Thomas W. Henderson

By Angela Champion

The Civil War is something that will be remembered for many years to come mostly due to the fact that it was a huge turning point in history and not just for america. What people hardly ever focus on are the people that fought in the war itself and who they were and what they went through. Thomas W. Henderson was one of the many soldiers that fought in the war.

In looking at the Census of 1860, I located Thomas W. Henderson in Halifax, Virginia. According to the provided information on the site about him he was, at the time of the census, 33. It also provides the year of his birth, his place of residency, his family number, and the names and ages of others living in the household at the time. The census gives five other names of people living in the household at the time. Three of names are aged at under 10, and only one of the people, a twenty year old, ended in a different last name. Unfortunately the relationships of these people to Thomas Henderson was not provided. Henderson was born in 1827 and was around the age of 37 when he enlisted in the Confederate Army.

According to his Confederate Service Record, He voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate 6th Virginia Cavalry, which served as the cavalry for the 6th Regiment in Virginia in the Confederate Army. But before Henderson had ever enlisted in the army he had a life. His occupation at the time was being an overseer of a plantation. Overseer's job during this time was generally to keep an eye on the slaves working on the plantations and to make sure that they are doing the most work possible

The family number can be used look up on the 1860 census records. If you look up the number some important information it gives you is his occupation, whether he got married in the last year, attended school in the last year and if he can read or write. It says that he was not married in the last year, didn't attend school in the last year and he couldn't read or write. Thomas W. Henderson's service records include 7 pages, the first page of Henderson’s service records contain his name, and what company he was in. Henderson’s card numbers are also located on the first page, and these can be useful to anyone wanting to know more about Henderson and his time served in the war and see his primary source records. The primary source records I examined for his war service can be found in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Also listed on this first page is that his service records include one medical card and, unfortunately, no personal papers.

From the other pages in his service records I collected that he enlisted in Halifax Virginia, was in Company G, and enlisted on the first of April for July and August of 1864 and was present for the muster roll call. He was also present for another muster roll in Ashland for September and October in 1864. By looking at his attendance records it was possible to look up what battles that Henderson had fought in. I could find seven battles between August and October alone that Thomas W. Henderson would have fought in and lived through each and every one.

Henderson was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond Virginia on May 14 1864 and was diagnosed with Chronic Rheumatism. Henderson was released from the hospital and returned to duty on May 24. On December 11, 1864 Henderson died of Dibilitas in General Hospital in Harrisonburg Virginia.

In conclusion, Thomas W. Henderson was a fighter. He was brave to enlist voluntarily to fight for what he believed in. Henderson fought and prevailed through many battles. Even after being diagnosed with a chronic illness he continued on as long as he could. Though it might seem like a small feat to some; nonetheless, his story is an incredible one.

Citation Page

Civil War Soldiers - Confederate - VA

Publication Title:

Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia

Content Source:

The National Archives

Publication Number:

M324

Publisher:

NARA

National Archives Catalog ID:

586957

National Archives Catalog Title:

Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , compiled 1903 - 1927, documenting the period 1861 - 1865

Record Group:

109

State:

Virginia

Short Description:

NARA M324. Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Virginia units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.

1860 U.S. Census on Ancestry.com

Patchan, Scott C. Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Valley Campaigns of 1864. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,, 2007. Web. 5 June 2016.

Thomas W Henderson