their superior officers.
The war. in fact, brought out all the latent Indian in their nature.
Before starting to the front every man consulted an oracle stone to
learn whether or not he might hope to return in safety. The start
was celebrated with a grand old-time war dance at the townhouse on
Soco, and the same dance was repeated at frequent intervals there-
after, the Indians being "painted and feathered in good old style,"'
Thomas himself frequently assisting as master of ceremonies. The
ballplay, too, was not forgotten, and on one occasion a detachment of
Cherokee, left to guard a bridge, became so engrossed in the excite-
ment of the game as to narrowly escape capture by a sudden dash of
the Federals. Owing to Thomas's care for their welfare, they suffered
but slightly in actual battle, although anumber died of hardship and
disease. When the Confederates evacuated eastern Tennessee, in the
winter of 1863-64, some of the white troops of the legion, with one or
two of the Cherokee companies, were shifted to western Virginia, and
by assignment to other regiments a few of the Cherokee were present
at the final siege and surrender of Richmond. The main body of the
Indians, with the rest of the Thomas Legion, crossed over into North
Carolina and did service protecting the western border until the close
of the war, when they surrendered on parole at Waynesville, North
Carolina, in May, 1865, all those of the command being allowed to
keep their guns. It is claimed by their officers that they were the
last of the Confederate forces to surrender. About fifty of the Cher-
okee veterans still survive, nearly