William H. Thomas (September 25, 1821December 26, 1898) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer, Democratic politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He served two terms in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing

Waukesha County Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

, and served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

cavalry officer 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 ...

Biography

Thomas was born on September 25, 1821, in

Clinton County, New York Clinton County is a county in the north-easternmost corner of the state of New York, in the United States and bordered by the Canadian province of Quebec. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 79,843. Its county seat is the ci ...

, and received a liberal education. He came to the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

as a young man, in 1838, and settled a large farm in the town of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, in what is now

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

. He became active with the

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public educa ...

and was elected to the 4th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly, representing

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

and

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counties—Milwaukee County at that time comprised all of the territory which is now Waukesha County. After Wisconsin achieved statehood, Thomas was elected to the

for the

2nd Wisconsin Legislature The Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1849, to April 2, 1849, in regular session. Senators representing odd numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Senators ...

, representing northeastern Waukesha County. He was elected to another term in 1860, serving in the 14th Wisconsin Legislature. The

began during his second term in the Wisconsin State Assembly. After the legislative term, he enrolled as a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

for service with the

and was enlisted as a private in the Company D of the

3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment was a volunteer cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment was organized at Janesville, Wisconsin, from November 30, 1861, to January ...

. Shortly after the regiment was organized, Thomas was commissioned as adjutant for the regiment's 1st battalion. He served in that role until October 1862, when he was commissioned

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of Company H. He served through most of the war and resigned in September 1864. The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry served primarily in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the war, engaged in suppression of guerilla activity in Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. After the war, he moved to

Waukesha, Wisconsin Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha. History The area that ...

, and subsequently moved to

Pewaukee, Wisconsin Pewaukee is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The population was 13,195 at the 2010 census. The Village of Pewaukee, which was incorporated out of the town before it incorporated as a city, is surrounded by the city. The name of the city ...

, where he had an active and successful legal practice. He was elected

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

of Waukesha County in 1879 and was re-elected in 1881 and 1884, serving seven consecutive years in the office. Thomas was a political ally of

Edward S. Bragg Edward Stuyvesant Bragg (February 20, 1827June 20, 1912) was an American politician, lawyer, soldier, and diplomat. He was an accomplished Union Army officer in the American Civil War and served four terms in the United States House of Represent ...

, and was described as Bragg's right-hand man during the contentious 1882 Democratic 2nd congressional district convention. Bragg engaged in a bitter feud through the convention with

Arthur Delaney Arthur McEvoy Delaney born 9 December 1927, Chorlton upon Medlock, Manchester, Lancashire - died 17 April 1987 (Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester) was an English painter whose scenes of Manchester life were influenced by those of L. S. Low ...

over the congressional nomination. After 1600 ballots were taken, neither man received the nomination. William H. Thomas died on December 26, 1898, at his home in Pewaukee.

Personal life and family

William H. Thomas married three times. He divorced his first wife and was widowed twice. He had at least twelve children, though several died in childhood.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, William H. 1821 births 1898 deaths People from Clinton County, New York People from Waukesha County, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature District attorneys in Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army officers Union Army soldiers 19th-century American legislators 19th-century Wisconsin politicians