I'd agree that 1000 is too many; 100-200 sounds like a better number. We're supposed to lose this battle, after all.
Edit: I have a post up. I certainly don't see my primary character as a leadership type, so I just left them in the regular contingent. I went ahead and used the character Lushurd you created, Encai, for my Orcs' company leader, if that's all right.