Union Auxiliary Guard Blog

The Thomas Legion

Written by Troy Thompson | May 26, 2022 2:09:51 AM

Thomas' Legion, also known as Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders, Thomas' Legion of Indians and Highlanders, and the 69th North Carolina Regiment, was a unit of the Confederate Army in the American Civil War. The formation was organized in 1862 by William Holland Thomas and fought in the last skirmish of the war in North Carolina before surrendering in May 1865.

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


Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 14). Thomas’ Legion. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas%27_Legion