Phillip's Georgia Legion - Cavalry Battalion

Phillip's Georgia Legion - Cavalry Battalion

 


Phillips' Georgia Legion was organized during the summer of 1861 and mustered into Confederate service that fall. Like almost all Confederate Legions, the unit contained infantry companies, cavalry companies and a battery of light artillery. It had originally been thought that legions would operate with all three arms of the service together ( similar to the Combat Team of the Second World War), but it was soon found that the unit operated more efficiently with its elements detached. Phillips' Georgia Legion served with its elements separated from each other after July of 1862 .

Phillips' Georgia Legion's Cavalry Battalion was organized in 1861 with four companies (G,H,I & K). It was expanded during the spring of 1862 with the addition of two newly recruited companies (N & P). It served as a six company battalion until May, 1864, when the four company 4th Alabama Cavalry Battlion was attached to the Legion Cavalry. (Technically, under Confederate War Department regulations, the unit should have received a Confederate States designation once it contained companies from more than one state but here is no record that this ever took place.) The 4th Alabama Cavalry Battalion was reassigned to the Jeff Davis Legion Cavalry on July 11th, 1864 but the order was not carried out until November. At the same time that the 4th Alabama Battalion was reassigned, a "spare" 11th company from the Cobb Legion Cavalry was transferred to the Phillips Legion and became Co G.

Like almost all Civil War units, Phillips' Legion's Cavalry Battalion was often known by an alternate designation derived from the name of its commanding officer. Name of this type used by or for the unit are:
John B Willcoxon's Cavalry
William W. Rich's Cavalry
William B.C. Puckett's Cavalry


Phillip's Legion, Georgia Volunteers --- Col. William Phillip's in command.
Cavalry Battalion - Lt. Col. William Wofford Rich
Company G/A. - "DuBignon Cavalry" or "Governor's House Guards" - Charles DuBignon (resigned August 1862), James Hall Nichols - Cobb, Hall and Baldwin Counties.
Company H/B - Johnson Rangers" - William Wofford Rich, John F. Milhollin (KIA November 1863), Thomas G. Wilkes-Cobb and Bartow Counties
Company I/C - "Cherokee Dragoons" - William B.C. Puckett, Eli C. Hardin -Cherokee County.
Company K/D -" Coweta Rangers" - Dr. Robert Leeper Young Long (resigned April 1864), John B. Willcoxon (resigned 7/3/1862), Hugh Buchanon - Coweta, Carroll and Bibb Counties.
Company N/E (mustered in 5/12/1862) - "Bibb Cavalry" - Samuel Scott Dunlap, Arthur F.Hunter - Bibb County.
Company P/F (mustered in 5/16/1862) - Wesley Wiles Thomas - Coweta, Henry, Newton and Carroll Counties
Company G - "Richmond Dragoons" - F. Edgeworth Eve - Richmond County
The Legion started out in 1861 with six infantry companies (lettered A-F) and 4 cavalry companies (lettered G, H, I & K). When the Legion was expanded in the spring of 1862, three infantry companies were added (L, M & O) and two additional cavalry companies (N & P). It appears that the companies were lettered in the order they mustered in (i.e. two infantry companies L &M, a cavalry company N, another infantry company O, and a final cavalry company P.) After the cavalry and infantry battalions were placed under separate commands the cavalry company designations were converted as follows...........
G became A
H became B
I became C
K became D
N became E
P became F
In addition a "spare" (11th) company in the Cobb Legion Cavalry was moved over into the Phillips Legion Cavalry and was lettered Company G and known as the "Richmond Dragoons"
Upon being mustered into Confederate service the unit was assigned to duty in the Department of Georgia. This command was subsequently enlarged and renamed the Department of South Georgia, Georgia, and Florida. In the late summer of 1862 Phillip's Legion was transferred to Virginia and assigned to the Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. It served in that Army until the final winter of the war. Moved into the Carolinas in January 1865, the unit ended its career attached to the Army of Tennessee.
Specific higher command assignments of the unit are:
September to December 1861 - Army of the Kanawha
January to June 1862 - 6th Military District of South Carolina, Dept of South Carolina, Georgia & Florida
June to July 1862 - 4th Military District, Dept of South Carolina, Georgia & Florida
Oct. 1, 1862 - Hampton's Brigade, Cavalry, Army of Northern Virginia
Sept. 9, 1863 - Butler's Brigade, Hampton's Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Dec. 31, 1863 - Young's Brigade, Hampton's Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Aug. 31, 1864 - Young's Brigade, Butler's Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Oct. 31, 1864 - Youngs Brigade, Hampton's Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Dec. 31, 1864 - Young's Brigade, Butler's Division, Hampton's Cavalry Command
March 1865 - Logan's Brigade, Butler's Division, Hampton's Cavalry Command
Phillip's Georgia Cavalry Legion participated in more than one hundred various types engagements during it's career.
March 19-24,1862 - Expedition to May River and Operations near Bluffton, S.C.
March 20, 1862 - Affair, Bickingham, S.C.
October 9-12,1862 - Stuart's Raid in Maryland and Pennsylvania (detachment)
October 10,1862 - Action, Chambersburg, Pa (detachment)
November 5, 1862 - Action, Barbee's Cross Roads, Va.
November 28,1862 - Pickett Affair, Hartwood Church, Va. (detachment)
December 12-15,1862 - Battle, Fredericksburg
December 19, 1862 - Skirmish, Occoquan Bridge, Va. (detachment)
December 20, 1862 - Skirmish, Occoquan, Dumfries, Va. (detachment)
December 27-28, 1862 - Skirmishes near Occoquan, Va.
February 5-7, 1863 - Operations at Rappahannock Bridge and Grove Church, Va.
April 27-May 6, 1863 - Chancellorsville Campaign
April 29-May 8, 1863 - Operations against Stoneman's Raid
June 3 August 1, 1863 - Gettysburg Campaign
June 17, 1863 - Action, Aldie, Va.
June 21, 1863 - Engagement, Upperville, Va.
June 28, 1863 - Skirmish - Rockville, Md.
June 30, 1863 - Action, Hanover, Pa.
July 1-3, 1863 - Battle, Gettysburg, Pa.
July 2, 1863 - Action, Hunterstown, Pa.
July 4, 1863 - Action, Monterey Gap, Pa.
July 5-24, 1863 - Retreat near Manassas Gap, Va.
July 5, 1863 - Skirmish, Fairfield, Pa.
July 5, 1863 - Skirmish near Fairfield, Pa.
July 6, 1863 - Action, Hagerstown, Md.
July 6, 1863 - Action, Williamsport, Md.
July 24, 1863 - Engagement, Wapping Heights, Manassas Gap, Va.
September 9-11, 1863 - Skirmishes, Stevensburg, Va.
September 11, 1863 - Skirmish, Raccoon Ford, Va.
September 13, 1863 - Action, Culpepper Court House, Va.
September 14-16, 1863 - Action,Raccoon ford, Rapidan Station, Va.
September 15, 1863 - Skirmish, Robertson's Ford, Va.
September 17, 1863 - Skirmishes, Raccoon Ford, Va.
September 19, 1863 - Skirmish, Raccoon Ford, Va.
September 21, 1863 - Skirmish, Madison Court House, Va.
September 22, 1863 - Skirmish, Jack's Shop, Madison Court House, Va.
September 23, 1863 - Robertson's Ford, Va.
October 9,-22-, 1863 - Bristoe Campaign
October 9-10, 1863 - Skirmishes near James City, Va.
October 19, 1863 - Action, Buckland's Mills, Va.
November 7-8, 1863 - Operations against the Advance to the line of the Rappahannock River, Va.
November 7-8, 1863 - Engagement, Kelly's Ford, Va.
November 18, 1863 - Skirmish near Germania Ford, Va.
November 26, 1863 - Mine Run Campaign
November 27, 1863 - Action, New Hope Church, Va.
November 29-30, 1863 - Skirmishes along Mine Run, Va.
November 29, 1863 - Action, Parker's Store, Va.
February 6-7, 1864 - Operations against the Demonstration on the Rapidan, Va.
February 6-7, 1864 - Engagement, Morton's Ford, Va.
May 4-June 12, 1864 - Wilderness Campaign
May 5-7, 1864 - Battle, Wilderness, Va.
May 6, 1864 - Action, Brock Road, Va.
May 7-8, 1864 - Engagement, Todd's Tavern, Va.
May 8, 1864 - Action, Corbin's Bridge, Va.
May 8-221, 1864 - Battles about Spottsylvania Court House, Laurel Hill. Ny River and Fredericksburg Road.
May 9-24, 1864 - Operations against Sheridan's Raid from Todd's Tavern to the James River
May 11, 1863 - Engagement, Ground Squirrel Church (Ground Squirrel Bridge), South Anna River, Yellow Tavern near Richmond, Va.
May 12, 1864 - Engagement, Brock's Church (Richmond Fortifications), Va.
May 24, 1864 - Operations on the line of the North Anna River, Va.
May 26-28, 1864 - Operations on the line of the Pamunkey River
May 27, 1864 - Action, Hanovertown, Pamunkey River, Va.
May 27, 1864 - Skirmish, Hanover Junction, Va.
May 28, 1984 - Engagement, Haw's Shop, Va.
May 28, 1864 - Action, Enon Church, Va.
May 28-31, 1864 - Operations on the line of the Totopotomoy River, Va.
May 39, 1864 - Action, Hanover Court House, Va.
May 30, 1864 - Skirmish, Ashland, Va.
May 21, 1864 - Action, Mechup's Creek
June 1,-12, 1864 - Battles about Cold Harbor, Va.
June 7-24, 1864 - Operations against Sheridan's Trevillian Raid, Va.
June 11-12, 1864 - Engagement, Trevillian Station, Central R.R., Va.
June 12, 1864 - Action, Newark (Mallory's Cross Roads), Va.
June 16-January 19, 1865 - Seige Operations against Petersburg and Richmond, Va.
June 21, 1864 - Actions, Black Creek (Tunstall Station) and White House (St. Peter's Church), Va.
June 28-29,1864 - Engagement, Sappony Church (Stony Creek), Va.
June 29,1864 - Engagement, Ream's Station
August 18-21,1864 - Battle, Weldon R.R., Globe Tavern (Yellow House) and Black's Station (Six Mile House), Va.
September 30-October 1, 1864 - Action, Arthur's Swamp, Va.
October 27-28, 1864 - Engagement, Boydton Plank Road (Hatcher's Run,) Va.
November 28-December 3, 1864 - Operations against the Expedition to Stony Creek Station, Va.
December 7-12, 1864 - Operations against Warren's Raid to Hicksford, Va.
February 1-April 26, 1865 - Campaign of the Carolinas
February 4, 1865 - Skirmish, Angley's Post Office, S.C.
February 8, 1865 - Skirmish, Williston, S.C.
February 8, 1865 - Skirmish near White Post, S.C.
February 12-13,1865 - Skirmish, North Edisto River, S.C.
February 16-17, 1865 - Skirmishes about Columbia, S.C.
February 25, 1865 - Skirmish West Cross Roads, S.C.
February 26, 1865 - Skirmish near Stroud's Mills, S.C.
Feruary 27, 1865 - Skirmish, Cloud's House, S.C.
February 28, 1865 - Skirmish near Cheraw, S.C.
March 3, 1865 - Skirmish near Big Black Creek, S.C.
March 3, 1865 - Skirmish near Blakeny, S.C.
March 3, 1865 - Skirmish near Himsborough, S.C.
March 8, 1865 - Skirmish, Love's Bridge (Blue Ridge), S.C.
March 8, 1865 - Engagement, Montoe's Cross Roads, S.C.
March 14, 1865 - Operations against the Reconaisance from Fayetteville on the Goldsborough Road to the Black River
March 18, 1865 - Skirmish near Benton's Cross Roads, N.C.
March 19-21, 1865 - Battle, Bentonville, N.C.
March 22, 1865 - Skirmish, Hannah's Creek, N.C.
March 24, 1865 - Skirmish near Mocassin Creek, N.C.
March 31, 1865 - Skirmish, Gulley's, N.C.
April 10, 1865 - Skirmish, Mocassin Swamp, N.C.
April 11, 1865 - Skirmish near Smithville, N.C.
April 26, Surrender, Bennet's House, Durham Station, N.C.
According to records found at the National Archives 254 officers and men surrendered with the unit at Greensboro, North Carolina in late April 1865.


Phillip's Georgia Legion - Cavalry Battalion

Roster - Company A, Governor's Horse Guards


Phillips Georgia Legion, Infantry Battalion

Roster - Company A, The Greene Rifles

Roster - Company B, The Dalton Guards

Roster - Company C, The Habersham Volunteers or The Habersham Rifles

Roster - Company D, The Polk Rifles

Roster - Company E, Blue Ridge Rifles

Roster - Company F, The Lochrane Guards

Roster - Company L, Blackwell Volunteers

Roster - Company M, The Denmead Volunteers

Roster - Company O, The Marietta Guards

 
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Texans in the Civil War