James Y. Thomas
1820–1885
Source: Library of Congress
Biography
James Y. Thomas was a Union Army officer who achieved the rank of colonel during the American Civil War. Little is widely documented about his early life, but he served with distinction in various regiments throughout the conflict, participating in campaigns in the Eastern and Western Theaters. Like many career officers of his era, Thomas remained in military service following the war, contributing to the post-war reconstruction and reorganization of the United States Army.