HISTORICAL NOTES:
Hilliard's Legion was organized at Montgomery, 25 June 1862, with one artillery, one cavalry, and three infantry battalions, consisting of about 3,000 men.
On August 4, 1862, the Legion was moved to Knoxville, and it began its first march to Tazwell, 41 miles, on the 14th. The Legion then was assigned first to Brigadier General John Porter McCown's Brigade, Dept. of East Tennessee, in which it served at the siege of Cumberland Gap, then held by Union forces under General G. W. Morgan.
The 5th Cavalry Battalion was detached and transferred to the 10th Confederate Cavalry Regiment, 30 Dec 1862. The artillery arm, the Fourth Battalion, was also detached. Part of this battalion, Company "C", was redesignated as an independent artillery battery (Kolb’s Battery of Barbour Light Artillery).
During the winter months, Col. Hilliard resigned and was replaced in April, 1863, by Col. Jack Thorington (from the 1st Battalion). Command of the 1st Battalion was assumed by Lt. Col. John H. Holt. About the 10th of April, 1863, the four battalions [the cavalry battalion was detached earlier] came together at Lee's Springs and were placed in Brigadier General Archibald Gracie's Brigade.
Upon the dissolution of Hilliard's Legion in November 1863, Co. "A" of the 1st Battalion became Co. "F"; Co. "B" became Co. "H"; Co. "C" became Co. "K"; and Co. "D" became Co. "I", all of the 60th Alabama Infantry; Co. "E", "F", and "G" became Co. "E", "F", and "G", respectively, all of the 23 AL Sharpshooters Battalion.
OFFICERS:
Thorington, Jack - Lieut. Colonel, promoted
Holt, John H. - Major (then Lieut. Colonel)
Troy, Daniel S. - Major, transferred to the AL 60th Infantry Regiment
Massey, John - Adjutant
Hilliard, William P. - Adjutant
ASSIGNMENTS:
4th Brigade, McCown's Division, Dept. of East Tennessee (Oct.-Nov., 1862)
5th Brigade, Heth's Division, Dept. of East Tennessee (Nov. 62)
Palmer's Brigade, Dept. of East Tennessee (Dec., 1862-March 1863)
Gracie's Brigade, Dept. of East Tennessee (April-Sept., 63)
Gracie's Brigade, Preston's Division, Buckner's Corps, Army of Tennessee (Sept.-Oct., 63)
Gracie's Brigade, Buckner's Division, 1st Corps, Army of Tennessee (Oct.-Nov., 63)
BATTLES:
Chickamauga (19-20 Sept., 63)
Siege of Chattanooga (Sept.-Nov 63)
