The Beginnings and Organization
William H. Thomas was a state legislator from Jackson County, NC. At the
beginning of the Civil War he was fifty-six (56) years old. For many years,
Thomas or "Wil Usdi" as he was known by the Cherokee Indians of western North
Carolina, had worked to help the Eastern Band of Cherokees (approximately one
thousand Cherokee who had escaped removal during the "Trail of Tears"
or Indian removals) to remain in their traditional homeland, the Smoky
Mountains.
By
the fall of 1861, Thomas had convinced the Confederate authorities that it would
be worthwhile to enlist Cherokees into the army for local defense. He raised a
company which was mustered at Qualla Town, NC, on April 9, 1862. Company
elections were held and Thomas was elected Captain. Thomas was immediately
ordered to take his company to East Tennessee.
Upon his arrival in Tennessee, Thomas divided his large company of Cherokees
into two (2) companies and designated it the "North Carolina Cherokee
Battalion". Thomas was then made a major.
Thomas petitioned Richmond to authorize the raising of additional "Indians
and such whites as I may select". His purpose was to raise a "full
battalion" and ultimately a mounted regiment to act as "a guerilla
force...for the local defense of the Carolinas, Virginia and East Tennessee"
in pro-Unionist East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Jefferson Davis,
according to Thomas' writings had agreed to arm and equip such a unit.
By the summer of 1862, Thomas had raised a regiment of five (5) companies; three
(3) white and two (2) Cherokee. In addition, he formed a new battalion of two
(2) white companies commanded by Captain William C. Walker. The people of this
mountainous area were sometimes referred to as "highlanders" and as such,
the local citizenry began to refer to Thomas' units as the "Highland Rangers".
On September 27th, 1862 Thomas was elected Colonel of a now designated regiment
of mounted volunteers known officially as the "1st Regiment, Thomas
Legion". The other officers of the regiment were Lieutenant Colonel
James R. Love, a veteran of Seven Pines in Virginia and formerly of the 16th
North Carolina Infantry and Major William W. Stringfield a young East
Tennessean. By this time, the regiment numbered approximately, 1,100 men divided
into ten (10) companies; eight (8) white and two (2) Cherokee.
The other unit of "the Legion", William C. Walker's battalion held
elections on Oct. 1st, 1862 and now comprised seven (7) white companies; three
(3) of cavalry and four (4) of infantry in all, approximately seven hundred
(700) men. In April of 1863 another company of infantry, one company of "miners
and sappers" and a unit of artillery, known as "Levi's Light Battery" was
added to Walker's battalion. The ten (10) companies of Thomas' regiment and
Walker's Battalion, including the additions of April, 1863 represent the
complete organization referred to by historians as "The Thomas Legion".
The average size of the Legion ran between 1500 and 2000 men during this period,
now a sizable little army created from the humble beginnings of one company of
Cherokee led by their old "white chief".
The Fighting Begins
In September of 1862, a contingent of the legion was ordered to Powell's Valley
near the Cumberland Gap. Included were the two (2) Cherokee companies, one of
which was commanded by Lieutenant John Astooga Stoga, a
full-blooded Cherokee. Astooga Stoga was revered by his men and was the grandson
of a great chief. The regimental historian described him as "a perfect
specimen of Indian manhood". On the march one of the Cherokee companies was
"waylaid and bushwhacked". Astooga Stoga bravely led a counterattack
driving off the Federal soldiers but was mortally wounded in the process.
Incensed by the loss of their young leader the men of his company proceeded to
commit an act which gained them great notoriety in the Northern newspapers. They
scalped a small number, probably three, wounded or dead union soldiers in a
moment of passionate outrage. Cooler heads quickly rushed to control the
incident and as a gesture the grisly trophies were returned to the Union
authorities to be buried with their owners.
This behavior was Thomas' greatest fear. All of his life Thomas had worked for
the benefit of the Cherokee and to overcome prejudices and stereotypes by the
whites. This affair, though minor as far as numbers are concerned, Thomas knew
would rekindle old fears and animosity. Upon their return to camp Thomas ordered
the white soldiers not to utter a word regarding this incident and strongly
chastised the Cherokee commanders for the behavior of their troops. This tactic
seems to have worked as their are no other reported incidents of this type
occurring in Thomas' command.
After this engagement Thomas' men spent the balance of the year guarding the
East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, a vital link between Virginia and the
heartland of the Confederacy.
In late 1862, Confederate authorities ordered the three (3) cavalry companies of
Walker's battalion to join two other Confederate regiments. At about the same
time Thomas with his Cherokee were order to Madison County, North Carolina to
hunt bushwhackers. The balance of Walker's battalion was also ordered to special
duty rounding up deserters. Upon Thomas' return from Madison county he was met
with the news that "his Legion" was now a part of Brigadier General
Alfred E. Jackson's command. Thomas had no problem with the reorganization other
than the fact that the legion comprised "all" of Jackson's
Brigade. This confusing command structure was headed for trouble and it wasn't
long before Thomas and Jackson were bitter enemies.
The situation ultimately got so bad that Jackson had Thomas arrested in June of
1863 charged with "disobedience of orders". Thomas was sent to Knoxville,
Tennessee for trial but Union general Ambrose E. Burnside's East Tennessee
invasion intervened. Confederate General Simone B. Buckner, commander in
Knoxville adeptly handled the situation by assigning Thomas and his Cherokees
directly to himself. Burnside's campaign and Buckner's action seemed to settle
the issue, for the moment.
With Burnside in East Tennessee the Legion found itself divided with Thomas'
Cherokees on one side of Burnside's army and Walker's Battalion and the balance
of the 1st Regiment on the other. With Thomas absent from the regiment the
commanded devolved to Lieutenant Colonel Love.
Buckner withdrew
and Jackson with a small brigade retreated to Bristol, Tennessee. Burnside
ordered a part of his army up the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad and
Jackson's situation soon became desperate.
On September 8th, 1863, Jackson sent Walker's battalion with approximately two
hundred (200) cavalry of the 1st regiment under Major Stringfield in the
direction of Telford's Station. Their they ran into the 100th Ohio Regiment
commanded by a Colonel Hayes. The union regiment was outnumbered and after a
short skirmish withdrew to a "blockhouse" at Limestone Station for
protection. After a quick review of the situation, Stringfield attacked the
blockhouse. The fighting was heavy and the advancing Confederates met "a
shower of Minie balls." The Federals realizing their hopeless situation
surrendered. The three hundred and fourteen (314) prisoners were immediately
placed in boxcars and sent to Richmond.
Shortly after this action, General John S. Williams arrived from Virginia with
his cavalry and assumed command. Williams command of approximately 1700 men
moved to Blue Springs,
Tennessee with Burnside's army just nine miles away at Bull's Gap. On October
10th, General James M. Shackelford, commander of Burnside's cavalry attacked
Williams. The fighting continued until 5:00 PM when Union infantry support
arrived and helped drive off the Confederates. When the Confederates withdrew
toward Henderson's Mill they discovered a rude surprise as the 5th Indiana
Cavalry was positioned directly in their path. Caught between two enemy forces
the Southerners realized their only choices were capitulation or to fight their
way out. The chose the latter. Major Stringfield recalls what followed:
"Our men realized at once that quick and deadly work must be done or we would
all be captured. The entire 600 men (Love's regiment) at sunrise dashed forward
at the enemy in a heavy skirmish line, Love upon the right and I upon the left,
with company officers all in place, all cheering and directing their men."
Their efforts were successful and a few days later General Williams wrote an
official letter of thanks to the men of the Thomas Legion that included the
following:
"Such exhibition of valor and soldierly bearing will receive, as it deserves,
the ever lasting remembrance of a grateful Country and ever be an object of
pride to their General."
The Confederates retreated to Abingdon, Tennessee. General James Longstreet's
advance from Chattanooga to Knoxville took the pressure off of the Legion and
they were able to gain a much needed rest for the balance of the year at
Carter's Station.
In the meantime, Thomas and his Cherokees had spent the remainder of 1863
chasing bushwhackers in western North Carolina. Thomas was not at all happy with
this situation. He urged the Confederate authorities to return the command to
him for its initial purpose of local defense. On April 22nd, 1864 his request
was approved in Special Order Number 105 and the Legion was ordered to North
Carolina. However, due to Union invasions in the Shenandoah Valley the
implementation of the order was delayed six (6) months.
In the Shenandoah
To help confront the Union advance of Union Major General David Hunter and his
16,000 man army the Thomas Legion, now just 500 strong was brigaded with the
36th, 45th and 60th Virginia regiments under Colonel William H. Browne in
Brigadier General Gabriel C. Wharton's Brigade. The Confederate army commanded
by General William E. Jones met Hunter at Piedmont, Virginia on June 5th. The
results were disastrous for the Confederates, Jones was killed and over 1,000
Confederates were taken prisoner. The Confederates fielded fewer than 8,000 men.
Confederate Major General Jubal A. Early arrived from the Army of Northern
Virginia with his division and took command of the shattered remnants of Jones'
Army. Early rejuvenated the army and began a well-known campaign which retook
the Shenandoah and did not stop until it reached the outskirts of Washington,
D.C. The Legion participated in all of the battles of the campaign and grew ever
smaller due to mounting casualties.
Back to North Carolina
When the order to return to North Carolina finally arrived the veterans of the
Thomas Legion who marched out of the Shenandoah Valley were fewer than 100
strong. As an explanation to Colonel Love from General Wharton their Division
commander on why they were not returned to North Carolina sooner, Wharton
stated:
"The gallant conduct of your command rendered your efforts to rejoin you
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."
The Confederate authorities meanwhile had ordered Thomas in North Carolina to
raise two (2) additional companies of Cherokees and form an Indian battalion
from the four units. Love began to recruit actively upon his return and by April
1, 1865 the Legion reported 1200 men of which 400 were Cherokees. Robert E. Lee
would surrender just eight days later a short distance away at Appomattox
Courthouse, Virginia.
The Final Days
The Thomas Legion's final moment of glory came on May 9, 1865, one month after
Lee's surrender when Lieutenant R. T. Conley of Company "F" of Love's regiment,
encountered Lieutenant. Colonel W. C. Bartlett's 2nd North Carolina (Federal)
Mounted Infantry at Waynesville, NC. That night Bartlett and his men were
surrounded in the town by both the Indian Battalion and Love's regiment. The
Confederates called for a meeting with Bartlett on the morning of May 10th.
Confederate General James G. Martin overall commander, Thomas and Col. Love all
met with Bartlett. They were escorted by "twenty of the biggest Cherokees"
Thomas could roundup. The Confederates surrendered to Bartlett realizing
further fighting was fruitless. Bartlett was apparently impressed by the
Confederate leaders and their escort as his terms allowed the Legion to keep
their arms and equipment with a promise that he; Bartlett, and his troops, would
leave the area.
This final encounter is considered "the last shot" of
the Civil War in North Carolina.