Thomas’s Legion and the Civil War in the Smokies

William Holland Thomas organised a force that became known as Thomas’s Legion after North Carolina joined the Confederacy. Its ranks included companies of Eastern Cherokee soldiers and white mountain residents, and it operated mainly in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.

The legion guarded mountain passes, fought Union forces and became involved in a regional conflict marked by divided households, guerrilla violence and retaliation. Cherokee participation reflected complex obligations to Thomas and the defence of local communities rather than a single unified view of the Confederacy.

The final part of Thirteen Moons draws on Thomas’s military service when Will Cooper leads a mixed Cherokee and white force.