Phillip’s Legion (Georgia)

Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Georgia

1861
Spring Six infantry companies and four cavalry companies were organized as part of a combined arms Legion under the command of Colonel William Phillips. Lieutenant Colonel Seaborne Jones commanded the infantry of the Legion.
July Ordered to Western Virginia
August 9 Mustered into Confederate Service at Lynchburg, Virginia.
October 16 Assigned to John Floyd’s Brigade of the Army of the Kanawha.
November 12 Assigned to the First Brigade of the Army of the Kanawha
December 16 Ordered to South Carolina to recover from the winter campaign in western Virginia, where many men had been lost to measles and typhoid. Colonel Phillips caught typhoid, but survived. The Legion served under Brigadier General Thomas Drayton, guarding railway lines.
1862
January Assigned to the Sixth Military District of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
Spring Three additional companies of infantry (L, M and O) were raised and added in Cobb and Bartow Counties.
June 1 Assigned to the Fourth Military District of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
July 6 Lieutenant Colonel Jones resigned. Captain Robert Thomas Cook of Company B was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Elihu S. Barclay of Company C promoted to major.
August The infantry were sent north to Virginia by train and were assigned to Brigadier General Thomas F. Drayton’s Brigade of D.R. Jones’ Division of Longstreet’s Command. The Legion infantry was brigaded with the 50th and 51st Georgia Regiments, the 3rd South Carolina Battalion and the 15th South Carolina Regiment. The Phillips Legion Cavalry went north later and was assigned to a cavalry brigade. The two parts of the legion would serve as separate regiments for the remainder of the war, united only by their name.
August 5 Malvern Hill
August 23 Beverly Ford
August 25 Waterloo Bridge
August 28-29
Second Battle of Manassas
September 14
Boonenoro (Fox’s Gap or South Mountain)

The battalion was commanded by Lt. Colonel Cook. It lost 31 men killed or mortally wounded, 39 men wounded and 41 men captured.

Lt. Colonel Cook, Captains Oliver Daniel and Joseph Hamilton, Lieutenant Theophilus Bowie and Chaplain George Smith were wounded. Major Barclay was severely wounded in the spine and ankle and was captured, and Captain James Johnson was wounded and captured.

Lieutenants John Duggan, Abraham Jones and William Watson were killed. Lieutenants Patrick McGovern and Michael Walsh were captured.

Lieutenant Price of Company E was the senior surviving officer and took command of the battalion.
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

From the marker for Drayton’s Brigade on the Antietam battlefield:

September 15-17, 1862.
Drayton’s Brigade reached Sharpsburg about 11 A.M., September 15th and was posted on the southwest slope of Cemetery Hill. Late in the day it was moved to the rear of the high ground northwest of this point and formed on the left of Kemper’s Brigade. On the 16th the 50th Georgia was detached and sent to the support of Toombs’ Brigade at the Burnside Bridge. The Brigade was exposed to artillery fire on the 16th and 17th from the enemy’s long range guns beyond the Antietam. About 3 P.M., of the 17th, the enemy, having forced a crossing at and below the bridge, attacked the Brigade and forced it back to the streets of the town. It soon reformed and joined by Garnett’s Brigade, cooperated with Kemper and Toombs in checking the further advance of the enemy.

September 19-20
Battle of Shepherdstown
October 6 Major Barclay was paroled but did not return to duty due to his wound.
October 26-
November 10		 Operations in Loudon, Faquier and Rappahannock Counties.
November The battalion mustered 101 men fit for duty.
November 26 Drayton’s Brigade was broken up as he was dying of heart disease. The Legion infantry was transferred to T.R.R. Cobb’s Brigade of McLaw’s Division of the First Corps.
December 13
Battle of Fredericksburg

Lieutenant Colonel Cook was killed and First Lieutenant Hardy Price mortally wounded. Major Barclay was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Joseph Hamilton to major, although both were still on convalescent leave from wounds.
1863
Janaury 7 Assigned to Wofford’s Brigade of McLaw’s Division of the First Corps.
Spring Major Joseph Hamilton returned to command
May 1-5 Chancellorsville Campaign
May 10 Lieutenant Colonel Barclay returned to active duty
Gettysburg campaign

Lieutenant Colonel Barclay was forced to drop out of the march due to his wounds, leaving Major Hamilton in command
July 1-3
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Lt. Colonel Elihu S. Barclay and brought 273 men to the field. It lost 6 men killed and 22 wounded.

From the marker on the Gettysburg battlefield:

July 2. Arrived at 4 P. M. and formed line 100 yards west of this. Ordered to the front about 6 P. M. and advanced soon afterward along Wheatfield Road flanked the Union forces assailing the Loop and aided the Confederates thereby relieved in forcing them back through the Wheatfield to the foot of Little Round Top. Assailed there by a strong body of fresh troops and receiving at the same moment an order to withdraw the Brigade fell back at sunset to the grove west of the Wheatfield.

July 3. One regiment was left on outpost duty in that grove. The others supported artillery on Peach Orchard Ridge. All withdrew late in the afternoon.

July 4. In line here all day. At midnight began march to Hagerstown.
July 5-24 Retreat to Viriginia
August 5 Lieutenant Colonel Barclay resigned his commission due to the effects from his South Mountain wounds
September Transferred west with Longstreet to the Army of the Tennessee but did not arive in time for the Battle of Chickamauga.
September 22-24 Skrimishes around Chickamauga
September 25 Siege of Chattanooga
November 14-
December 23
Siege of Knoxville

Captain James Johnson was killed.
November 15 Little River, Tennessee
November 29
Assault on Fort Sanders

Major Hamilton was wounded and Captain James Johnson mortally wounded
December 31 Major Hamilton was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
1864
January 16-17 Dandridge, Tennessee
January 26 Dandridge, Tennessee
January 27 Fair Garden, Tennessee
January 28 Dandridge, Tennessee
April The regiment returned to Virginia with Longstreet’s command. Joseph Kershaw took over McLaws’ Division after Longstreet removed McLaws from command, and the Legion infantry was attached to Wofford’s Brigade of Kershaw’s Division of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia.
May 5-6
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

Captain Frederick Fuller of Company A was killed.
May 22-26
North Anna River
May 26-28
Pamunkey River
May 28-31
Totopotomy River
May 31-June12
Battle of Cold Harbor

Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton was wounded.
June 16
Assault on Petersburg
June 18 Siege of Petersburg begins
July 27-29
First Battle of Deep Bottom
August 6 The regiment was sent with Kershaw’s Division to the Shenandoah Valley, where it was temporarily attached to Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s Army of the Valley.
August 16 Cedarville and Guard Hill (Front Royal)
September 2-3 Bunker Hill
September 14 Since Sheridan and his Union Army of the Shenandoah was inactive Kershaw’s Division was ordered back to rejoin Lee at Richmond and began to leave the Valley.
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek
November 14 Kershaw’s Division left the Shenandoah Valley to return to the Army of Northern Virginia around Petersburg.
December Wofford’s Brigade became DuBose’s Brigade
1865
January Lt. Colonel Hamilton returned to duty
April 6
Battle of Sailor’s Creek

Most of the battalion was captured. Lt. Colonel Hamilton, Major Norris, and Captain John Matthias were captured. Captains James F. Lowerey and Samuel Y. Harris were mortally wounded and captured, and Captain Daniel Sanford was wounded and captured.
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The Legion surrendered 5 officers and 88 men.