A Guide to the Henry Goddard Thomas Letters and Memoirs 1868-1889
Collection Number MS1991-073
A Collection in
Special Collections



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P.O. Box 90001
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia 24062-9001
USA
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Fax: (540) 231-3694
Email: specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/

Processed by: Laura Katz Smith Special Collections Staff
Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

© 2000 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Administrative Information

Access

The collection is without restrictions.

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There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Henry Goddard Thomas Letters and Memoirs, 1868-1889, MS1991-073, Special Collections, University Libraries, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University.

Acquisition Information

Purchased in 1991 from the History Broker, Howard McManus.

Processing Information

Processed by Laura Katz Smith in 1993.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Collection number: MS1991-073
Title: Henry Goddard Thomas Letters and Memoirs 1868-1889
Physical Characteristics: 1 inch
Language: English
Abstract: Born in Maine; entered the Civil War as a private yet rose to the rank of brigadier general by the war's end. After 1862 he was involved with the recruitment and organization of Negro troops in the Union army. Commissioned several troops, in particular the 79th and 19th U.S. Colored Infantries. He remained in the army after the war and retired in 1891. Collection consists of twenty-two letters to Thomas from friends and relatives. Many of the letters refer to the Freedmen's Bureau and the newly freed slaves' attempts to establish schools and churches.

Scope and Content Information

From the letters to Henry Goddard Thomas one can gather that the General was a respected individual for his involvement with the black community. As an activist Thomas received various letters from individuals seeking to help educate the recently released slaves. Thomas was particularly active in the construction of churches for the black community as well as instruction for black ministers. Louis Hensen writes to thank the General for money for the construction of a Methodist church and informs him of the construction progress. A letter from Byron Greenough updates the progress of one such organization, the Institute for the Instruction of Colored Ministers in Virginia and Southern States. A letter from Rev. Commodore D. Hurt commends the work that government has done for the education of the "poor and downtrodden race." The letter also updates the General on the status of a black school in Russell County VA. Some letters also express the frustration of Thomas' peers over the treatment of blacks. The letter from P.S. Reeves dated June 17, 1868 relates a story involving "Regulators" and a black school teacher in Danville. An interesting letter from G.R. Rosselton, dated December 24, 1869, includes a brief synopsis of slavery in America.

Henry Goddard Thomas was also a man of considerable social standing as he had ties with the Virginia Governor Shelby, and his father and brother also appear to be quite active in the North in the same activities as Thomas. In politics the General was a member of the Grant and Colfax Club.

Biographical/Historical Information

Henry Goddard Thomaswas born in Portland Maine, on April 4, 1837. At the age of twenty-one he graduated from Amherst and then studied law and was admitted to the Maine bar. He was enlisted in the 5th Maine as a private in April, 1861, and was commissioned captain in June. This command fought at the battle of First Manassas, after which, on August 5, 1861, Thomas accepted a commission as a captain in the newly authorized 11th U.S. Infantry. He was on recruiting duty until the summer of 1862 and did not join his regiment until autumn. Thereafter his principle contribution to the war effort was the recruitment and organization of Negro troops, with whom he was associated with until the end of the war. He was commissioned colonel first of the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry and then of the 19th Colored Infantry, taking command of the latter on January 16, 1864. Thomas is said to have been the first officer of the Regular Army to accept a colonelcy of colored troops. (681) He was assigned to Ferrero's IX Corps's division of Negro troops at the beginning of U.S. Grant's Overland campaign and was present during all of the battles incident thereto, including the battle of The Crater. On November 30, 1864, Thomas was made a brigadier general of volunteers and transferred to Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James, where he commanded a brigade of four colored regiments in the XXV Corps. At the end of the war he was brevetted through all ranks to that of brigadier general, U.S. Army and major general of volunteers, but he was mustered out of volunteer service on January, 1886, as a captain of the 11th infantry, a grade which he occupied for the next decade. He became major of the 4th Infantry in 1876 and two years later transferred to the paymaster's department with the same rank. On July 2, 1891 he went on the retired list, and on January 23, 1897, he died in Oklahoma City. His remains were returned to Portland for burial.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Contents List