Cobb's Legion (also known as the Georgia Legion) was an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

unit that was raised on the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

side from the State of Georgia by

Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb (April 10, 1823 – December 13, 1862) was an American lawyer, author, politician, and Confederate States Army officer, killed in the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War. He was the brother of noted ...

during the summer of 1861. A "legion" consisted of a single integrated command, with individual components from the

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

, cavalry, and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

. When it was originally raised, the Georgia Legion comprised seven infantry companies, four cavalry troops, and a single battery. The concept of a multiple-branch unit was fine in theory, but never was a practical application for Civil War armies and, early in the war, the individual elements were assigned to other organizations.

Infantry component

The infantry

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

was assigned to

Howell Cobb Howell Cobb (September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American and later Confederate political figure. A southern Democrat, Cobb was a five-term member of the United States House of Representatives and the speaker of the House from 184 ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

Lafayette McLaws Lafayette McLaws ( ; January 15, 1821 – July 24, 1897) was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served at Antietam and Fredericksburg, where Robert E. Lee praised his defense of Marye's Heights, ...

's Division of James Longstreet's

Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

of the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

. The infantry battalion surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

Organization

*Staff **Colonel

(He formed the Legion in the late summer of 1861, and served as its colonel until he was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the fall of 1862.) After the components were separated, the highest rank in the infantry battalion was lieutenant colonel. **Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson Mirabeau Lamar (He was named Lieutenant Colonel on January 18, 1862. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Crampton's Gap, Maryland, on September 14, 1862, and he died the next day.) **Lieutenant Colonel

Luther Glenn Luther Judson Glenn (November 26, 1818June 9, 1886) was a prominent Georgia lawyer, politician, Confederate officer during the American Civil War, and antebellum Mayor of Atlanta. He attended the University of Georgia where he was a member of t ...

(He was named lieutenant colonel on September 15, 1862. He retired on January 11, 1865.)

Companies

* A Company ( Lamar Infantry) was formed in

Newton County, Georgia Newton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,483. The county seat is Covington. Newton County is included in the ''Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, ...

. * B Company (Bowdon Volunteers) was formed in Carroll County, Georgia. * C Company (Stephens Rifles) was formed in

DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County (, , ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Decatur. DeKalb County is inclu ...

. * D Company (Mell Rifles) was formed in

Clarke County, Georgia Clarke County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 128,671. Its county seat is Athens, with which it is a consolidated city-county. Clarke County is included in the Athen ...

. * E Company (Poythress Volunteers) was formed in

Burke County, Georgia Burke County is a county located along the eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia in the Piedmont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,596. The county seat is Waynesboro. Burke County is part of the Augusta-Richmond County, GA ...

. * F Company (Carroll Boys) was formed in Carroll County, Georgia. * G Company (Panola Guards) was formed in

Morgan County, Georgia Morgan County is a county located in the north central Piedmont region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,097. The county seat is Madison. Since the early 21st century, the county has had a housing boom ...

Battles

The infantry battalion fought in the following battles: * Yorktown (April 1862) * Lee's Mill (April 16, 1862) *

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comman ...

(June 25 – July 1, 1862) *

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the Americ ...

(July 1, 1862) * South Mountain (Crampton's Gap) (September 14, 1862) * Sharpsburg (September 17, 1862) * Fredericksburg (December 11–15, 1862) * Chancellorsville (May 1 – May 4, 1863) * Gettysburg (July 1 – July 3, 1863) *

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne'' * ''Chic ...

ot engaged(September 19 – September 20, 1863) * Chattanooga (September – November 1863) *

Siege of Knoxville The siege of Knoxville (November 19 – December 4, 1863) saw Lieutenant General James Longstreet's Confederate forces besiege the Union garrison of Knoxville, Tennessee, led by Major General Ambrose Burnside. When Major General William T. Sh ...

(November–December 1863) ** Fort Sanders * The Wilderness (May 5 – May 6, 1864) *

Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...

(May 8 – May 21, 1864) * North Anna (May 23 – May 26, 1864) *

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

(June 1 – June 3, 1864) * Petersburg (June 1864 – April 1865) *

Front Royal Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become ...

(August 16, 1864) * Cedar Creek (October 19, 1864) * Sayler's Creek (April 6, 1865) * Battle of Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Cavalry component

The cavalry battalion was expanded first to eight companies, then later to eleven companies before finally being decreased to ten companies. It was redesignated as the 9th Georgia Cavalry, but continued to be called Cobb's Legion. It surrendered at

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, on April 26, 1865.

Organization

* Staff ** Colonel Pierce M. B. Young (He was named colonel on November 1, 1862. He was promoted to brigadier general in the fall of 1863.) ** Colonel Gilbert Jefferson Wright (He was named colonel on October 23, 1863, and led the Legion until its surrender on April 26, 1865.) ** Lieutenant Colonel William Gaston Delony (He was named major on May 23, 1862. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 2, 1862.) On September 13, 1862, he assumed command of the cavalry battalion after Lieutenant Colonel Young was wounded. He remained second in command of the Legion until mortally wounded and captured at the Battle of Jack's Shop, Virginia, on September 22, 1863, dying on October 2, 1863, in the Stanton Hospital in Washington City as a POW.

Companies

* A Company (Richmond Hussars, A Company) was formed in

Richmond County, Georgia Richmond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,549. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. Following an election in 1995, the city of Augusta ...

. This company was one of the original cavalry companies. * B Company (Fulton Dragoons, A Company) was formed in

Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is located in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most-populous county and its only one with over o ...

. This company was one of the original cavalry companies. * C Company (Georgia Troopers, A Company) was formed in

. Members of the company were from Clarke, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, and other counties. This company was one of the original cavalry companies. * D Company (Dougherty Hussars) was formed in

Dougherty County, Georgia Dougherty County is located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,790. The county seat and sole incorporated city is Albany. Dougherty County is included in the Albany, GA Metr ...

. This company was one of the original cavalry companies. * E Company (Roswell Troopers) was formed in

Cobb County, Georgia Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta. Along with ...

. * F Company (Grubb's Hussars) was formed in

. * G Company (Fulton Dragoons, B Company) was formed in

. * H Company (Georgia Troopers, B Company) was formed in

. * I Company (Richmond Hussars, B Company) was formed in

. * K Company (Richmond Dragoons) was formed in

. This company was transferred to

Phillips' Legion Phillips' Legion or Phillips' Georgia Legion was a unit of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Background and formation With the outbreak of the war, Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown gave the task of organizing and trainin ...

(Georgia), Cavalry by Special Orders #161, Adjutant and Inspector's General's Office (July 11, 1864). * L Company was formed in

Battles

The cavalry component fought in the following battles: * Yorktown Siege (4/62) *

(6/25/62 – 7/1/62) *Harrison's Landing, Virginia (8/2/62 – 8/8/62) *Middletown, Maryland (9/13/62) * South Mountain, Maryland (9/14/62) * Sharpsburg (September 17, 1862) *Barbee's Crossroads, Virginia (11/5/62) *Dumfries, Virginia (12/12/62) * Fredericksburg (12/13/62) *Occoquan, Virginia (12/19/62) *Dumfries and Fairfax Station, Virginia (12/27/62 – 12/29/62) * Brandy Station (6/9/63) * Upperville(6/21/63) *

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

(6/30/63) * Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863) * Hunterstown (7/2/63) *Brandy Station (8/1/63) * Bristoe Campaign (10/63) *

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

(11/63 – 12/63) * The Wilderness (5/5/64 – 5/6/64) *

(5/8/64 – 5/21/64) * North Anna (5/23/64 – 5/26/64) * Petersburg (6/1/64 – 4/1/65) *

, Virginia (6/1/64 – 6/3/64) *Williamsburg Road, Virginia (10/27/64) *

Carolinas Campaign The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January ...

(2/65 – 4/30/65) * Bentonville (3/19/65 – 3/21/65)

Troup Artillery

The artillery battery was known as the Troup Artillery (named for former governor George M. Troup). It was from

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

. It was commanded by Capt Henry Hull Carlton After the Legion was reorganized, the Troup Artillery was assigned to the Artillery Battalion of Longstreet's Corps. The Troup Artillery disbanded April 9, 1865.

Battles

The battles it took part in were: * Yorktown Siege (4/62) * Lee's Mill, Virginia (4/16/62) *

, Virginia (6/25/62 – 7/1/62) *

(7/1/62) * South Mountain (9/14/62) * Sharpsburg (September 17, 1862) * Fredericksburg (12/13/62) * Chancellorsville (May 1 – May 4, 1863) * Gettysburg (July 1 – July 3, 1863) *Antietam Creek, Maryland (7/10/63) * The Wilderness (5/5/64 – 5/6/64) *

(5/8/64 – 5/21/64) * North Anna (5/23/64 – 5/26/64) * Petersburg (6/1/64 – 4/1/65) *

(6/1/64 – 6/3/64) * Battle of Appomattox Court House (4/9/65)

Famous members

* A famous fictional member of Cobb's Legion was

Ashley Wilkes George Ashley Wilkes is a fictional character in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel '' Gone with the Wind'' and the 1939 film of the same name. The character also appears in the 1991 book '' Scarlett'', a sequel to ''Gone with the Wind'' written by ...

, of ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'', who was supposedly captured during the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 186 ...

in 1864. * Future

Atlanta Chamber of Commerce The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce is the chamber of commerce for the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was founded in 1859. History The first Atlanta Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1859, and was chiefly concerned with fighting railroad rate ...

President Benjamin Crane served in the legion. * Future

Mayor of Atlanta Here is a list of mayors of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor is the highest elected official in Atlanta. Since its incorporation in 1847, the city has had 61 mayors. The current mayor is Andre Dickens who was elected in the 2021 election and took o ...

served in the legion. * Atlanta businessman, publisher, and Atlanta City Council member Zachariah A. Rice served as Major of B Company (Fulton Dragoons) in the cavalry battalion of the legion.

Literature

*Dooley, Vincent Joseph and Samuel Norman Thomas Jr., eds. ''The Legion's Fighting Bulldog: The Civil War correspondence of William Gaston Delony, Lieutenant Colonel of Cobb's Georgia Legion Cavalry, and Rosa Delony, 1853-1863.'' Mercer University Press. *Turner, Nat S. 2002. ''A Southern Soldier's Letters Home: The Civil War Letters of Samuel Burney, Cobb's Georgia Legion, Army of Northern Virginia.'' Macon GA: Mercer University Press.

External links

Cobb's Legion WebsiteTroup Artillery WebsiteNoble John Brooke Papers
a
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library, Emory University
{{Authority control Artillery units and formations of the American Civil War Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Georgia (U.S. state) Legions of the American Civil War 1861 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Infantry component

Organization

Companies

Battles

Cavalry component

Organization

Companies

Battles

Troup Artillery

Battles

Famous members

Literature

See also

External links