Shadrack Albert Thames (1839 - 1873)

Born 10 Nov 1839 in Simpson, Mississippi, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ajusta (Turner) Thames — married 17 Jun 1858 in Simpson, Mississippi, United States

Descendants

Died 14 Dec 1873 at age 34 in Simpson, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Becky Thames-Simmons [send private message]

Biography

Shadrack died around December 11, 1873 at the age of 34 years old, leaving wife and 8 children, from a leg wound he received in the Battle of Atlanta. It is my [Robert Thames's] belief he was wounded at the Battle of Allatoona Pass October 5,1864. He was paroled from Allatoona, according to the Application to Pension for Widows, on November 8,1864. He is buried in the Thames Cemetery in Simpson County, Mississippi.

Based on his CSA military records, he was born in 1839, which conflicts with his headstone.

The 1850 census gives his age as 10 or 11 (1839-1840), 1860 census gives his age as 22 (1838), and the 1870 census gives his age as 30 (1840). His headstone is likely in error.

On his son's (James Lewis Thames) death certificate, his father's name was recorded as Shade Thames (a nickname). Shadrack was born in Mississippi. His father, Timothy, was born in South Carolina in 1816. Timothy's father, Esquire (Squire) B Thames moved the family to Louisiana about 1818 from South Carolina. Esquire's son, James Robert Thames, was born there in 1819 and by the 1820 US census, Squire and family were in Covington County, Mississippi.

Shadrack (Shade) Thames enlisted in Company A of the 39th MS Regt. The unit was known as the "Simpson Grays." Shade enlisted March 8, 1862 at Westville, MS. They were in every major battle of the Army of Tennessee. The 39th surrendered May 4, 1865 at Citronelle, AL. Shade was wounded at Atlanta when a Minie ball struck him in the leg. The doctors wanted to amputate the leg but Shade begged them not to. His leg healed but was shorter and a special shoe had to be fitted to make up the difference. He apparently walked most of the way home. Due to the wounds received, he died 14 Dec 1873. Shade use to tell his children how bad the war was, saying he had to run the pigs out of the mudholes to get water to drink. His wife, Adjesta, tells the story on the day Shade was wounded, she was down at the spring and heard him cry out for help. The cry was so realistic, she dropped the bucket and ran to the house only to find her imagination was playing tricks on her.^[1]

Death and Burial

1. ↑ Citation needed.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #68683037
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4LF-PBW : 22 December 2020), Shadric Thames in household of Timothy Thames, Simpson, Mississippi, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GJ-T6Y : 14 December 2017), Shederick Thames in entry for Lewis Turner, 1860.
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFSR-D2P : 29 May 2021), Samuel Thames, 1870.
• Rogers-Rodgers, Westward From the Carolinas by William Morgan Brown. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LH8T-M66/shadrack-albert-%22shade%22-thames-jr.-1861-1953
• https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/Genealogy/Regiment/Mississippi/4/2313