Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/109

Rh to numerous pamphlets, he published "Elpis Israel" (Loudon, 1848), and "Eureka," an exposi- tion of the Apocalypse (3 vols., 1860). Robert Roberts, of Birmingham, England, whom he ap- pointed to be his successor, visited this country in 1888, and delivered lectures in various towns.

THOMAS, John Addison, soldier, b. in Ten- nessee in 1811 ; d. in Paris, France, 26 March, 1858. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1833, assigned to the 3d artillery, served in garrison and as assistant instructor of infantry tactics, and became 2d lieutenant on 1 Dec, 1835, and 1st lieutenant, 30 June, 1837. In 1840-1 he was assistant professor of geography, history, and ethics at West Point, and in 1842-'5 he was com- mandant of cadets and instructor of infantry tactics. He was made captain on 19 Nov., 1843, and resigned on 28 May, 1846, to practise law in New York city. On 23 July, 1846, he became colonel of the 4th New York regiment, which had been raised for the war with Mexico, but was not mustered into service. He was chief engineer of New York state in 1853-'4, and from 19 April, 1853, to 15 Jan., 1854, was advocate of the United States in London, England, under the convention of 8 Feb., 1853, with Great Britain for the adjust- ment of American claims. From 1 Nov., 1855, till 4 April, 1857, he was assistant U. S. secretary of state in Washington, D. C. He gained reputation by his report of the convention with Great Britain, and by other state papers.

THOMAS, John R., song-writer, b. in Newport, Wales, in 1830. He came to this country at an early age, and for several years taught music in Brooklyn and New York city and frequently sang in oratorios. About 1852 he appeared with the Seguin opera company, and afterward he joined a troupe of negro minstrels. Pie has composed many songs that have become popular, including " The Cottage by the Sea," "Happy be thy Dreams," "Some One to Love," "'Tis but a Little Faded Flower," " Mother Kissed me in my Dreams," " Beautiful Isle of the Sea," " Angel Voices," " Land of Dreams," " Flag of the Free," " The Mother's Prayer," "The Voice of Effie Moore," "Eileen Alanna," "Seek, and Ye shall Find," "No Crown without the Cross."

THOMAS, Lorenzo, soldier, b. in New Castle, Del., 26 Oct., 1804; d. in Washington, D. C, 2 March, 1875. His father, Evan, was of Welsh ex- traction, and served in the militia during the war of, and one of his uncles was a favor- ite officer of Gen. Washington. He was at first des- tined for mercan- tile pursuits, but received an ap- pointment to the U. S. military acad- emy, and was grad- uated there in 1823. He served in the 4th infantry in Florida till '1831, and again in the Florida war of 1836 -'7, and as chief of staff of the army in that state in 1839-40, becoming captain, 23 Sept., 1836, and major on the staff and assistant adjutant-general, 7 July, 1838. He there did duty in the last-named office at Washing- ton till the Mexican war, in which he was chief of staff of Gen. William O. Butler in 1846-'8, and of the Army of Mexico till June, 1848, and received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel for gallantry at Monterey. He was then adjutant-general at army headquarters, Washington, till 1853, and chief of staff to Gen. Winfield Scott till 1861, when he was brevetted brigadier-general on 7 May, and made adjutant-general of the army on 3 Aug., with the full rank of brigadier-general. Here he served till 1863, when he was intrusted for two years with the organization of colored troops in the southern states. When President Johnson removed Edwin M. Stanton from his post as secretary of war he appointed Gen. Thomas secretary ad interim, 21 Feb., 1868, but, owing to Stanton's refusal to va- cate, Thomas did not enter on the office. He was brevetted major-general, United States army, on 13 March, 1865, for services during the civil war, and on 22 Feb., 1869, he was retired.

THOMAS, Philemon, soldier, b. in North Carolina in 1764; d. in Baton Rouge, La., 18 Nov., 1847. He received a public - school education, served in the war of the Revolution, and removed to Kentucky, where he was sent to the legislature. Afterward he settled in Louisiana, and headed the insurrection in West Florida against the Spanish government in 1810— '11. He was major-general of Louisiana militia in 1814-'15, and was afterward elected to congress, serving from 5 Dec, 1831, till 3 March, 1835.

THOMAS, Philip Evan, merchant, b. in Mount Radnor, Montgomery co., Md., 11 Nov., 1776; d. in Yonkers, N. Y., 1 Sept., 1861. His ancestor, Philip, came to this country from Wales in 1651, and was a member of the Society of Friends. The son settled in Baltimore, Md., and in 1800 established himself in the hardware busi- ness. He was president of the Mechanics' bank for many years, and president of the Maryland Bible society. He was a member of the Indian committee from the Baltimore yearly meeting of Quakers to the Indians at Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1804, and through his efforts the intrigues of the Ogden land company with the chiefs to dispossess the remnant of the Six Nations of their reserva- tions in western New York were defeated, the chiefs were deposed, and a republican form of govern- ment was established. Mr. Thomas was an origi- nator of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, resigning his post as director of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal to give his attention to this enterprise. He was the first president of the company, which office he resigned in 1836.

THOMAS, Philip Francis, governor of Maryland, b. in Easton, Talbot co., Md., 12 Sept., 1810. He is a connection of Sir Philip Francis, the supposed author of the " Junius Letters," for whom e is named. After receiving his education at the academy in Easton and at Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pa., he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1831, and practised in his native town. He was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1836, and served in the legislature in 1838, and again in 1843-5. Being elected to congress as a Democrat, he served from 2 Dec, 1839, till 3 March, 1841, and declined a renomination to the 28th congress, and resumed the practice of law. He was governor of the state from 1848 till 1851. He was "judge of the land-office of the eastern shore of Maryland, and in 1851 was made comptroller of the treasury, an office that was created by the constitution adopted in that year, but resigned in 1853 and accepted the place of collector of the port of Baltimore. "During the Mormon war he was of-