List of American Civil War legions

This is a list of American Civil War legions, legions being defined as combined arms units of infantry, cavalry and artillery.^[1] The popularity of this type of unit had declined by the time of the American Civil War owing to the difficulty of organizing and maintaining its disparate elements; nevertheless, the Confederate Congress authorized the raising of at least ten legions.^[1] Units called legions for other reasons are also included.

Confederate legions

• Cobb's Legion or Georgia Legion, raised in the summer of 1861 by Colonel Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb
• Hampton's Legion, raised in the summer of 1861 by Wade Hampton III
• Hilliard's Legion, organized in Montgomery, Alabama in June 1862, under the command of Colonel Henry Washington Hilliard. It was composed of five battalions: three infantry, one cavalry, and one artillery.^[2] It suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Chickamauga.
• Louisiana Legion. Established in 1821, it was "the oldest brigade in the city [New Orleans]. By the beginning of 1861 this consisted of the Orleans Battalion of Artillery, containing French and Spanish citizens; the Regiment of Light Infantry, composed of Germans; and the newly formed battalion of Chasseurs à Pied de la Louisiane."^[3]
• Miles' Legion, organized May 16 or 17, 1862 at Camp Moore, Louisiana, with an infantry and a cavalry battalion under the command of Colonel William R. Miles^[4]
• Phillips' Legion, organized circa June 1861 in Georgia, with one infantry and one cavalry battalion. The battalions were assigned to different units in 1862 and thereafter served apart.
• Thomas' Legion, also known as Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders, and the 69th North Carolina. It was raised on September 27, 1862 by William Holland Thomas and incorporated a large number of Cherokee Indians. It fought in the last skirmish in North Carolina before surrendering on May 9, 1865.
• Waul's Legion, raised in spring 1862 by Brigadier General Thomas Neville Waul in Texas

Union legions

• 10th Legion, or 56th New York Volunteers. Organized in October 1861 with eleven companies, it acquired two light artillery batteries and two troops of cavalry.^[5]
• Purnell Legion. Organized October to December 1861 from Baltimore and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Consisting originally of nine infantry companies, two cavalry companies, and two light artillery batteries. Broken up in early 1862 and elements served independently though the remainder or the war.^[6]

Legions in name only

Confederate

• Hindman's Legion, actually the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, under Thomas C. Hindman^[7]
• Jeff Davis Cavalry Legion
• Kemper Legion, the 13th Mississippi Infantry
• Whitfield's Legion or First Texas Legion, raised in the summer of 1861, later renamed the 27th Texas Cavalry.^[8] As the last title implies, it was solely a cavalry unit.

Union

• Corcoran Legion or Irish Legion, composed of the 155th New York Infantry, 164th New York Infantry, 170th New York Infantry, 175th New York Infantry, and 182nd New York Infantry, commanded by Brigadier General Michael Corcoran^[9]
• Indiana Legion, a name given to the Indiana militia^[10]
• Irish Legion, the 90th Illinois Volunteer Infantry^[11]
• Pennsylvania Legion, original name of the 73rd Pennsylvania
• Polish Legion, the 58th New York Infantry, under Colonel Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski. It was listed in the official Army Register as the Polish Legion.
• Scott Legion, the 20th Pennsylvania Infantry. A number of veterans of the Mexican–American War formed the "Scott Legion" afterward, named in honor of Winfield Scott.^[12] When the regiment was raised around April 1861, 31 of its 37 officers were members of the organization, so the unit acquired the (unofficial) name.^[13]

References