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Compiled by the National Archivists before
the microfilming of the Civil War records. |
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Photo from The Story of
Coal and Iron in Alabama, Ethel Armes (1910) |
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Entries in blue are references
and my additions
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Thomas Peters was born October
23, 1812 in Wake County, N. C. He was living in Memphis when the war
started. He was over six feet tall, lithe, erect and vigorous, with
an aquiline nose, high cheek bones and jet black hair. His
occupations had included river man, cotton planter, railroad
contractor, trader, prospector and cotton broker. During the 1850's
he took contracts to build levees on the Mississippi River, and, at
the war's outbreak was engaged with Sam Tate in the construction of
the Memphis & Charleston RR.
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Peters married Ann Eliza Glasgow
of Tennessee in 1837; she died childless five years later. Peters
married second wife Sarah Jane
Irons in Tennessee in 1846 (died
in 1859). They had one daughter, Amelia.
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Thomas spent the post-war years
exploring and extolling the lands of western Alabama, especially its
iron and coal resources. He died in 1883 in
Louisville, while a resident of Birmingham, Alabama.
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| Peters, Thomas -- Maj. & C. S.
M.; Maj. & Q. M. |
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Polk's Command
|
| July 19, 1861 |
Appointed from Tennessee as Major in Commissary
Service, to report to General Polk |
| Pillow's Command |
| August 20, 1861 |
Return gives him as Major & QM of General Pillow's
Division
|
| Polk's Command |
| October 24, 1861 |
Appointed Quartermaster, to report to General Polk
|
| November 18, 1861 |
General Polk nominates Mr. Thomas Peters to be Q. M.
on his staff, with the rank of Major
|
| November 21, 1861 |
Was ordered to buy
certain steamboats
|
| November 25, 1861 |
Executed his bond, in Shelby
County, Tenn. (required to be able to serve as a Quartermaster)
|
| December 4, 1861 |
Sold a steamer at
Columbus, Ky.
|
| January 12, 1862 - August 20, 1863 |
All records show him to be a Major and Quartermaster,
reporting to General Polk
|
| Miscellaneous |
| June 8, 1863 |
Requested use of an
iron works for army needs
|
| July 23, 1863 |
As Major and Chief Quartermaster of Polk's Corps, was
ordered on special business in Georgia and Alabama by General Bragg
|
| July 27, 1863 |
Sent to South
Georgia and South Alabama to hurry forward corn and fodder to the
Army of Tennessee
|
| August 19, 1863 to at least
January 21, 1864 |
Worked with the Railroad Bureau
to arrange through transportation in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama
| NA,
RRB 8-19-63 |
| NA,
RRB 8-22-63 |
| LVA, RRB 8-28-63 |
| H, RRB 9-8D-63 |
| H, RRB 9-9D-63 |
| H, RRB 9-18B-63 |
| NA,
RRB 9-30-63 |
| RRBAT 10-12A-1863 |
| RRBAT 10-20B-1863 |
| NA,
QM 12-7-63 |
| NA,
QM 12-7A-63 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 52, Part 2, Page 602A |
|
| September 5, 1863 |
Sims requested Peters
assignment to RR Bureau
|
| October 15, 1863 |
Assigned to Sims by
Secretary of War and QM General
|
| October 28, 1863 |
Requisitioned iron
bars and copper for East Tennessee & Georgia RR
|
| November 21, 1863 |
Made
recommendations regarding purchasing stationary
|
| November 27, 1863 |
Ordered by the Quartermaster
General to supervise all railroad transportation west of the Alabama
River
|
| December 2, 1863 |
Commented on an
officer's request for transfer
|
| December 7, 1863 |
Major Peters was in Atlanta
and ordered to remain in charge of RR affairs and take orders from
Sims
|
| December 8, 1863 |
Requisitioned iron
for Western & Atlantic RR
|
| Tate reported he had
not arrived in Demopolis
|
| December 10, 1863 |
Was offered to General Hardee as
a man to clear up railroad traffic
|
| January 1, 1864 |
Mentioned as making a report on supplies in
southwestern Georgia
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| Was waiting for
orders before going west
|
| January 10, 1864 |
Wanted by Polk for
railroad controller in Mississippi
|
| Asked Capt
Throckmorton to go down the RR line for him
|
| January 12, 1864 |
Ordered by Sims to go to
Mississippi
|
| January 16, 1864 |
QMG tried to find him
|
| January 19, 1864 |
Directed to find a man for Gen.
Polk
|
| January 21, 1864 |
Though ordered to
Mississippi in November, he had remained in Atlanta running the Army of Tennessee's
railroad support
|
| January 23, 1864 |
Ordered to relieve
Major Hottel in Atlanta
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| January
27, 1864 |
Ordered QM support
for rebuilding 2 RRs
|
| Capt. L. B. Taylor
assigned to him for RR Service
|
| January 29, 1864 |
Was informed that
Sims wanted Hottel for Atlanta, not Maj. Horbach
|
| February 5, 1864 |
Inspected Montevallo
Coal Company RR and wrote Shelby Iron Works for assistance in
repairing the RR
|
| February 9, 1864 |
Was in Demopolis
directing all transportation
|
| March 1, 1864 |
Gen. Polk requested
Peters for his Chief QM
|
| March 9, 1864 |
Bought holster and
belt at Selma
|
| March 12, 1864 |
Wanted to meet
Whitfield the next day
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| March 22, 1864 |
At Demopolis, Ala., signs as Quartermaster and
Railroad Agent
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|
Polk's Command
|
| March 30, 1864 |
Assigned to duty as a Major and Chief Quartermaster
for General Polk's command
|
| April 6, 1864 |
With others, ordered
to see that corn sacks were returned
|
| April 20 and May 1, 1864 |
Returns show him as Major and Chief Quartermaster to
General Polk, who is commanding Department of Alabama,
Mississippi & East Louisiana
|
| April 22, 1864 |
QMG ordered him to
report officers available for other service
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| April 27, 1864 |
Whitfield wanted to
meet with him
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| April 30, 1864 |
Supported repairing railroads in
northern Alabama
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| May 4, 1864 |
Ordered to Selma to
superintend transportation of troops by way of Blue Mountain
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| Informed that Maj.
Noble was being sent to assist with steamboat navigation
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| May 6, 1864 |
Ordered up the RR to
collect supplies as well and superintend troop movement
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| QMG responded to his
plan to swap run down animals for good ones
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| May 7, 1864 |
Announced as Major and Chief Quartermaster of the
Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana
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| Asked authority to
draw on QMs in several states for supplies
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| Advised of the
General's travel plans
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| Genl Polk recommended
promotion
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| May 8, 1864 |
Given orders
regarding troops movements
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| May 11, 1864 |
Given directions on
supplying Army of Mississippi through Rome, Ga.
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| May 12, 1864 |
Ordered to establish
several forage depots
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| May 17, 1864 |
Recommended approval
of passport request
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| May 19, 1864 |
Meriwether wanted
him to assist in construction of Blue Mountain RR
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| Requested to provide
chairs for Mobile & Ohio RR repairs
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| Ordered to provide
iron to make chairs for Mobile & Ohio RR
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May 24, 1864 |
Ordered to provide wagons to Pillow
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|
S. D. Lee's Command |
| June 1, 1864 |
No longer needed
with Polk's army, forward fodder
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| June 9, 1864 |
Ordered to distribute QM
circulars
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| June 15, 1864 |
Was requested to assist in
taking up rail and building the Blue Mountain RR
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| June 16, 1864 |
Relieved as Chief Quartermaster of the Department of
Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana
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| Assigned
Superintendent of RRs arriving in Selma
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| QMG sent
instructions regarding QM personnel
|
| July 13, 1864 |
Directed railroad movements
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| July 20, 1864 |
Relieved of duty as Chief Quartermaster of the
Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana and assigned
to the Superintendence of transportation of supplies in that
department, to report to General S. D. Lee
|
| July 22, 1864 |
Quartermaster General approved
his assignment to the Blue Mountain RR construction project
|
| July 28, 1864 |
Asked QMG for tents
for Alabama Reserve forces
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| August 4, 1864 |
Iron needed for
Mobile & Ohio RR
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| August 11, 1864 |
Informed Secretary
of Treasury trying to find funds
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| August 24, 1864 |
On duty at Selma, Ala. as Major and Superintendent of
Transportation of Supplies
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| Maury's Command |
| August 31, 1864 |
Return shows him as Chief Quartermaster of
Transportation for the Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East
Louisiana with General Maury commanding
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|
Taylor's Command |
| September 9, 1864 |
Involved in
determining who should pay for the recent repairs to the Mobile
& Ohio RR
|
| September 16, 1864 |
Reported his papers
burned in Georgia
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| September 23, 1864 |
Wrote regarding
horse shoe nails
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| September 30, 1864 |
Return shows him as Chief Quartermaster of
Transportation for the Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East
Louisiana with General Taylor commanding
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| October 18, 1864 |
Reported to Sims
about making repairs to enemy damaged RRs
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| October 21, 1864 |
Assigned as Chief of Steamboat and Railroad
Transportation for the Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East
Louisiana
|
| October 26, 1864 |
Ordered to report on
cargo on returning trains
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| November 2, 1864 |
Asked QMG if he
could
maintain his place in QM Department and take an interest in an iron
maker
|
| November 7, 1864 |
Received telegram
from QM in Montgomery
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| November 8, 1864 |
Steamboat contracts
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| Wrote letter to QMG
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| November 15, 1864 |
Writes General Lawton from Selma, Ala. and says,
"When assigned to duty in this Military Department as Chief
Quartermaster ..."
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| November 15, 1864 |
Sims asked for clarification
of Mobile & Ohio RR repair
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| Maury's Command |
| December, 1864 |
Major & Chief of Transportation of the Department
of Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana, General Maury
commanding
|
| December 15, 1864 |
Supported using prisoners to work
on the railroads and in shops
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| December 16, 1864 |
Recommended promotion
of Berry
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| December 17, 1864 |
Introduce reforms in the way
steamboats accounted for freight
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| December 20, 1864 |
Ordered up railroad cars on the
Alabama & Mississippi Rivers RR and iron railroad products from
Shelby Iron Works; may be in charge, to some degree, of the removal
of iron from the Cahaba, Marion & Greensboro RR; appeared to
direct activities as an officer of the Shelby Iron Works
| UA, SIW_12-20-64 |
| UA, SIW 1-3A-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-9-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-15-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-20-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-22-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-23-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-26-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-26A-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-28-65 |
| UA, SIW 1-31-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-1-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-10-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-13-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-15-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-15A-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-20-65 |
| UA, SIW 3-24-65 |
| UA, SIW 4-26-65 |
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| December 20, 1864 |
Wrote Sims about
paying for the rebuilding of the Mobile & Ohio RR and the impact
on him
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| January 5, 1865 |
Told to consolidate
transportation auditing
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| January 7, 1865 |
Asked Sims to help
provide a slate machine
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| January 13, 1865 |
Reported to Sims his
recent actions
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| January 21, 1865 |
From Selma, Ala, writes to Quartermaster Department in
Richmond asking that his duties as Railroad Agent be defined.
Referred to Lt. Col. F. W. Sims, who says that Major Peters was
relieved from duty with him and ordered to report to General Polk.
Since then he has not been under Col. Sims' orders and cannot define
his duties {This correspondence has not been
found}
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| January 21, 1865 |
Wanted Sims to
determine who should pay for labor and materials used under an order
of Genl. Polk
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| January 23, 1865 |
Wrote complaining
that 4 cars of coal were stolen by another user
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| January 26, 1865 |
Wrote for help in
finishing the Coal Road and providing help for the poor of the area
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| January 28, 1865 |
Wrote trying to get
coal; noted a locomotive for him will be out in a few days
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| January 31, 1865 |
Assisted getting
bridge builders to Meriwether
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| Tate wrote him to
hurry to get coal cars for Shelby Iron Works
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| February 1, 1865 |
Sims responded to his
charges for repairs to the Mobile & Ohio RR
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| Definition of duties
of RR Agent requested
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| February 2, 1865 |
Sims replied to report
on repairing railroads
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| February 8, 1865 |
Ordered to ship all
coal ready for movement to Mobile at once
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| March 1, 1865 |
Coordinating coal
movements
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| March 7, 1865 |
Reported to be the
Chief Transportation Officer at Selma
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| As Chief of River
Transportation was ordered to send some mails by steamboats until RR
repaired
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| March 8, 1865 |
Ordered to have a
riverboat connect with the cars at Gainesville
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| March
15, 1865 |
Received order for
strap rail from Nitre & Mining Bureau
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| Received request for
locomotive and coal from Shelby Iron Works
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| Received detailed
man for service on a steamboat
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| March 20, 1865 |
Tate provided cars
for the Shelby Iron Works
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| March 24, 1865 |
Ordered Shelby Iron
Works to ship two car loads of rail to him in Montgomery
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| April 26, 1865 |
Received report of
conditions at Shelby Iron Works
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| May 3, 1865 |
Sent to dispose of
Tombigbee River steamers
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| May 4, 1865 |
Surrendered
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| May 14, 1865 |
Paroled as Major and Quartermaster in the Department
of Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana
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| November 19, 1865 |
Requested pardon
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| September ??, 1883 |
Obituaries
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| July 11, 1903 |
Article
of Tribute
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