Knowledge

Charles L. Thomas (Medal of Honor, 1865)

Source 📝

245:. Thomas kept the animal with him in case his own horse was shot. Later that day, he rescued Private John Hutson of the 2nd Missouri Light Artillery, who had been abandoned by Cole's column because he was unable to walk. Hutson was hiding when Thomas found the private. Charles got him onto the spare horse, and brought him into Cole's and Walker's camp when they arrived at about 9 p.m. and delivered General Connor's message. The four men had ridden for 39 hours traveling over 135 miles alone in hostile territory. Thomas recalled that he had "left Camp Connor with over 350 rounds of ammunition and had 17 shots left when I arrived at Colonel Cole's Camp." He also said that "My old Spencer rifle was getting so hot I could not hold the barrel with my necked hand." The next morning, September 16, Connor provided Thomas' detail with an escort of 15 men commanded by Lieutenant Thomas H. Jones of the 2nd Missouri Artillery to report back to General Connor. Corporal Thomas and the two scouts arrived back at his camp on September 18, 1865. In all, Thomas and his three companions rode nearly 200 miles in less than 100 hours. 241:
mission. Connor told him he could have any animal in the camp for his mission, so Thomas chose Second Lieutenant Oscar Jewett's fine gray horse, which he said "was the finest horse I ever saw." Jewett objected and Connor threatened to have him arrested. Corporal Thomas and the three other unnamed men left Conner's camp at 7 a.m. on September 14, 1865, to find Colonels Cole and Walker and deliver to them a message from General Connor. That first day, the small party had several fights with small groups of Indians in the area, and they continued traveling throughout the night. On the second day, as they followed Cole's and Walker's trail along the Powder River, Thomas' group was again sighted and "began to exchange shots - it was a running fight for the balance of the day." Thomas was wounded by an arrow in the right leg, and he killed an Indian warrior and captured his horse, which had a U.S. Cavalry brand and had previously belonged to an unfortunate soldier of the
104: 179: 289: 240:
were surrounded by Indians on the Powder River. General Patrick Conner called for a volunteer "to go as a scout and find Cole or perish in the attempt." Corporal Charles L. Thomas was the only man who volunteered to go. Connor detailed Thomas, one other soldier, and two Indian scouts to carry out the
248:
Charles Thomas was promoted to Sergeant and mustered out in 1866. He returned to Ohio and later moved to Kansas. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on August 24, 1894. Charles L. Thomas died on February 24, 1923, in Dwight, Kansas. He is buried in the Dwight-Morris cemetery, in
218:. He left his home at Boudes Ferry Landing, Ohio to enlist in the 11th Ohio Cavalry in June 1863. He was mustered in at Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas served in the West along the Overland Road for the duration of the Civil War, earning a promotion to Corporal in February 1864. 35: 232:, Companies E and K, of the 11th Ohio Cavalry, and the left wing of the Powder River Expedition after a scout with 50 men. He reported that the right and center columns of the Powder River Expedition under Colonel 391: 261:
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company E, 11th Ohio Cavalry. Place and date: At Powder River, Montana and Dakota Territory, September 14–18, 1865. Entered service at: Ohio, United States Birth:
381: 307: 376: 242: 386: 302: 262: 320: 237: 222: 164: 275:
Carried a message through a country infested with hostile Indians and saved the life of a comrade en route.
250: 229: 371: 366: 202:
for heroism in September 1865 during the Powder River Expedition in Montana and Dakota Territory.
195: 121: 226: 149: 17: 294: 233: 199: 183: 81: 360: 225:
in Montana Territory in September, 1865, Captain Frank North returned to the camp of
109: 343: 215: 211: 65: 61: 159: 34: 335: 284: 139: 392:
American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor
308:
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
210:
Charles L. Thomas was born on February 12, 1843, in
172: 155: 145: 135: 127: 115: 97: 87: 71: 48: 25: 16:For the World War II Medal of Honor recipient, see 194:(February 12, 1843–February 24, 1923) was a 92:Dwight-Morris cemetery, Morris County, Kansas 8: 382:United States Army Medal of Honor recipients 321:"Medal of Honor recipient Charles L. Thomas" 33: 22: 340:Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients 7: 377:American people of the Indian Wars 14: 303:List of Medal of Honor recipients 39:Charles L. Thomas as depicted in 287: 265:Date of issue: August 24, 1894. 177: 102: 1: 387:United States Army soldiers 150:11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry 408: 263:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 15: 198:soldier who received the 32: 110:United States of America 257:Medal of Honor citation 236:and Lieutenant Colonel 223:Powder River Expedition 192:Charles Lawrence Thomas 165:Powder River Expedition 27:Charles Lawrence Thomas 278: 272: 251:Morris County, Kansas 128:Years of service 243:6th Michigan Cavalry 336:"Charles L. Thomas" 196:United States Army 122:United States Army 230:Patrick E. Connor 227:Brigadier General 189: 188: 75:February 24, 1923 59:February 12, 1843 18:Charles L. Thomas 399: 353: 351: 350: 331: 329: 327: 297: 295:Biography portal 292: 291: 290: 182: 181: 180: 117: 108: 106: 105: 78: 58: 56: 37: 23: 407: 406: 402: 401: 400: 398: 397: 396: 357: 356: 348: 346: 334: 325: 323: 319: 316: 293: 288: 286: 283: 259: 208: 178: 176: 103: 101: 93: 88:Place of burial 80: 76: 60: 54: 52: 44: 28: 21: 12: 11: 5: 405: 403: 395: 394: 389: 384: 379: 374: 369: 359: 358: 355: 354: 332: 315: 312: 311: 310: 305: 299: 298: 282: 279: 258: 255: 234:Nelson D. Cole 207: 204: 200:Medal of Honor 187: 186: 184:Medal of Honor 174: 170: 169: 168: 167: 157: 153: 152: 147: 143: 142: 137: 133: 132: 129: 125: 124: 119: 113: 112: 99: 95: 94: 91: 89: 85: 84: 82:Dwight, Kansas 79:(aged 80) 73: 69: 68: 50: 46: 45: 41:Deeds of Valor 38: 30: 29: 26: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 404: 393: 390: 388: 385: 383: 380: 378: 375: 373: 370: 368: 365: 364: 362: 345: 341: 337: 333: 326:September 24, 322: 318: 317: 313: 309: 306: 304: 301: 300: 296: 285: 280: 277: 276: 271: 270: 266: 264: 256: 254: 252: 246: 244: 239: 238:Samuel Walker 235: 231: 228: 224: 219: 217: 213: 205: 203: 201: 197: 193: 185: 175: 171: 166: 163: 162: 161: 158: 154: 151: 148: 144: 141: 138: 134: 130: 126: 123: 120: 114: 111: 100: 96: 90: 86: 83: 74: 70: 67: 63: 51: 47: 42: 36: 31: 24: 19: 347:. Retrieved 344:Find a Grave 339: 324:. Retrieved 274: 273: 268: 267: 260: 247: 220: 216:Pennsylvania 212:Philadelphia 209: 191: 190: 156:Battles/wars 77:(1923-02-24) 66:Pennsylvania 62:Philadelphia 40: 372:1923 deaths 367:1843 births 221:During the 160:Indian wars 131:1863 - 1866 43:, Volume II 361:Categories 349:2007-12-19 314:References 98:Allegiance 55:1843-02-12 269:Citation: 206:Biography 281:See also 140:Sergeant 116:Service/ 173:Awards 118:branch 107:  328:2010 146:Unit 136:Rank 72:Died 49:Born 363:: 342:. 338:. 253:. 214:, 64:, 352:. 330:. 57:) 53:( 20:.

Index

Charles L. Thomas

Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Dwight, Kansas
United States of America
United States Army
Sergeant
11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry
Indian wars
Powder River Expedition
Medal of Honor
United States Army
Medal of Honor
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
Powder River Expedition
Brigadier General
Patrick E. Connor
Nelson D. Cole
Samuel Walker
6th Michigan Cavalry
Morris County, Kansas
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography portal
List of Medal of Honor recipients
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars
"Medal of Honor recipient Charles L. Thomas"
"Charles L. Thomas"
Find a Grave

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.