The North Carolina 62nd Infantry Regiment was formed at Waynesville, North Carolina, in July, 1862. Its commander was Colonel Robert Gustavus Adolphus Love. Numerous Loves, of the prominent North Carolina Love family, served in the 16th North Carolina, 62nd, and in Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Highlanders. The real Private W. P. Inman, portrayed by Jude Law in the movie Cold Mountain, was a Haywood County highlander who served in Company F, 25th North Carolina, and several of his brothers served in the Twenty-fifth and Sixty-second North Carolina.
Members of the 62nd were raised in the counties of Haywood, Clay, Macon, Rutherford, Henderson, and Transylvania. The unit served in North Carolina, then in July, 1863, was assigned to General Gracie's Brigade and stationed at Cumberland Gap. Here many were surrendered in September, but a number escaped from being captured. The records show 443 men of the 62nd were prisoners at Camp Douglas. They returned to the Asheville area and in April, 1864 had 178 men present. Together, the 58th, 62nd, 64th, and 69th (Thomas' Legion) North Carolina Regiments continued the fight under Generals Breckinridge, Vaughn, and Williams in East Tennessee, then became a part of Colonel J.B. Palmer's command at Asheville in March, 1865. Later it disbanded near the French Broad River.
Companies:
Company A - Haywood County
Company B - Clay County
Company C - Haywood County
Company D - Macon County
Company E - Haywood County
Company F - Rutherford County
Company G - Jackson County
Company H - Henderson
Company I - Haywood County
Company K - Transylvania County