Notes for William Taylor THORNE
From Landrum's History of Spartanburg County:Member of the 13th Regiment,
S.C.V., Company E.----
The notation reads, "1st lieutenant W.T. Thorne wounded, lost an arm,
discharged."
From S.C. Dept. of Archives and History:
Thorn, William T. 1st Lietenant, Company E, 13th South Carolina Infantry
age 32 years
Enlisted: 4 September 1831, Spartanburg, SC
Wounded: 29 August 1862, Manassas-arm amputated.
Remarks: Resigned 11 March 1863.
Compiled Service Records, NARS Microcopy #267, Roll #268.
Co. G.-Holcombe's Legion
CSV Co. D 7th Calvery, Co. E 13th Inf. SC
From Mary Sue's Thorne's notes, he was a Captain. He may have received a
promotion that is not accounted for in the HOS. It is said that he
commanded a division and was wounded in the 2nd Battle of Manassas. His
company did participate in that battle, again according to HOS, so that
must be where he lost his arm.
Also from Mary Sue Thorne's notes:
William Taylor Thorne, a son of Edwin, married Mary Turner and they had
13 children. He was a Captain during the Civil War and commanded a
Division at the 2nd Battle of Mannassas. He lost his right arm in the
war. My Father, Lee, said William was Supt. of the Spartanburg County
Home, commonly called "The Poor House" and when Lee was in his teens, he
had many experiences of laying out (preparing for burial) and making
wooden coffins. William was a Commissioner of Spartanburg County for
twenty years and had only one vote cast against him in all that time. A
Circuit Rider Pastor came by horseback to Arrowwood Church once a month
to preach and on most every visit for twenty years, this Preacher spent
Saturday night and had Sunday dinner with William and his family. William
was a highly respected citizen and was called "Capt'n Thorne". He died in
1916 at age 86. I remember seeing many Civil War veterans at his funeral,
who were weeping openly. As dozens of these Veterans filed by the casket,
they had many complimentary remarks to offer. William had slaves, two of
whom remained after the war as they had no place to go, a man and a
woman. The man "Hen"came from Africa and told how the slave traders came
with brightly colored beads and trinkets to lure the people to the boats,
where they were secured in the holds. William’s fireplace in the kitchen
was wide enough to burn whole rails from old fences. Lee said Hen would
build a fire on each end and then sit in the middle with the fire burning
toward him. Captain William was often called upon for help when there was
trouble in the homes of the Veterans as he had been the commanding
officer of most of them.
TOMBSTONE: HIS LAST WORDS:"I am going to die. I have lived long enough
and am ready to go. I want you all to do the best you can and meet me in
a better land."
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