Like many men in Alabama in 1860, James Lloyd Thomas (1834) fought in the U.S. Civil War. His Confederate pension file could reveal important clues about himself and his family, so a close examination of the pension file documents is necessary. His pension file could help find his military packet, which could reveal more about his service.
Table of Contents
Confederate Pension File
Confederate pensions were managed by the state and, to some degree, the county where a Civil War veteran lived. The forms used were somewhat standardized, but each file varies in what it contains. Some files may include witness statements, detailed family information, financial status, military service details, and more. Veterans had to prove their service, and widows had to provide details about their marriage and financial needs.
There were three types of Confederate pension applications:
- Soldier and Sailor
- Widows
- Rejections
The file for James Lloyd Thomas contains both a soldier’s and a widow’s applications, but the documents are out of order and mixed up.
The entire file provides the following evidence:1
- Evidence for the marriage of Emilla and James Lloyd Thomas.
- James’s death date of 26 January 1908 was included in the widow’s application.
- James served in the 31st Alabama Infantry, Company C.
- James enlisted at Mims Crossroads, Shelby, Alabama, rather than in Jefferson County. His enlistment date was 18 April 1862, and he was discharged on 4 July 1865.
- James was blind at the time of application, and he was 67 years old.
- James lived in Clay, Jefferson County, Alabama.
- James and Emilla did not own any real estate.
- Names of witnesses who personally knew the applicants.
These details can be used to find more records about J. L. Thomas.
Military Packets
The details from the pension application made it possible to find James Lloyd Thomas’ military packet at Fold3. A military packet will vary depending on what it contains. It may contain an enlistment muster-in record, prisoner of war documents, medical cards, or receipts. There may be notations about a soldier’s age, battles, health status, and even death.
James’ military packet does mention some interesting details:2
- A description of James’ physical features. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall with dark hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.
- His enlistment date was actually 22 March 1862 at Mimms Crossroads, Shelby, Alabama. His enlistment was for three years or the duration of the war. He was 28 years old.
- He was captured at the Siege of Vicksburg and eventually released in a prisoner exchange.
- His initial training was at Camp Goldthwaite.
Additional searching of Civil War military records returns a military packet for a J. L. Thomas of Autauga County, Alabama. This packet only contained a medical card for a J. L. Thomas of Company K of the 32nd & 58th Alabama regiments. The 58th regiment had men from Autauga County. J. L. Thomas had a gunshot wound (Vulnus sclopetarium) and was transferred to another hospital. There was no notation about his death.3
Could this be the J. L. Thomas of Autauga County who married Sarah May? Could this be the son of John L. Thomas and Martha Edwards? It could explain why Sarah was alone in the 1870 U.S. Census with her children.4 The location suggests an indirect connection to John L. Thomas of the same county.
Neither the pension file nor the military packet provides any evidence of James Lloyd Thomas’ parents. It does connect James and Emilla to Jefferson County and Shelby County, Alabama. The second military packet also suggests there were two men named J. L. Thomas. One in Autauga County was wounded and in a hospital, and another from Jefferson County was captured as a prisoner of war.
If there were indeed two men with the same name, then a search for other parental candidates is needed in Jefferson County and Shelby County.
Sources
- “Alabama, Texas and Virginia, U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958,” entry for J L Thomas, 2 March 1901, pension file 16055, Jefferson County, Alabama; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.org : accessed 16 April 2025); citing Confederate Pension Applications, 1880-1940. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives and History. ↩︎
- “US, Civil War Service Records (CMSR) – Confederate – Alabama, 1861-1865”; digital images, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 16 April 2025), 31st Alabama Regiment Infantry, Co. C, entry for J L Thomas; citing National Archives microfilm publication Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , compiled 1903 – 1927, documenting the period 1861 – 1865, record group 109, Alabama. ↩︎
- “US, Civil War Service Records (CMSR) – Confederate – Alabama, 1861-1865”; digital images, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 16 April 2025), 32nd and 58th Alabama Consolidated Infantry, entry for J L Thomas; citing National Archives microfilm publication Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , compiled 1903 – 1927, documenting the period 1861 – 1865, record group 109, Alabama. ↩︎
- 1870 U.S. Census, Autauga County, Alabama, population schedule, Beat No. 5, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 317, family 317, Sarah Thomas household; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 April 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M593. ↩︎
