Thomas L Henry (1841 - 1909)

Born 31 Oct 1841 in Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Died 9 Apr 1909 at age 67 in Union, Kentucky, United States

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Thomas Henry served in the United States Civil War.
Side: CSA

Biography

The following are personal accounts and various writings on Guerrilla Tom based on a writeup from Guerrilla Tom's profile in my Lrayvick1 tree in Ancesrty:

Thomas L. Henry was also known as Guerrilla Tom Henry. He participated in the Springfield Raid, 3 Dec 1864. Reportedly wounded by James H. Bridgewater of the Union Home Guard during the war. Served time in the New Hampshire Penitentiary according to the New York Times 26 Feb 1866; reportedly released after his father paid the federal government to have that done. Reportedly once persuaded the James boys from robbing the bank in Union County.

When my grandmother, Clara Belle Vick nee Resler, died in 1964 her son & my father, Olpha Ray Vick, Jr came home from the funeral with a story about a notched pistol she had that had been used by a rebel uncle during the civil war. In 1988 Ella Vick's grandson Patrick Henry Vick told me she kept a notched six-shooter that had been carried by an unnamed uncle who rode with Jesse James. This was supposedly one of those things that was talked about in hushed voices. (My guess is the pistol ended up in the hands of Debora Plump nee Clarke, a granddaughter of Clara Belle.)

What always puzzled me was grandma's side was Yankee from Indiana. The only possible individuals who this could have involved would have been from her mother in law's family, the HENRYs, since our VICKs were the wrong ages or bought their way out of Civil War service. My gf Vick had died many years before 1964 so it would make sense that the pistol could have still been in the possession of my gm. The only tradition, which I have not been able to verify through actual records, that connected us directly to the Confederate side in the Civil War was Ella's father William G. Henry who Ella reportedly said served in the Confederate cause; but there are no specific records to that effect.

Another brother, George Henry, was a Confederate killed on November 18, 1863 in Morganfield, Kentucky in a shoot-out with Union soldiers. {Among those killed during this shoot-out were: "The dead were George Henry brother of Guerrilla Tom Henry; Captain George Stedman of Frankfort; and Lieutenant George Woolfolk of Hopkins County."}

According to Chester D. Henry, "My dad was born Nov. 6, 1886 and died April 27, 1967. I remember him telling about sitting on Guerrilla Tom's lap when he was a young boy. I remember him saying that Guerrilla Tom was shot through the mouth with a pistol or rifle and it ruined his mouth muscles and he could not spit after that."

According to my 3rd cousin Don Henry (Helen Myra Henry who married Aaron Lynn was a sister of my 2g gf William G. Henry & "Guerrilla" Tom Henry; the "James boys" Don mentions were of course Jesse & Frank.)

"William Alexander Henry was my 3g gf; I had also heard Jesse James stories when I was a kid but discounted them until now as just another "he rode with the James gang" story. I came up with a copy of notes by Joanna Davis Payne, a grand daughter of Aaron Robert Lynn and Helen Myra Henry. Lynn was the last surviving Civil War veteran from Union County to die, in 1941,....and, of course, knew Tom Henry, his brother in law, as well as the James boys. There is no indication in the notes that Lynn was with Quantrill.

Ms. Payne's account does report about an occasion when Tom Henry was imprisoned and his "father, William Alexander Henry" paid bounty to "President Lincoln" to get him released. (see the penitentiary comments above) Some of the "grandma told me" accounts in Ms. Payne's material may have come along to add to the rationalization of the James' Robin Hood image. She gives report to "Yankees" having come onto the James farm in Missouri and killed Frank's and Jessie's parents to account for their subsequent history" (this story of the killings is erroneous).

She goes on to say the James moved to Missouri from Kentucky...father was a Baptist preacher, graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. He founded churches in Missouri and also was a leader in the establishment of the first Baptist associated college west of the Mississippi. He took commission as chaplain for a wagon train moving to California around the time of the "49 gold rush" and contracted fatal illness and died in California. Mrs. James remarried twice after that....and though the "murder of the parents" may be a little askew there is record of some Missouri Union sympathizers coming onto the farm and "stringing up" the step-father. He was cut down alive but according to accounts suffered "brain damage" from oxygen deprivation. Ms. Payne reported that she was told that Tom Henry and the James boys knew each other "in school" before tying up with them in Quantrill's band. No information as to whether this was in Missouri (Bolivar, MO) or if they also attended Georgetown College. Rev. James was a "board member" at both schools.

Ms. Payne also gives substance to the report that Tom Henry used his war acquaintance with the James to dissuade them from robbing a Union County bank during their "outlaw time" after the war. She said her mother, Myra Payne's daughter Winnie Lynn b 1889, remembered many times sitting on "Frank James' knee" when he came to the Uniontown (Kentucky) races following his pardon for "robber roles". At that time he and Tom Henry worked as starters for the races.

One episode in Ms. Payne's report puts Tom Henry with the James in Robin Hood roles to rescue a poor widow woman from foreclosure on the farm. The boys gave her money - probably acquired by less than strictly legal means - to pay off the "banker" when he came to serve the papers, urging her to be sure and get a verified receipt for the payment. James (and Tom Henry by this account) then waylaid the banker as he made his way back to town and "recovered" their money."

Below is a bio about Guerrilla Tom from Brenda Joyce Jerome from her TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016 entry on: http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/01/guerrilla-tom-henry.html

Captain Thomas L. Henry, or "Guerrilla Tom" Henry as he was most commonly known, has been called one of the bravest men in Kentucky. When the Civil War broke out, he answered the South's call to arms by joining the Confederate Army. He was a man who would rather die than surrender and at one time was on a battlefield in Kentucky literally shot to pieces and left for dead. However, he survived and lived many more years. "Guerrilla Tom" joined the First Kentucky Infantry under Capt. Ingram, serving with Gen. Forrest for some time, but after three years of hard service, he joined Quantrell's band. It is said that after Quantrell's band merged into the James band, a raid on the Morganfield Bank was arranged, but saved by Henry, after which he left the gang.

During the war, Henry was captured, and so anxious were they to hold him that a double guard was put over him, but Capt. Tom Henry knocked them down left and right and after stealing two of their best horses, made good his escape and joined his men the next morning. At the Battle of Fort Donaldson, Capt. Henry refused to quit fighting and when a surrender was inevitable, he swam the river under heavy fire and made good his escape. One of his bravest and most daring acts was when he, with two other men, rode into Henderson while the city was overrun with Union soldiers with their flag flying from the court house, left his horse with his two followers, boldly walked through the guards, who thought he surely must have a pass. He took the flag, rushed down to his companions, and all made their escape. Years later while Frank James was visiting W.W. Wynns in Sturgis and hearing that Mr. Henry lived nearby, requested to have him sent for, which was done. Mr. James told Mr. Wynns that Tom Henry was the truest and bravest man he had ever known.

After President Lincoln was assassinated, Henry was arrested as a guerrilla and brought before a court in Louisville, was tried, convicted and sentenced to be hanged, but was pardoned by President Johnson. Henry died without ever having taken the oath of allegiance to his country. He came home after the war, showing many marks of hard fought battles. Besides his face and body being marked from many bullets, the finger of one hand was shot off and also lost a portion of his tongue, which made it difficult for him to talk. Thomas L. Henry was born in Union County, Kentucky 31 October 1841. His parents were William and Mary Henry. While he was in prison in Louisville, 1865, he professed religion. When he was released from prison he went to Texas, where he married widow Lizzie Nixon nee Russell 27 December 1866. To this union were born seven children, four daughters and three sons, all of whom survived Henry except one son.

Henry passed away at his home near Mattoon, Crittenden County, Kentucky 9 April 1909 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, Union County. Confederate soldiers and friends gathered in great numbers for the funeral of "Guerrilla Tom" Henry. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. R.C. Love of the Methodist Church of Marion.

According to the book on Sue Mundy, the author Jerome Clarke on pages 188 & 189 mentions Tom's capture by Edwin Terrell May 25, 1865 in Bloomfield, Kentucky. Several books mention Guerrilla Tom.

Another source is William Pennington's 1998 list of Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson's associates which mentions a Thomas Henry who "Rode with Quantrill only in Kentucky." This implies Tom was not on the Lawrence, Kansas Raid. The list also includes the James boys as well as other known Rebel fighters.

By Lannes Melvin Ray Vick, 2g grandnephew of Guerrilla Tom.

Sources

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KHKC-3K2