Thomas Greene Collection

Collection

Identifier: MC 59

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Thomas Greene collection consists of two boxes of papers of the family; personal, business correspondence and financial records. Materials relating to Thomas Greene mainly document his personal finances including statements, promissory notes, receipts, business correspondence and records relating to his guardianship of Bryant Fanning’s orphans.

Within the personal correspondence are Civil War letters written by David and Henry Clay Greene to their mother and sisters. David’s letters are mainly from Virginia during the Peninsula Campaign, discussing camp life, news of family and friends the war news of the Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Williamsburg and activity around Manassas. Henry’s letters describe activities around Charleston and Fort Sumter, South Carolina from January to April 1863 and around Dalton, Georgia in January 1864.

Also of interest are the letters of Isabelle Greene from her sister Gracy Rounswall in Chattooga County, Georgia discussing family news and the war, including the Battle of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.

Researchers of genealogical information will also find clues to the Finley and Matthews families therein.

Box 2 contains documents and letters concerning pre-Civil War slave transactions and post-Civil War transactions with former slaves. Of particular interest is the original Oath of Allegiance signed by Isabella Greene in 1865 and the document listing the names and ages of slaves of the family.

Dates

Creation: 1822-1876
Other: Date materials were donated

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Greene and his family lived in Talbot County, Georgia from about 1822-1872. Thomas died circa 1864. He was married to Isabella Greene. Their children included David, Henry Clay, Margaret, Mattie and Virginia C. Greene. Their home was called Belleview, also spelled Bellvue. Isabelle had a sister Gracy Rounswell, who lived in Chattooga County, Georgia. Thomas Greene was the guardian of Bryant Fanning’s orphan children; Elizabeth, James G., John T, and Mary Ann. Thomas Greene’s two sons served in the Civil War, David in the 27th Georgia Infantry Regiment and Henry Clay in the 46th Georgia Infantry Regiment.

Extent

.66 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

This collection originally belonged to the C. W. Matthews Estate of Woodland, Georgia. John H. Woodall donated it to the Bradley Memorial Library of Columbus. Mrs. Elizabeth H. Woodall, his wife, transferred the collection to the Columbus State University Archives in 1989. At some point the materials were loaned to the Georgia Department of Archives and History for microfilming. The detailed listing of the material reproduced below was created by them in preparing the collection for microfilming. The additional materials at the end of Box 2 were donated by Henry "Skip" Woodall in 2016.