Colonel John Peyre Thomas Sr. (March 17, 1833 – February 11, 1912) was an educator, politician and historian who served as 6th Superintendent of the South Carolina Military Academy (now The Citadel).

Career

A native of Berkeley County, South Carolina he was First Honor Graduate of the Class of 1851 at the Citadel Academy in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

and upon graduation became a Professor of English and History at the

Arsenal Academy The Arsenal Academy was a military academy in Columbia, South Carolina, originally established in 1842 as an independent school by the state of South Carolina. In 1845, the academy became a component of the South Carolina Military Academy (now Th ...

in Columbia, the second of the two schools that made up the SCMA. In 1861, he became Superintendent of The Arsenal and also served as Commander of Company B of the Battalion of State Cadets, the military unit that comprised all of the cadets of the SCMA, who fought in eight engagements during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Thomas was in command of the Arsenal cadet company when the entire 343 man Corps of Cadets from the SCMA joined a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

force of 550 at the

Battle of Tulifinny The Battle of Tulifinny was an American Civil War engagement fought December 6–9, 1864 in South Carolina during General Sherman's March to the Sea, also known as the Savannah Campaign. Outnumbered 5-1 a Confederate force successfully defende ...

in December 1864; they successfully defended a section of the Savannah to Charleston rail line against a Union force of 5,000 allowing more than 100,000 Confederate troops to escape the advancing army of General William T. Sherman. This battle is the only time the entire student body of a United States college fought in combat. Thomas led Arsenal cadets when they fired what may have been the last shots of the American Civil War east of the Mississippi in a skirmish with Union troops at Williamston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865; the Battalion of State Cadets was the last armed Confederate force in South Carolina when it was disbanded by Thomas at

Newberry, South Carolina Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. The population was 10,277 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Newberry County; at one time it ...

on May 9. With the SCMA closed and occupied by Federal troops at the end of the conflict, Thomas studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1871; in 1873, he established the Carolina Military Institute in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and served as Superintendent for nine years. In 1882 by act of the South Carolina legislature the SCMA was reopened with a single campus at the site of the former Citadel Academy on Marion Square in Charleston with Thomas as Superintendent; he resigned in 1885 but continued as a member of the Board of Visitors. From 1886–87, Thomas served in the South Carolina State Legislature then was appointed State Historian, he authored numerous books among them being ''The History of the South Carolina Military Academy'' published in 1893 which covered the first 50 years of the school's existence.

Personal life

Thomas was married to Mary Caroline Gibbes (1835–1890), the couple had 14 children. Son

Albert Sidney Thomas Albert Sidney Thomas (February 6, 1873 – October 8, 1967) was ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, serving from 1928 to 1944. His father was John Peyre Thomas, Sr. Early life and education Thomas was born on February 6, 1873, ...

(1873–1967) later served as Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina and son John Peyre Thomas Jr. (1857–1946) was Dean of the Law School at the University of South Carolina. Colonel Thomas died in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

at the age of 78 and is buried in the cemetery of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Career

Personal life

References

Further reading