Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. David Thomas was the third of six children, born to William and Elizabeth Thomas in Wilson County, Tennessee. His family had a history of military distinction, with his father, three uncles and both grandfathers all serving in the Revolutionary War. Little is known of his life in these early years, but it is assumed he was schooled as he later became a lawyer; possibly studying with his friend Sam Houston at Maryville College. He arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1835 and joined the United States Independent Volunteer Cavalry in December of that year. The next month he was one of the volunteers in the Matamoros Expedition and was commissioned a first lieutenant. The following month, he was elected one of the four representatives of the Refugio Municipality to attend the Convention of 1836 to discuss the coming secession and war with Mexico, and there signed the Texas Declaration of Independence as well as being named the ad interim Attorney General for the Republic. Within days, he was also named the ad interim Secretary of War when Thomas Rusk left the cabinet to fight alongside Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. What happened next is uncertain. On or about April 16, 1836, David was mortally wounded in the leg by a musket ball while on board the ship Cayuga as it retreated from Santa Anna's forces during the Runaway Scrape. There are multiple reports on what happened: that he died three days later in Galveston; that he died upon arrival at the San Jacinto Battlefield on April 22; that he died on board ship; the most reliable source states that he was taken off ship near the home of his friend Lorenzo de Zavala, where he died from shock and blood loss. In all cases, he was buried in de Zavala's family cemetery. In the early 1900s it was discovered that the cemetery was sliding into the bayou, so all of those laid to rest there were re-interred in a small area of San Jacinto Battlefield State Park known as de Zavala Plaza, where David now lies near his friend Lorenzo de Zavala and close to fellow signer Junius Mottley.