysburg. As an independent command, Thomas' Legion initially reported directly to General Henry Heth.

General Robert E. Rodes: VMI graduate-class of 1848. He was killed on September 19, 1864, in the Battle of Opequon.

General John C. Breckinridge: He was the fourteenth Vice President of the United States and a veteran of the Mexican-American War. In early 1865 General Breckinridge was appointed as Secretary of War in the Cabinet of the Confederate States of America. He held this post until the end of the war. John Breckinridge was also the cousin to Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Lincoln.

General William E. "Grumble" Jones: West Point-class of 1848, and classmate of the eminent Union General John Buford. General Jones was killed on 5 June 1864, during the Battle of Piedmont.

General James Longstreet: West Point-class of 1842. As a major he fought in the Mexican-American War. General Robert E. Lee referred to Longstreet as his "Old War Horse."

General Braxton Bragg: Native North Carolinian. Graduated West Point 1837, fought in the Seminole War, and Mexican War. He is considered by many the most controversial Confederate general. He instructed Colonel Thomas to raise two additional Cherokee companies in November of 1863. This allowed a total of 4 Cherokee companies and they became known as the Cherokee Battalion (O.R., 1, 49, pt. 2, p. 754).

Thomas Legion Components: Nouns, Names, and Designations:

The 69th North Carolina Regiment was initially named the "Highland Rangers" and 1st Regiment, Thomas’ Legion. There are 75 references to "Thomas' Legion" (not Thoma[s's] Legion) in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. The Thomas Legion’s components operated under various official and even unofficial designations. With these various designations came numerous responsibilities.

Here is a list of the many official and unofficial designations: Highland Rangers, Provost Guards, Provisional Force, Partisan Rangers, Home Guards, Love’s Regiment, 69th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, 69th North Carolina Regiment, McKamy's Battalion, Thomas' Legion Volunteers, 1st Battalion-Thomas' Legion, Walker's Battalion (80th Battalion), Walker's Regiment, Thomas’ Regiment-North Carolina, Thomas’ Regiment-North Carolina Volunteers, and 1st Regiment, Thomas’ Legion. The Cherokees also operated under various unofficial designations: Junaluska Zouaves, Cherokee Battalion (O.R., 1, 49, pt. 2, p. 754), and Cherokee Companies. The sappers were also referred to as the “Pioneer Companies.” There was also John T. Levi's Light Artillery Battery, and later it was named Barr's Light Artillery Battery. Colonel Will Thomas even recruited 20 Cherokee Bodyguard, a.k.a. Life Guard.

The constant shifting of the Thomas Legion components makes a complete count very difficult. Although Companies A and L of the 16^th North Carolina Infantry Regiment transferred into Thomas’ Legion, some of the legion’s companies were transferred to the 39^th North Carolina Infantry Regiment and to various Tennessee Cavalry Regiments. Later, many companies were transferred back to the Thomas Legion. One count has Thomas’ Legion at 2,800, however, it is doubtful that on any occasion the legion mustered over "2,556."

During the last months of the Civil War, Confederate General Martin (O.R., 1, 49, pt. 1, p. 1048), Union General Stanley (O.R.,1, 49, pt. II, p. 309), and Lt. Colonel Stringfield (Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865, Volume 3, p. 761) recorded almost the exact strength for the Thomas 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. Although desertion wasn't a major problem in the legion, the deserters had returned to Western North Carolina to perform "Home Guard" duties. They protected their homes and families during the area's anarchy and, subsequently, had rejoined the legion for the remainder of the war. After all, the legion was initially formed with the promise to defend East Tennessee and the Southern Appalachian Mountains. (See Will Thomas's Civil War Strategy.)

Although initially an independent command, throughout the war the Thomas Legion (with its various unofficial designations and components) found itself serving or reporting to numerous generals in numerous armies, departments, and commands. This was the primary contributing role in the desertions of the legion. They were, after all, initially promised to be only assigned in western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Also, the sappers enlisted as masons, engineers, carpenters, black smiths, gun smiths, etc. When General Alfred Eugene Jackson, a.k.a. "Old Mudwall," demanded the sappers (Pioneer Company) to take up arms, this promoted desertion.

James W. Terrell wrote to Governor Zebulon B. Vance and stated that the desertions were the direct result of General A. E. Jackson’s complete disregard and disrespect for the Thomas Legion soldiers. February 22, 1864, North Carolina Division of Archives and History.

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