1812 Veterans, John Thomas and Thomas Lucas

On Saturday, November 9, 2019 at the Greenwood Cemetery the Craig Austin Rowley Chapter, The Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Texas, and the John Cavet Chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812 honored veterans John Thomas (1794-1875) and Thomas Lucas (1790-1877) for their service in the War of 1812. Several members of the each family were in attendance.

Photo by Paul Ridenour:

Biographies of the veterans:

John Thomas:

John Thomas was born on January 24, 1794, in Sevierville, Tennessee, the son of Elizabeth
Massengill and Isaac Thomas.
John Thomas served in Captain William Mitchell’s company of Tennessee Militia in the War of
1812, the Cherokee War, and the Black Hawk war. He received a pension for his service in the
war of 1812.
He married Hannah Andes on April 11, 1815 and the couple had three sons and five daughters.

1. Henry was born in 1816 and died in Missouri about 1841.
2. Cynthia Adeline was born on July 20, 1817, in Sevierville, Tennessee. She married
   William Jenkins and died in 1904 in Dallas. She is buried in Greenwood.
3. Ellis Charles was born on October 7, 1822, in Sevierville, Tennessee. He married Julia
   Moon. He served in the Confederacy Texas State Troops and died October 12, 1864, in
   Arkansas at the age of 42. He is buried in Greenwood.
4. Elizabeth Bunkard was born on January 29, 1827, in Sevierville, Tennessee. She married
   Charles Durgin in May of 1848. Theirs was the first marriage license issued in Dallas
   County. In 1875, she attended the inaugural meeting of the Dallas County Pioneers
   Association, an organization she continued to participate in for many years. She died in
   1901 and is buried in Greenwood.
5. John was born in 1829. He died serving in the Mexican – American War at the age of 17.
6. Adelia Jane was born on May 28, 1831, in Tennessee. She married Edward W. Hunt.
   She died November 11, 1859, in Dallas, Texas, at age 28. She is buried in Pioneer
   Cemetery.
7. Sarah Ann was born on August 20, 1834, in Missouri. She married F. A. Sayre. She died
   in 1905 and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Montague County, TX.
8. Eliza Emma was born on September 4, 1837. She married Reese Jones. She died in
   1883 and is buried in Caddo Cemetery in Johnson County TX.
   The family moved from Tennessee to Independence, Missouri in 1833 and then to Peters
   Colony in Texas by 1844. John Thomas received a headright from the Republic of Texas for
   640 acres.
   He served as the first County Judge of Dallas County.
   His wife Hannah passed away in 1872 in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 77.
   He died on April 11, 1875, in Dallas, Texas, having lived 81 years, and was buried in
   Greenwood Cemetery.

Thomas Lucas:

Thomas Lucas was born on August 10, 1790, in Georgia.
Thomas Lucas served as a Private in the 30 th Regiment of the East Tennessee Militia from June
to December 1814.
He married first Elizabeth Johnson and the couple had 5 children:

1. Wingate Hezekiah Lucas — born in 1815.
2. Nancy Lucas — born in 1816.
3. Thomas Lloyd Lucas — born in 1819.
4. Sally Lucas — born in 1827.
5. William Lucas — born in 1828.
   Elizabeth died and on March 24, 1832, Thomas Lucas married Narcissa Wills Wommock in
   Meigs, Tennessee. He was 41 years old and she was 18. They had five children together.
   Four of these children accompanied their parents, first to Ozark Arkansas in 1851 and then to
   Dallas Texas in 1853. Narcissa was a midwife and delivered many of her own grandchildren.
   Wingate Hezekiah Lucas, son by the first wife, also came to Texas – settling near what is now
   Grapevine.
   Thomas purchased 169 acres in Dallas County on Feb 11, 1854 and another plot in 1858. In his
   will of 1877, he left his cattle to his wife and daughter Mary and his land, horses, and farm
   implements to his son Alfred King.
   The five children of Thomas and Narcissa were:
6. Mary —- born on January 10, 1837; married William Stockton; and died in 1917 in
   Dallas; and is buried in Greenwood.
7. Tennessee Elizabeth —- born on January 10, 1840; married Thomas Owen; died in 1905
   in Irving TX and is buried in Sowers Cemetery.
8. William —- born in 1841; died 1851 age 10.
9. Sarilda —- born in 20Jan 1845; married James K. P. Reedy; died in Irving TX, and is
   buried in Sowers Cemetery.
10. Alfred King —– born on January 30, 1848; He married Mary Alice Cole, daughter of Dr.
    John Cole another War of 1812 patriot;. and died in 1905 in Dallas and is buried in
    Greenwood.
    Thomas Lucas died on December 15, 1877, in Dallas, Texas, having lived 87 years, and was
    buried in Greenwood Cemetery in the Lucas plot.