Charles Thomas was born on April 13, 1797, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1819, he received a commission as a 3^rd lieutenant in the United States Army Ordnance Department. After a brief stint in the artillery, he joined the 7^th U.S. Infantry in 1822. He became the regiment’s assistant quartermaster in 1826. He married Mary S. Mason on December 29, 1832, and they had at least two children: Charles, born around 1834; and John, born around 1837. His wife died sometime before 1850, and he eventually married a woman named Elizabeth.

 

He was promoted to major in the Quartermaster Department in 1838, and he took part in the Mexican-American War. In 1856, he was promoted to colonel and Assistant Quartermaster-General. During the Civil War, he oversaw the Quartermaster Department’s Inventory & Accounts Office. He also served as Acting Quartermaster-General from 1863 until 1864. He received a brevet promotion to brigadier general for his wartime service, and he retired from the army in July 1866.

 

Thomas remained in Washington, D.C., after leaving the army. By 1870, he owned $20,000 of real estate and $1,500 of personal property, and he employed at least three Black servants. He died in Washington, D.C., on February 1, 1878.

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