Person:Philemon Thomas (4)

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Philemon Thomas (February 9, 1763 – November 18, 1847) was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing the state of Louisiana. He served two terms as a Democrat (1831–1835).

Philemon was born in Orange County, Virginia. He served in the American forces during Revolutionary War and later moved to Kentucky. He was a member of Kentucky's Constitutional Convention and served in the state House and state Senate. In 1806 he moved to Louisiana. He commanded troops who on 1810 September 23 captured the Spanish fort in at Baton Rouge, commencing the West Florida Rebellion of 1810. A few days later the West Florida Assembly, meeting at Saint Francisville, commissioned General Philemon Thomas to march the West Florida Army across the newly proclaimed Republic.

According to Southeastern Louisiana University history professor Sam Hyde,

Residents of the western Florida Parishes proved largely supportive of the revolt, . . . while the majority of the population in the eastern region of the Florida Parishes opposed the insurrection. Thomas’ army violently suppressed opponents of the revolt, leaving a bitter legacy in the Tangipahoa and Tchefuncte River regions.

Philemon Thomas served in the War of 1812 and later served two terms in Congress. He ran for Governor twice, in 1824 and in 1828. He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is interred there in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery.

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 5, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Thomas, Philemon - born 2/9/1763 in Orange County, Virginia; entered service 1778 in North Carolina regiment; granted Pension 1833 when member of U.S. Congress from Louisiana and referred to as General, Mrs. Lucretia Jane Fox Bridges made affidavit 1905 she was born 1/19/1829 in Kentucky, daughter of soldier's son Benjamin, also she was great granddaughter of Sir Philemon Hawkins, also she was the only living child of Benjamin Thomas who was a Major in Jackson's War in which his father was a general, also she was great granddaughter of Lewis Craig who would have been executed in Virginia for preaching the Missionary Baptist Doctrine but for the intervention of Patrick Henry; query letter in file in 1927 from descendant Miss Lucy B. Batton, Springfield, Missouri, states she was also a descendant of soldier's brother David whose father was General in the West Florida War in 1810, soldier & brother resided 1810 in Bourbon County, Kentucky F-S31417, R2371.

Headstone Inscription

To The

Memory of

GENL. PHILEMON THOMAS

who was born

in Orange County, Va.

Feb. 9th 1763.

and died

in Baton Rouge La.

Nov. 18th 1847.

1.   Philemon Thomas, the son of Richard Thomas II and Frances Hawkins, was born 1763 in Virginia. By about age 16, in 1778, he was enlisted in Col. Archibald Little's North Carolina regiment.
   During the years of the Revolutionary War, he served 12 months as a private, 3 months as quartermaster, 12 months as sergeant and 7 months as ensign. Between these tours of duty he served briefly with scouting parties against the Tories. He served under Gen. Nathanael Green during the Battle of Guilford Court House.
   
   http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Notables/Revolutionary%20War/Thomas,%20Philemon/Thomas,Philemon.shtml
2.   Natl Archives Pension Application Of Philemon Thomas, Microseries M804, Roll __, Application #S31417
   Washington County [now DC], February 1833:
   
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/thomas101gmt.txt