Cobb's Legion

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: US_Civil_War Georgia

For profiles of men of the unit, see Category:Cobb's Legion, Georgia, United States Civil War

Cobb's Legion, Georgia was organized by Howell Cobb during the spring of 1861 and soon moved to Virginia. The legion was composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, but did not serve as one command. The artillery company was an independent unit known as the Troup Light Artillery and its history is given under that name.

The cavalry battalion included men from Richmond, Fulton, and Dougherty counties and contained six companies. Later five more were added and the unit served with eleven until July, 1864. At that time one company transferred to Phillips' Georgia Legion. Its strength now totalled 526 officers and men. Also its designation was changed to the 9th Georgia Cavalry, but was rarely used. The unit was assigned to General Hampton's, Butler's, and P M B. Young's Brigade, and participated in various conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor. Later it was involved in numerous engagements south and north of the James River. This command lost 3 officers and 41 men at Brandy Station, and sustained 21 casualties out of the 330 engaged at Gettysburg. In 1865 it was attached to T M Logan's Brigade, fought in the Carolinas, and surrendered with the Army of Tennessee. The field officers were Colonels Pierce M B Young and Gilbert J Wright; Lieutenant Colonels W G Delony and Barrington S King; and Majors Z A Rice and Benjamin C Yancey.

The infantry battalion included men from Stephens, Lamar, Burke, and Carroll counties. It contained seven companies and in April, 1862, had a force of 594 effectives. The battalion served under Generals H Cobb, T R R Cobb, Wofford, and DuBose. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Gettysburg, then moved with Longstreet to Georgia. Not engaged at Chickamauga, it was active in the Knoxville Campaign. Returning to Virginia the unit took an active part in the battles of The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action in the Appomattox Campaign. Its casualties were twenty-seven percent of the 248 at Crampton's Gap, 22 killed and 135 wounded at Chancellorsville, and about ten percent of the 213 at Gettysburg disabled. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 1 officer and 55 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonel Thomas R R Cobb; Lieutenant Colonels Richard B Garnett, Luther J Glenn, G B Knight, and Jefferson M Lamar; and Majors Ed F Bagley, Thomas Camak, William D Conyers, and W W McDaniel.^[1]

Contents 1 Formation 1.1 Infantry 1.2 Cavalry 2 Sources

Formation

Cobb's Legion (also known as the Georgia Legion) was organized summer 1861 by Colonel Thomas Reade Roores Cobb and composed of cavalry, infantry and artillery; the Legion moved to Virginia but the three arms never served together. A "legion" consisted of a single integrated command, with individual components from the infantry, cavalry, and artillery. 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.^[2]

Infantry

Infantry Component Howell Cobb Brigade, McLaws Division, Longstreets’s Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. The infantry battalion was surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse.^[2]

Companies:

A Company (Lamar Infantry) Newton County, Georgia

B Company (Bowdon Volunteers) Carroll County, Georgia

C Company (Stephens Rifles) DeKalb County, Georgia

D Company (Mell Rifles) Clarke County, Georgia

E Company (Poythress Volunteers) Burke County, Georgia

F Company (Carroll Boys) Carroll County, Georgia

G Company (Panola Guards) Morgan County, Georgia

Cavalry

Cavalry Component, commanded by Colonel Pierce M B Young, promoted Brigadier-General in the fall of 1863, was expanded to eight companies, then to eleven companies before finally decreased to ten companies. It was redesignated as the 9th Georgia Cavalry, but continued to be called Cobb's Legion. Colonel Gilbert Jefferson Wright commanded the Legion until it surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865.^[2]

Companies

A Company (Richmond Hussars) Richmond County, Georgia. One of the original companies.

B Company (Fulton Dragoons) Fulton County, Georgia. One of the original companies.

C Company (Georgia Troopers) Clarke County and other counties. One of the original companies

D Company (Dougherty Hussars) Dougherty County, Georgia. One of the original companies.

E Company (Roswell Troopers) was formed in Cobb County, Georgia

F Company (Grubb's Hussars) was formed in Burke County, Georgia

G Company (Fulton Dragoons) was formed in Morgan County, Georgia

H Company (Georgia Troopers) was formed in Clarke County, Georgia

I: Company (Richmond Hussars, B Company) was formed in Richmond County, Georgia

K Company (Richmond Dragoons) Richmond County, Georgia. This company was transferred to Phillips' Legion (Georgia), Cavalry by Special Orders #161, Adjutant and Inspector's General's Office (July 11, 1864)

L Company was formed in DeKalb County, Georgia

Sources

1. ↑ National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors Database
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Cobb's Legion, Wikipedia.org, accessed November 15, 2019.

• History of Cobb's Legion Infantry