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THE MEDALS OF A CONFEDERATE GENERAL – BRIG GEN. ALLEN THOMAS, JR.

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Offered are three medals that were worn proudly by Civil War Confederate Brigadier General Allen Thomas Jr. "Born in Howard County, Maryland, he was an 1850 graduate of the College of New Jersey. He studied law in Maryland and maintained a practice there until his marriage in 1857 to a woman from Louisiana, where he established himself as a planter. Two of his brothers-in-law, Duncan F. Kenner and Richard Taylor, became prominent Confederates. At the outbreak of Civil War, he organized a battalion of infantry, which was enlarged into the 29th Louisiana Infantry. He was later elected Colonel of the regiment, and led them in the fighting around Vicksburg, notably at Chickasaw Bluffs in December 1862. Having been pushed back into the city by advancing Federals, he and his command were among the troops surrendered by Major General John C. Pemberton on July 4, 1863. He was paroled quickly and carried to President Jefferson Davis in Richmond Pemberton's report of the surrender of Vicksburg. The War Department then assigned him to the Trans-Mississippi with orders to collect and reorganize parolees west of the Mississippi River. On February 4, 1864, he was promoted to Brigadier General and sent to Alexandria, Louisiana, to Major General Richard Taylor's department. He took over Major General Camille Polignac's division early in 1865, when Polignac traveled to Europe to seek Napoleon's aid for the Confederacy. He was paroled at Natchitoches, Louisiana, on June 8, 1865, shortly after Taylor surrendered the last troops east of the Mississippi. He then returned to his plantation, serving as a presidential elector in 1872 and 1880. He also served on the board of supervisors of Louisiana State University in 1882, and as a professor of agriculture there from 1882 until 1884. From 1889 until 1907 he lived in Florida, except for 3 years from 1894 to 1897, when he held the consularship in Venezuela. Shortly before his death, he moved to a plantation he had bought near Waveland, Mississippi."

1) THE SOUTHERN CROSS OF HONOR: The Southern Cross of Honor was conceived of in 1898, adopted in 1899 and first issued in 1900. More than 78,000 of these are known to have been presented from 1900 to 1913. These were given by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to living Confederate veterans with honorable service in the Confederate army, navy or marines. The medal is a bronze toned Maltese Cross bearing a wreath of laurel surrounding the words "DEO" over "VINDICE" over "1861" over "1865" and the inscription, "SOUTHERN CROSS OF HONOR" on the four branches of the cross. On the reverse side is a Confederate Battle Flag surrounded by a laurel wreath and the words "UNITED DAUGHTERS CONFEDERACY TO THE U.C.V. on the branches of the cross. This is suspended from a rectangular top pinback bar, bearing in raised letters on the reverse, “PATENTED" over "CHARLES W. CRANKSHAW" over "ATLANTA” who was the contractor chosen to produce the medals. The face of the top bar is professionally engraved in script “Gen. Allen Thomas”. The condition of the medal is VF.

2) RARE SILVER PRESENTATION ARMY OF TENNESSE ASSOCIATION MEDAL. The Association of Confederate Veterans Louisiana Division was organized in New Orleans in May 1877. The numerous survivors of the Confederate Army and Navy, in Louisiana, who had not fought in the Army of Northern Virginia, feeling the necessity of an organization, resolved to form another Association. Brigadier General Thomas was an honorary member of this veteran's organization. He was presented with this beautiful silver and enamel medal in appreciation of his Civil War service to the Confederacy. The medal of sterling silver is suspended from a 1 1/4 inch silver bar. The bar was suspended from a silk ribbon which is now missing. The 1 1/4-inch round medal is executed in the most elaborate and beautiful fashion. The obverse shows laurel leaves of silver surrounding an enamel center which shows the Southern battle flag X surmounted by a silver overlay of a nesting pelican feeding its young. Above the pelican's head is an "A" and below her a "T" and on either side "LA" and "DIV" (Army of Tennessee Louisiana Division). On the reverse are flags, cannons, cannon balls, muskets, a fortress and laurel leaves all in relief. Engraved in running script is: "BRIG. GENL. ALLEN THOMAS" over "Com ay 3" over "La. Brigade" over "ENLISTED APR. 1861" over "PAROLED MAY 1865". The condition of the medal is VF.

3) UCV REUNION MEDAL. This is a 1 1/2-inch bronze 2-piece medal from the organization of the Confederate veterans known as the "United Confederate Veterans". This is the medal from their 1907 Reunion in Richmond, Virginia. On the top portion where the pin attaches it has "VETERAN UCV RICHMOND, 1907". On the bottom portion it illustrates the Jefferson Davis Monument surrounded by the inscription "TO JEFFERSON DAVIS PRESIDENT OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA". These were made by Whitehead & Hoag of Newark, New Jersey. The medal is not named as issued. Condition is VF in numismatic terms which means "Very Fine".

Included with the medals is a 36-page U.C.V "Souvenir Program" from the 13th Annual reunion in New Orleans in 1903. This is packed with names, pictures and information. One section illustrates the Army of Tennessee Association medal we are offering.

Rarely are medals owned by a Confederate general offered for sale and here is a trio to Allen Thomas Jr.   [pe][ph:L]

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THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

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