(NOTE: John Thomas probably never sat for a portrait before the Civil War began. John Thomas also may not have been well enough during his time in the 86th or the V.R.C. to have thought about sitting for a portrait, but if he was well enough during his days in Nashville, Tennessee with the 86th, he may, like most of the boys, have sat for a portrait to send home to his wife and family and to pass around with his tentmates and messmates within his company. If he did sit for a portrait, they were most often printed in the form of what was called a CDV, a paper picture glued to a heavier paper board, similar in size and thickess to a modern day baseball card.
Private John Thomas survived the war and lived into the 1870's. During this time, he may have sat for a few more portraits. John Thomas had no children, so there are no living direct descendants. However, if he did sit for a portrait, there may have been copies of his CDV passed on down though their descendants. If anyone seeing this has ANY photograph of John Thomas, it would be greatly appreciated by all with an interest and the Chillicothe Historical Society, if you could scan the photograph and add it to Private John Thomas' Find A Memorial site. Thanks, Baxter)
Private JOHN THOMAS, Co. C, 86th Illinois & Co. H or K, 8th V.R.C.
According to the Illinois Civil War muster records seen below, John Thomas was born c. 1823/24 in Dorchester County, Maryland and was residing in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois in August of 1862. At that time he is also listed as being single. However, he may have actually lied about his age when he went into the service as his birth date on his tombstone is recorded as being July 2, 1822. Census records have being born between 1822 and 1825.
However, it is found in Illinois marriage records, that John Thomas was married to Anny Hicks on March 11, 1856 in Peoria County, Illinois. Anna Hicks was born c. January 28, 1830 in Ohio, the daughter of Joel Hicks and Phoebe M. (Coleman) Hicks. Joel Hicks was born c. January 26, 1791 in Nova Scotia, Canada and died in or near Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois on November 12, 1859, while Phobe M. Coleman was born c. 1792 in Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut and died in 1873. The mortal remains of both Joel and Phoebe were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery near Rome, Peoria County, Illinois.
At the time of the 1860 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 35 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 30 Ohio
James Dolan M 33 Ireland
It does appear that this is the correct John Thomas so the martial status of single just appears to be an error.
On August 8, 1862, John Thomas went into Chillicothe, Illinois, where he volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, John Thomas' age is recorded as 38. John may very well have fudged on his age a little bit as, even at 38, he was one of the oldest members of the men that were accepted into the 86th Illinois. There were few 40 year old privates, which actually may have been his age, and he may have felt he had a better chance of being accepted into the service if he said he was 38, rather than 40.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives
Name THOMAS, JOHN Rank PVT
Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL
Age 38 Height 5' 7 Hair LIGHT Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity DORCHESTER CO, MD
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862
Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER
Period 3 YRS Muster In AUG 27, 1862
Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____
Muster Out _____ Muster Out Where _____
Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks TRANS TO VRC SEP 16, 1863
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers, including now Private John Thomas, were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
Even before the men of McCook's Brigade left the Louisville/Evansville area, men were having great difficulty with their new diet and lifestyle, neither being conducive to good health. Many men left behind in the makeshift hospitals in Louisville, when Buehl's army left Louisville. After the Battle of Perryville, which Private John Thomas may have participated in, on the march to Nashville, even more men were left behind sick at Danville, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky and at Gallatin, Tennessee. Private John Thomas is believed to have been left behind sick at Danvile, Kentucky. The men of McCook's Brigade reached Nashville in early November of 1862. During the winter of 1862/63, the makeshift army hospitals were full to overflowing with sick soldiers. Hundreds and hundreds of these soldiers died during that 1st winter in the field the cemetery were they were laid to rest was to become what is known as the Nashville National Cemetery. Three members of Co. C, who are known to have been having great difficulty with their health during this time period were Private John Thomas, Private Henry Clawson and Private Ansel Crouch..
On December 22, 1862, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, in a letter to his siblings, wrote, "Ike Hunt was here yesterday. he has been quite sick but is about well. he says he has a good place to stay in the Hospital. he did not get his pay yesterday on account of not being with us. when We signed the payroll they said he would get it to day or tomorrow. John Thomas is back at Danville yet. the report is that he is quite bad off. I don't know what is the matter with him. I never have got that dollar yet. he has been there for two months or over. I have not heard from Oscar for sometime nor Hen Crotz. our Co. is very small now. considerably many of them sick but none of them very seriously though."
Private John Thomas, not long after this, was sent back north to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was in and out of the hospital a number of times. Private Ansel Crouch's 1863 diary still survives, thanks to several members of the family, including his great granddaughter , Linda Coulter, of Farmington, Illinois. Ansel was another member of Co. C. In his very first diary enter he talks of the struggles he is having with his health. On January 28, 1863, Ansel wrote, "Went down at sick call. I got some pills for my Dyarhea. It was pretty could. Went out the the tent & saw the boys. My throat was quite sore. Had the Phthisre (?)." On January 29, 1863, Ansel wrote, "I & John Thomas went to Louisville. Saw Henry Clawson at the hospital. Went to No. 4 & 8 to try and find some of the Boys." At this time, most of the men of McCook's Brigade were stationed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Private John Thomas is believed to have spent a lot of his time in the service in the hospitals. Finally in September of 1863, army doctors decided that Private John Thomas was not fit for any further front line duties, but that he could help in other ways. So on September 16, 1863, Private John Thomas, of Co. C of the 86th Illinois was transferred to either Co. H or Co. K of the 8th Veteran Reserve Corps for further service. (NOTE: His pension card, which can be seen on Fold 3, is very difficult to read.)
The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally called the Invalid Corps, was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers to perform light duty, thus freeing up able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines. It existed from 1863 to 1869. The men serving in the Veteran Reserve Corps were organized into two battalions. The First Battalion generally included those whose disabilities were comparatively slight and who were still able to handle a musket and do some marching, also to perform guard or provost duty. The Second Battalion generally was made up of men whose disabilities were more serious, who had perhaps lost limbs or suffered some other grave injury. These latter were commonly employed as cooks, orderlies, nurses, or guards in public buildings.
Company H and K were both part of the 2nd Battalion. It is not known at this time where Co. H and Co. K of the 8th Regiment of the V.R.C. served but the men of these two companies, who were with these companies to the end of the war, were discharged from the service in August of 1865. So, there is little doubt that Private John Thomas was back home with his family by late August or early September of 1865.
At the time of the 1870 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 48 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 41 Ohio
Nathaniel Foster M 17 New York
George Rose M 14 Illinois
Phebe Hicks F 77 Connecticut
John Thomas died at the age of 54 on July 19, 1876, just 15 days after the nation celebrated it's Centennial. His mortal remains in the LaSalle Cemetery near where the mortal remains of Anna's parents had been laid.
Anna (Hicks) Thomas applied for a Widow's Pension in late 1879 or early 1880 and it appears that in March of 1880, Anna was granted a Widow's Pension for John Thomas service. At the time of the 1880 census, Anna is found, widowed, residing in Chillicothe Township, Peoria County, Illinois with the Weiler family;
Benjamin Weiler Self M 64 Pennsylvania
Margret Weiler Wife F 49 Ohio
Eliza Weiler Daughter F 29 Ohio
Mary Weiler Daughter F 27 Illinois
Ann Thomas Other F 50 Ohio
At the time of the 1900 census, Anna H. (Hicks) Thomas is found residing in Ward 1 - 3 of the city of Chillicothe, Illinois. She is listed as never having had any children;
Anna H Thomas Head F Jan 1830 70 Ohio
Mary Felcher Niece F 12 Deco
It appears that Anna spent the last months of her life in a hospital or sanitarium in the city of Peoria, Illinois. Anna (Hicks) Thomas died on July 13, 1915 in Peoria County, Illinois and her mortal remains were also laid in the LaSalle Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III, who can be reached at [email protected]
Private John Thomas survived the war and lived into the 1870's. During this time, he may have sat for a few more portraits. John Thomas had no children, so there are no living direct descendants. However, if he did sit for a portrait, there may have been copies of his CDV passed on down though their descendants. If anyone seeing this has ANY photograph of John Thomas, it would be greatly appreciated by all with an interest and the Chillicothe Historical Society, if you could scan the photograph and add it to Private John Thomas' Find A Memorial site. Thanks, Baxter)
Private JOHN THOMAS, Co. C, 86th Illinois & Co. H or K, 8th V.R.C.
According to the Illinois Civil War muster records seen below, John Thomas was born c. 1823/24 in Dorchester County, Maryland and was residing in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois in August of 1862. At that time he is also listed as being single. However, he may have actually lied about his age when he went into the service as his birth date on his tombstone is recorded as being July 2, 1822. Census records have being born between 1822 and 1825.
However, it is found in Illinois marriage records, that John Thomas was married to Anny Hicks on March 11, 1856 in Peoria County, Illinois. Anna Hicks was born c. January 28, 1830 in Ohio, the daughter of Joel Hicks and Phoebe M. (Coleman) Hicks. Joel Hicks was born c. January 26, 1791 in Nova Scotia, Canada and died in or near Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois on November 12, 1859, while Phobe M. Coleman was born c. 1792 in Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut and died in 1873. The mortal remains of both Joel and Phoebe were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery near Rome, Peoria County, Illinois.
At the time of the 1860 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 35 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 30 Ohio
James Dolan M 33 Ireland
It does appear that this is the correct John Thomas so the martial status of single just appears to be an error.
On August 8, 1862, John Thomas went into Chillicothe, Illinois, where he volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, John Thomas' age is recorded as 38. John may very well have fudged on his age a little bit as, even at 38, he was one of the oldest members of the men that were accepted into the 86th Illinois. There were few 40 year old privates, which actually may have been his age, and he may have felt he had a better chance of being accepted into the service if he said he was 38, rather than 40.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives
Name THOMAS, JOHN Rank PVT
Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL
Age 38 Height 5' 7 Hair LIGHT Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity DORCHESTER CO, MD
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862
Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER
Period 3 YRS Muster In AUG 27, 1862
Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____
Muster Out _____ Muster Out Where _____
Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks TRANS TO VRC SEP 16, 1863
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers, including now Private John Thomas, were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
Even before the men of McCook's Brigade left the Louisville/Evansville area, men were having great difficulty with their new diet and lifestyle, neither being conducive to good health. Many men left behind in the makeshift hospitals in Louisville, when Buehl's army left Louisville. After the Battle of Perryville, which Private John Thomas may have participated in, on the march to Nashville, even more men were left behind sick at Danville, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky and at Gallatin, Tennessee. Private John Thomas is believed to have been left behind sick at Danvile, Kentucky. The men of McCook's Brigade reached Nashville in early November of 1862. During the winter of 1862/63, the makeshift army hospitals were full to overflowing with sick soldiers. Hundreds and hundreds of these soldiers died during that 1st winter in the field the cemetery were they were laid to rest was to become what is known as the Nashville National Cemetery. Three members of Co. C, who are known to have been having great difficulty with their health during this time period were Private John Thomas, Private Henry Clawson and Private Ansel Crouch..
On December 22, 1862, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, in a letter to his siblings, wrote, "Ike Hunt was here yesterday. he has been quite sick but is about well. he says he has a good place to stay in the Hospital. he did not get his pay yesterday on account of not being with us. when We signed the payroll they said he would get it to day or tomorrow. John Thomas is back at Danville yet. the report is that he is quite bad off. I don't know what is the matter with him. I never have got that dollar yet. he has been there for two months or over. I have not heard from Oscar for sometime nor Hen Crotz. our Co. is very small now. considerably many of them sick but none of them very seriously though."
Private John Thomas, not long after this, was sent back north to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was in and out of the hospital a number of times. Private Ansel Crouch's 1863 diary still survives, thanks to several members of the family, including his great granddaughter , Linda Coulter, of Farmington, Illinois. Ansel was another member of Co. C. In his very first diary enter he talks of the struggles he is having with his health. On January 28, 1863, Ansel wrote, "Went down at sick call. I got some pills for my Dyarhea. It was pretty could. Went out the the tent & saw the boys. My throat was quite sore. Had the Phthisre (?)." On January 29, 1863, Ansel wrote, "I & John Thomas went to Louisville. Saw Henry Clawson at the hospital. Went to No. 4 & 8 to try and find some of the Boys." At this time, most of the men of McCook's Brigade were stationed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Private John Thomas is believed to have spent a lot of his time in the service in the hospitals. Finally in September of 1863, army doctors decided that Private John Thomas was not fit for any further front line duties, but that he could help in other ways. So on September 16, 1863, Private John Thomas, of Co. C of the 86th Illinois was transferred to either Co. H or Co. K of the 8th Veteran Reserve Corps for further service. (NOTE: His pension card, which can be seen on Fold 3, is very difficult to read.)
The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally called the Invalid Corps, was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers to perform light duty, thus freeing up able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines. It existed from 1863 to 1869. The men serving in the Veteran Reserve Corps were organized into two battalions. The First Battalion generally included those whose disabilities were comparatively slight and who were still able to handle a musket and do some marching, also to perform guard or provost duty. The Second Battalion generally was made up of men whose disabilities were more serious, who had perhaps lost limbs or suffered some other grave injury. These latter were commonly employed as cooks, orderlies, nurses, or guards in public buildings.
Company H and K were both part of the 2nd Battalion. It is not known at this time where Co. H and Co. K of the 8th Regiment of the V.R.C. served but the men of these two companies, who were with these companies to the end of the war, were discharged from the service in August of 1865. So, there is little doubt that Private John Thomas was back home with his family by late August or early September of 1865.
At the time of the 1870 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 48 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 41 Ohio
Nathaniel Foster M 17 New York
George Rose M 14 Illinois
Phebe Hicks F 77 Connecticut
John Thomas died at the age of 54 on July 19, 1876, just 15 days after the nation celebrated it's Centennial. His mortal remains in the LaSalle Cemetery near where the mortal remains of Anna's parents had been laid.
Anna (Hicks) Thomas applied for a Widow's Pension in late 1879 or early 1880 and it appears that in March of 1880, Anna was granted a Widow's Pension for John Thomas service. At the time of the 1880 census, Anna is found, widowed, residing in Chillicothe Township, Peoria County, Illinois with the Weiler family;
Benjamin Weiler Self M 64 Pennsylvania
Margret Weiler Wife F 49 Ohio
Eliza Weiler Daughter F 29 Ohio
Mary Weiler Daughter F 27 Illinois
Ann Thomas Other F 50 Ohio
At the time of the 1900 census, Anna H. (Hicks) Thomas is found residing in Ward 1 - 3 of the city of Chillicothe, Illinois. She is listed as never having had any children;
Anna H Thomas Head F Jan 1830 70 Ohio
Mary Felcher Niece F 12 Deco
It appears that Anna spent the last months of her life in a hospital or sanitarium in the city of Peoria, Illinois. Anna (Hicks) Thomas died on July 13, 1915 in Peoria County, Illinois and her mortal remains were also laid in the LaSalle Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III, who can be reached at [email protected]
(NOTE: John Thomas probably never sat for a portrait before the Civil War began. John Thomas also may not have been well enough during his time in the 86th or the V.R.C. to have thought about sitting for a portrait, but if he was well enough during his days in Nashville, Tennessee with the 86th, he may, like most of the boys, have sat for a portrait to send home to his wife and family and to pass around with his tentmates and messmates within his company. If he did sit for a portrait, they were most often printed in the form of what was called a CDV, a paper picture glued to a heavier paper board, similar in size and thickess to a modern day baseball card.
Private John Thomas survived the war and lived into the 1870's. During this time, he may have sat for a few more portraits. John Thomas had no children, so there are no living direct descendants. However, if he did sit for a portrait, there may have been copies of his CDV passed on down though their descendants. If anyone seeing this has ANY photograph of John Thomas, it would be greatly appreciated by all with an interest and the Chillicothe Historical Society, if you could scan the photograph and add it to Private John Thomas' Find A Memorial site. Thanks, Baxter)
Private JOHN THOMAS, Co. C, 86th Illinois & Co. H or K, 8th V.R.C.
According to the Illinois Civil War muster records seen below, John Thomas was born c. 1823/24 in Dorchester County, Maryland and was residing in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois in August of 1862. At that time he is also listed as being single. However, he may have actually lied about his age when he went into the service as his birth date on his tombstone is recorded as being July 2, 1822. Census records have being born between 1822 and 1825.
However, it is found in Illinois marriage records, that John Thomas was married to Anny Hicks on March 11, 1856 in Peoria County, Illinois. Anna Hicks was born c. January 28, 1830 in Ohio, the daughter of Joel Hicks and Phoebe M. (Coleman) Hicks. Joel Hicks was born c. January 26, 1791 in Nova Scotia, Canada and died in or near Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois on November 12, 1859, while Phobe M. Coleman was born c. 1792 in Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut and died in 1873. The mortal remains of both Joel and Phoebe were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery near Rome, Peoria County, Illinois.
At the time of the 1860 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 35 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 30 Ohio
James Dolan M 33 Ireland
It does appear that this is the correct John Thomas so the martial status of single just appears to be an error.
On August 8, 1862, John Thomas went into Chillicothe, Illinois, where he volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, John Thomas' age is recorded as 38. John may very well have fudged on his age a little bit as, even at 38, he was one of the oldest members of the men that were accepted into the 86th Illinois. There were few 40 year old privates, which actually may have been his age, and he may have felt he had a better chance of being accepted into the service if he said he was 38, rather than 40.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives
Name THOMAS, JOHN Rank PVT
Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL
Age 38 Height 5' 7 Hair LIGHT Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity DORCHESTER CO, MD
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862
Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER
Period 3 YRS Muster In AUG 27, 1862
Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____
Muster Out _____ Muster Out Where _____
Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks TRANS TO VRC SEP 16, 1863
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers, including now Private John Thomas, were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
Even before the men of McCook's Brigade left the Louisville/Evansville area, men were having great difficulty with their new diet and lifestyle, neither being conducive to good health. Many men left behind in the makeshift hospitals in Louisville, when Buehl's army left Louisville. After the Battle of Perryville, which Private John Thomas may have participated in, on the march to Nashville, even more men were left behind sick at Danville, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky and at Gallatin, Tennessee. Private John Thomas is believed to have been left behind sick at Danvile, Kentucky. The men of McCook's Brigade reached Nashville in early November of 1862. During the winter of 1862/63, the makeshift army hospitals were full to overflowing with sick soldiers. Hundreds and hundreds of these soldiers died during that 1st winter in the field the cemetery were they were laid to rest was to become what is known as the Nashville National Cemetery. Three members of Co. C, who are known to have been having great difficulty with their health during this time period were Private John Thomas, Private Henry Clawson and Private Ansel Crouch..
On December 22, 1862, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, in a letter to his siblings, wrote, "Ike Hunt was here yesterday. he has been quite sick but is about well. he says he has a good place to stay in the Hospital. he did not get his pay yesterday on account of not being with us. when We signed the payroll they said he would get it to day or tomorrow. John Thomas is back at Danville yet. the report is that he is quite bad off. I don't know what is the matter with him. I never have got that dollar yet. he has been there for two months or over. I have not heard from Oscar for sometime nor Hen Crotz. our Co. is very small now. considerably many of them sick but none of them very seriously though."
Private John Thomas, not long after this, was sent back north to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was in and out of the hospital a number of times. Private Ansel Crouch's 1863 diary still survives, thanks to several members of the family, including his great granddaughter , Linda Coulter, of Farmington, Illinois. Ansel was another member of Co. C. In his very first diary enter he talks of the struggles he is having with his health. On January 28, 1863, Ansel wrote, "Went down at sick call. I got some pills for my Dyarhea. It was pretty could. Went out the the tent & saw the boys. My throat was quite sore. Had the Phthisre (?)." On January 29, 1863, Ansel wrote, "I & John Thomas went to Louisville. Saw Henry Clawson at the hospital. Went to No. 4 & 8 to try and find some of the Boys." At this time, most of the men of McCook's Brigade were stationed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Private John Thomas is believed to have spent a lot of his time in the service in the hospitals. Finally in September of 1863, army doctors decided that Private John Thomas was not fit for any further front line duties, but that he could help in other ways. So on September 16, 1863, Private John Thomas, of Co. C of the 86th Illinois was transferred to either Co. H or Co. K of the 8th Veteran Reserve Corps for further service. (NOTE: His pension card, which can be seen on Fold 3, is very difficult to read.)
The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally called the Invalid Corps, was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers to perform light duty, thus freeing up able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines. It existed from 1863 to 1869. The men serving in the Veteran Reserve Corps were organized into two battalions. The First Battalion generally included those whose disabilities were comparatively slight and who were still able to handle a musket and do some marching, also to perform guard or provost duty. The Second Battalion generally was made up of men whose disabilities were more serious, who had perhaps lost limbs or suffered some other grave injury. These latter were commonly employed as cooks, orderlies, nurses, or guards in public buildings.
Company H and K were both part of the 2nd Battalion. It is not known at this time where Co. H and Co. K of the 8th Regiment of the V.R.C. served but the men of these two companies, who were with these companies to the end of the war, were discharged from the service in August of 1865. So, there is little doubt that Private John Thomas was back home with his family by late August or early September of 1865.
At the time of the 1870 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 48 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 41 Ohio
Nathaniel Foster M 17 New York
George Rose M 14 Illinois
Phebe Hicks F 77 Connecticut
John Thomas died at the age of 54 on July 19, 1876, just 15 days after the nation celebrated it's Centennial. His mortal remains in the LaSalle Cemetery near where the mortal remains of Anna's parents had been laid.
Anna (Hicks) Thomas applied for a Widow's Pension in late 1879 or early 1880 and it appears that in March of 1880, Anna was granted a Widow's Pension for John Thomas service. At the time of the 1880 census, Anna is found, widowed, residing in Chillicothe Township, Peoria County, Illinois with the Weiler family;
Benjamin Weiler Self M 64 Pennsylvania
Margret Weiler Wife F 49 Ohio
Eliza Weiler Daughter F 29 Ohio
Mary Weiler Daughter F 27 Illinois
Ann Thomas Other F 50 Ohio
At the time of the 1900 census, Anna H. (Hicks) Thomas is found residing in Ward 1 - 3 of the city of Chillicothe, Illinois. She is listed as never having had any children;
Anna H Thomas Head F Jan 1830 70 Ohio
Mary Felcher Niece F 12 Deco
It appears that Anna spent the last months of her life in a hospital or sanitarium in the city of Peoria, Illinois. Anna (Hicks) Thomas died on July 13, 1915 in Peoria County, Illinois and her mortal remains were also laid in the LaSalle Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III, who can be reached at [email protected]
Private John Thomas survived the war and lived into the 1870's. During this time, he may have sat for a few more portraits. John Thomas had no children, so there are no living direct descendants. However, if he did sit for a portrait, there may have been copies of his CDV passed on down though their descendants. If anyone seeing this has ANY photograph of John Thomas, it would be greatly appreciated by all with an interest and the Chillicothe Historical Society, if you could scan the photograph and add it to Private John Thomas' Find A Memorial site. Thanks, Baxter)
Private JOHN THOMAS, Co. C, 86th Illinois & Co. H or K, 8th V.R.C.
According to the Illinois Civil War muster records seen below, John Thomas was born c. 1823/24 in Dorchester County, Maryland and was residing in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois in August of 1862. At that time he is also listed as being single. However, he may have actually lied about his age when he went into the service as his birth date on his tombstone is recorded as being July 2, 1822. Census records have being born between 1822 and 1825.
However, it is found in Illinois marriage records, that John Thomas was married to Anny Hicks on March 11, 1856 in Peoria County, Illinois. Anna Hicks was born c. January 28, 1830 in Ohio, the daughter of Joel Hicks and Phoebe M. (Coleman) Hicks. Joel Hicks was born c. January 26, 1791 in Nova Scotia, Canada and died in or near Chillicothe, Peoria County, Illinois on November 12, 1859, while Phobe M. Coleman was born c. 1792 in Coventry, Tolland County, Connecticut and died in 1873. The mortal remains of both Joel and Phoebe were laid in the LaSalle Cemetery near Rome, Peoria County, Illinois.
At the time of the 1860 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 35 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 30 Ohio
James Dolan M 33 Ireland
It does appear that this is the correct John Thomas so the martial status of single just appears to be an error.
On August 8, 1862, John Thomas went into Chillicothe, Illinois, where he volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, and in the townships immediately north and west of Chillicothe, including Halleck Township in Peoria County and LaPrairie and Saratoga Townships in Marshall County. This company was being raised by John H. Batchelder, who operated the Ferry at Chillicothe, and Dr. Joseph Thomas, a Chillicothe area Physician. When he volunteered, John Thomas' age is recorded as 38. John may very well have fudged on his age a little bit as, even at 38, he was one of the oldest members of the men that were accepted into the 86th Illinois. There were few 40 year old privates, which actually may have been his age, and he may have felt he had a better chance of being accepted into the service if he said he was 38, rather than 40.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives
Name THOMAS, JOHN Rank PVT
Company C Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence HALLECK, PEORIA CO, IL
Age 38 Height 5' 7 Hair LIGHT Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity DORCHESTER CO, MD
Service Record
Joined When AUG 8, 1862
Joined Where CHILLICOTHE, IL
Joined By Whom J H BATCHELDER
Period 3 YRS Muster In AUG 27, 1862
Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____
Muster Out _____ Muster Out Where _____
Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks TRANS TO VRC SEP 16, 1863
When Batchelder and Thomas had almost 100 volunteers, they led the Chillicothe area company into Peoria where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 27, 1862, Batchelder, Thomas and 87 of their volunteers, including now Private John Thomas, were mustered into service as Co. C of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Thomas was elected by the men of Co. C to serve as their Captain, while Batchelder was elected to serve as their 1st Lieutenant.
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out the gates of Camp Lyon, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare, down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. By early October, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's Brigade, in pursuit of Confederate troops. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. There would be many more to come. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate troops withdrew from Kentucky and the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee where they would go into winter camp.
Even before the men of McCook's Brigade left the Louisville/Evansville area, men were having great difficulty with their new diet and lifestyle, neither being conducive to good health. Many men left behind in the makeshift hospitals in Louisville, when Buehl's army left Louisville. After the Battle of Perryville, which Private John Thomas may have participated in, on the march to Nashville, even more men were left behind sick at Danville, Kentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky and at Gallatin, Tennessee. Private John Thomas is believed to have been left behind sick at Danvile, Kentucky. The men of McCook's Brigade reached Nashville in early November of 1862. During the winter of 1862/63, the makeshift army hospitals were full to overflowing with sick soldiers. Hundreds and hundreds of these soldiers died during that 1st winter in the field the cemetery were they were laid to rest was to become what is known as the Nashville National Cemetery. Three members of Co. C, who are known to have been having great difficulty with their health during this time period were Private John Thomas, Private Henry Clawson and Private Ansel Crouch..
On December 22, 1862, Private Frederick Saxton, another member of Co. C, in a letter to his siblings, wrote, "Ike Hunt was here yesterday. he has been quite sick but is about well. he says he has a good place to stay in the Hospital. he did not get his pay yesterday on account of not being with us. when We signed the payroll they said he would get it to day or tomorrow. John Thomas is back at Danville yet. the report is that he is quite bad off. I don't know what is the matter with him. I never have got that dollar yet. he has been there for two months or over. I have not heard from Oscar for sometime nor Hen Crotz. our Co. is very small now. considerably many of them sick but none of them very seriously though."
Private John Thomas, not long after this, was sent back north to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was in and out of the hospital a number of times. Private Ansel Crouch's 1863 diary still survives, thanks to several members of the family, including his great granddaughter , Linda Coulter, of Farmington, Illinois. Ansel was another member of Co. C. In his very first diary enter he talks of the struggles he is having with his health. On January 28, 1863, Ansel wrote, "Went down at sick call. I got some pills for my Dyarhea. It was pretty could. Went out the the tent & saw the boys. My throat was quite sore. Had the Phthisre (?)." On January 29, 1863, Ansel wrote, "I & John Thomas went to Louisville. Saw Henry Clawson at the hospital. Went to No. 4 & 8 to try and find some of the Boys." At this time, most of the men of McCook's Brigade were stationed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Private John Thomas is believed to have spent a lot of his time in the service in the hospitals. Finally in September of 1863, army doctors decided that Private John Thomas was not fit for any further front line duties, but that he could help in other ways. So on September 16, 1863, Private John Thomas, of Co. C of the 86th Illinois was transferred to either Co. H or Co. K of the 8th Veteran Reserve Corps for further service. (NOTE: His pension card, which can be seen on Fold 3, is very difficult to read.)
The Veteran Reserve Corps, originally called the Invalid Corps, was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers to perform light duty, thus freeing up able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines. It existed from 1863 to 1869. The men serving in the Veteran Reserve Corps were organized into two battalions. The First Battalion generally included those whose disabilities were comparatively slight and who were still able to handle a musket and do some marching, also to perform guard or provost duty. The Second Battalion generally was made up of men whose disabilities were more serious, who had perhaps lost limbs or suffered some other grave injury. These latter were commonly employed as cooks, orderlies, nurses, or guards in public buildings.
Company H and K were both part of the 2nd Battalion. It is not known at this time where Co. H and Co. K of the 8th Regiment of the V.R.C. served but the men of these two companies, who were with these companies to the end of the war, were discharged from the service in August of 1865. So, there is little doubt that Private John Thomas was back home with his family by late August or early September of 1865.
At the time of the 1870 census, John Thomas is found in Hallock Township, Peoria County, Illinois;
John Thomas M 48 Maryland
Anna Thomas F 41 Ohio
Nathaniel Foster M 17 New York
George Rose M 14 Illinois
Phebe Hicks F 77 Connecticut
John Thomas died at the age of 54 on July 19, 1876, just 15 days after the nation celebrated it's Centennial. His mortal remains in the LaSalle Cemetery near where the mortal remains of Anna's parents had been laid.
Anna (Hicks) Thomas applied for a Widow's Pension in late 1879 or early 1880 and it appears that in March of 1880, Anna was granted a Widow's Pension for John Thomas service. At the time of the 1880 census, Anna is found, widowed, residing in Chillicothe Township, Peoria County, Illinois with the Weiler family;
Benjamin Weiler Self M 64 Pennsylvania
Margret Weiler Wife F 49 Ohio
Eliza Weiler Daughter F 29 Ohio
Mary Weiler Daughter F 27 Illinois
Ann Thomas Other F 50 Ohio
At the time of the 1900 census, Anna H. (Hicks) Thomas is found residing in Ward 1 - 3 of the city of Chillicothe, Illinois. She is listed as never having had any children;
Anna H Thomas Head F Jan 1830 70 Ohio
Mary Felcher Niece F 12 Deco
It appears that Anna spent the last months of her life in a hospital or sanitarium in the city of Peoria, Illinois. Anna (Hicks) Thomas died on July 13, 1915 in Peoria County, Illinois and her mortal remains were also laid in the LaSalle Cemetery.
by Baxter B. Fite III, who can be reached at [email protected]
Family Members
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