The 1st Confederate Veterans Infantry or First Regiment of Consolidated Veterans, commanded by Lt. Col. William W. Wier was an unusual unit. For clarification, it was O'Neill's Regiment Confederate Infantry that was made up (entirely) of former Union soldiers who had been recruited from military prisons, not the 1st Confederate Veterans regiment.

Two published primary accounts that give a description of the veterans regiment are Lt. Col. Wier himself, and Sgt. William Pitt Chambers of the regiment. Wier stated in his official report that the organization was composed of "troops from almost every regiment in the Tennessee army." These were detailed men, stragglers, and convalescents from military hospitals returning to the field. Due to the urgent need for troops at that moment it was preferable to form this provisional command rather than take the time to get the men back to their proper units. Chambers said "It is made up of odds and ends," and made it clear that the veterans unit contained no former Union soldiers when he described the train ride to Egypt Station. He stated that his unit (1st Confederate Veterans) was on the trains, and also mentioned that "there was a Battalion of 'Galvanized Yankees' aboard."