Henry Thomas Lewis Confederate Soldier

"The Typical Confederate Soldier"

"Johnny Reb- - - - the model citizen soldier, military hero of the nineteenth century, place him where duty calls, in the imminent deadly breach or the perilous charge, and none in all the armies of the earth can claim a higher rank or prouder record. The worn and faded gray jacket, glorified by valor and stained with the life blood of its wearer, becomes, in its immortality of association, a more splendid vestment than mail of medieval knight or the rarest robe of royalty. Half clad, half armed, often half fed, without money and without price, the Confederate soldier fought against the resources of the world. When at last his flag was furled and his arms were grounded in defeat, the cause for which he had struggled was lost, but he had won the fadeless victory of soldiership."

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By G. H. Baskette, Nashville, TN
(Published in 1893 Confederate Veteran magazine)


"To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought; to your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Remember, it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations."

General Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General, United Confederate Veterans, New Orleans, Louisiana - 1906

Henry Thomas Lewis 2nd Texas Cavalry CSA

Henry Thomas Lewis was born on February 1, 1843 in Green County, Alabama to Francis Wesley and Jane (Thompson) Lewis. His paternal grandparents were Nathaniel and Sarah (Harris) Lewis. His paternal great grandparents were Edward and Mary (Bressie) Lewis and Charles and Sarah (Allen) Harris. His maternal grandparents were Henry Butt Thompson and Precilla Jackson. The Thompsons were of Scots-Irish and Native American Heritage (Chickasaw-Choctaw). The original Thompson Progenitor of American Thompsons was John Thompson, a seaman who owned his own ship, "Ranger". He died at sea in the Carribean, near Barbados, at the hands of pirates who had captured his ship. The family is said to go back to the 1400's in Scotland using the Thompson name and were thought to be of Danish origin rather than Celtic.

Henry Thomas had a younger brother, James Polk, and two older sisters; Sarah A. and Mary Frances. The family migrated to Pulaski County, Arkansas by February, 1843 and two more children were born, Martha L. and Charles, who died very young. Jane died prior to 1853, probably from Malaria, called "Swamp Fever" by the old timers. After Jane died, Francis remarried to Judith Ann (Jennings) Duvall on May 1, 1853. Another son, Francis Washington, was born to Francis and Judith on September 13, 1855.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Henry Thomas is believed by some family researchers to have served in the Texas 2nd Cavalry, though his pension application does not mention the Texas 2nd. His pension application says he served in the Arkansas 20th Cavalry and recent information bears that out. See this information about the Arkansas 20th Infanty, whose activities parallel the ones he described in his pension application. He saw action at Vicksburg in July 1863, where he was badly wounded in the hip. Surgeons wanted to amputate his leg, but he refused. It was said that he reinforced his refusal by drawing a pistol he had hidden under his mattress. He recovered and fought almost another year. According to his application for pension, he fought at Jenkins Ferry in the muddy, bloody three day battle which occurred the last of April, 1864. His own father's Saline County property was endangered by the planned objective of the Red River Campaign. After their terrible losses at Poison Springs and Jenkins Ferry, the Union army retreated back to Northern Arkansas for the duration of the war and abandoned their plan to invade Texas. The Campaign had cost the Confederates badly also. Their unit was dismounted and since Henry could not walk along with the rest of the soldiers, due to the hip wound which affected him the rest of his life, he was mustered out. Soon after the end of the War, he traveled to Texas.

The first work Henry did in Texas was at a tannery in the Cedar Mills community. In Travis County, he met and married Susan Wilkes, daughter of James Madison and Lucinda Gambill Wilkes. Their children were: Francis Porter, born September 9, 1869, Murat H. (Preach) born 1872, Rosella born 1873, Zelma born 1877, Henry Bart born 1878, Mary Irene (Mamie) and Elzie who died at age 21.

At the time of the 1870 Census, Henry and Susan and their first born son, Francis Porter (Frank) were living in the Oatmeal Community in Burnet County. He later purchased 200 acres on the Colorado riverbank in the Spicewood area in Burnet County, paying for the purchase with gold dollars according to county records.

Henry Thomas Lewis died in Burnet County on August 24, 1928 at the age of 86. He was buried in the Lewis Cemetery near Spicewood. He and Susan have many descendants in Texas, as well as many other localities.

Henry Thomas Lewis Obituary

"A Gift of A Thistle" from the movie, Braveheart, MIDI music in honor of Robert the Bruce from whom Jane Thompson was a direct descendant.

Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, descended from the Norman De Brus family who came over to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. Shortly before his death, he asked that when he died, his heart be removed from his body and carried in a lead box with his good friend, Sir James Douglas, when he went to fight the Infidels. His wishes were honored and his heart was taken into battle in some manner, details of which vary. Douglas fell in the Battle of Teba in Spain, but supposedly before he did, he flung the heart forward into the midst of the Moors, crying: "Forward, brave heart, as ever thou were wont to do, and Douglas will follow thee or die". Bruce's heart was brought back to Scotland by William Keith of Galston for burial in Melrose Abbey.

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The original photograph used here, may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. The information presented on this web site was derived from many sources. Whenever possible, I will site the source and be able furnish printout pages for photocopies to family researchers. Please verify facts independently. Additions and corrections are welcome. All information is intended for personal genealogical research only. May not be used for commercial purposes. May not be published elsewhere without written permission.