Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Elisha Thomas

by Betty Thomas Finger
Great Granddaughter of Elijah Thomas

Elisha Thomas was born in Owsley (then Clay) County, KY in 1839 to Joseph Thomas and Anna Jemima Couch. He was raised on their farm on White Oak Creek until he married Elizabeth "Betty" Bowman in 1859. They were living in Travellers Rest, SW of Booneville, in 1860. Elizabeth was raised by William Bowman and Nancy Bowles, but from their photos, both she and her sister Susan, are of Native descent.

Elisha was a handsome young man with dark hair and blue eyes. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall and known to be one of the stoutest young men in Owsley county. At the age of 24, he left his young bride, who was with child, to enroll with his brothers, Levi and Eli, on Aug 19, 1861, as a Private in Company D of the 7th KY Regiment. While at Camp Wild Cat, in October of 1861, there was an outbreak of measles and he and his brother, Eli were stricken with the disease. Because of exposure to camp life, it 'settled upon his lungs' and he was sent to the Mt. Vernon hospital and treated there for about 10 days. His condition lingered and he was granted a sick furlough sometime in November through December 31, 1861. Elizabeth would, by now, be 6 or 7 months into her pregnancy.

After returning to his regiment, Elisha was present until April 30, 1862 and had been promoted from Private to 5th Corporal. He was then reported "absent on detached service" through August 31st. ('Detached service' usually meant the soldier had a special skill that was needed elsewhere, or perhaps more soldiers were needed at another location.) He was 'intercepted by the enemy' August 24th 1862, and reported "absent" on the September and October muster roll, but was back with his regiment in December when they fought in the bloody battle of Chickasaw Bayou (December 26-29, 1862). He was reported as 4th Corporal on the January and February muster roll of 1863 and then promoted from 4th Corporal to 2nd Corporal on March 1, 1863. On May 16, 1863 Elisha fought with his unit in the Battle of Champion Hill, which was the largest, bloodiest, and most significant action of Grant's Vicksburg Campaign.

Elisha also endured the deplorable conditions of the camps near New Carthage, LA, took part in General Grant's siege on Vicksburg May 19 - July 4, 1863, and the Western Louisiana Campaign October 2 - November 20, 1863.

Shortly after the Western Louisiana Campaign, Elisha was involved in a revolt against the 'hanging post' that was used by the Commander of the Regiment "for the purpose of tying up offenders against military order and discipline" (as examples to the rest of the men). Many objected to this inhumane treatment, viewing it as demeaning and barbaric. Elisha was arrested Feb 5, 1864 for his part in trying to rescue his friends who were hung in this manner. And on April 16th, 1864, the man who had fought with such zeal and dedication for the cause of the Union Army was now being tried by court-martial on the charges of mutiny. He was found guilty, reduced in rank, and sentenced to hard labor and confinement on Ship Island (off the coast of MS) for one year.

Conditions in prison were often more horrible than those on the battlefield. Prison diets consisted of pickled beef, salt pork, cornmeal, rice, or bean soup. The lack of fruits and vegetables often led to scurvy and other diseases. Starvation and poor sanitation kindled outbreaks of diseases like small pox, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and malaria. Of all the diseases present though, perhaps the most dangerous was that of depression. Many inmates did not survive - some 56,000 men perished in Civil War prisons. [-Yancey Hall for National Geographic News, July 1, 2003]

View of the back of Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island, Mississippi.
Courtesy of the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collection, LSU Libraries.

Elisha survived his confinement on Ship Island, but suffered from respiratory problems for the rest of his life. Upon his release in April of 1865, he was returned to his regiment (then in Baton Rouge, LA), as a Private, and in May of 1865, he was honorably discharged at Louisville, KY. By the time he returned home his daughter, Mary Catherine (born February 13, 1862) was now 3 years old.

The war had taken its toll on those who served and those who struggled at home, but it was time now to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild their lives, and their community.

In the years that followed Elisha and Elizabeth "Betty" had 6 more children; Susan Leticia "Letty" born April 25, 1867, William Harrison born April 25, 1868, Martha Ann "Mattie" born July 27, 1870, Hetta Regina "Hettie" born February 9, 1873, Delona Jane "Lona" or "Lonie" born March 14, 1876, and James WALTER born August 17, 1878.

Elisha's life was cut short when, on June 16, 1884, at the age of 45, he died of respiratory problems. His death record lists "consumption" (TB) as the cause of death, but Elisha blamed his increased health problems through the years on the conditions he suffered in prison and exposure to camp life during the Civil War.

Elisha's widow, Betty, was left with six children living at home, four of them minors under the age of 16. Elizabeth "Betty" Bowman was born in 1842/43. She married Elisha Thomas December 29, 1859 and they had seven children who bore them 53+ grandchildren. Sadly, Elisha did not live to see any of his grandchildren. Betty received a Widow's Pension until her death on November 30, 1913. Both Elisha and Betty are buried in the New Hope Church Cemetery on White Oak Creek Road in Owsley County, KY.

Sources:
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS)
Captain Thomas L. Speed's The Union Regiments of Kentucky
Civil War pension records of Eli, Levi, Elijah, and Elisha Thomas.
Court Martial record of Elisha Thomas and others involved in the same incident.