In the American Civil War William H. Thomas served as Colonel of Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders (Mountaineers) with James R. Love, William C. Walker, and William Williams Stringfield. The Legion consisted of Love's Regiment, Walker's Battalion, and Levi's Artillery Battery. (Charles Frazier, author of "Cold Mountain," is currently writing about the life of the Cherokee Chief and Colonel, William Thomas. It is scheduled to be released in 2005. Rumors of a production are already circulating.) The Legion fought in the Cumberland Gap, Smoky Mountains, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia areas. They are known for the last battle of the Civil War in North Carolina, also called: The Last Shot, and the Last Battle of Waynesville, North Carolina. The Battle of Waynesville, N.C., also reflected the sheer determination of the Western North Carolinians.