A Guide to the John Files Tom Papers, 1835-1952
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator: | Tom, John Files, 1818-1906 | |
| Title: | John Files Tom Papers | |
| Dates: | 1835-1952 | |
| Creator Abstract: | John Files Tom (1818-1906) came from Tennessee to Texas in 1835. Along with his father, he joined the army during the Texas Revolution, participating in the Siege of Bexar and the Battle of San Jacinto. Tom later represented Pleasanton (Atascosa County) in the Texas House of Representatives, 1873-1874. | |
| Content Abstract: | The collection contains military service records, letters, and genealogical material related to John Files Tom and his family. Included are copies of documents associated with Tom's service during the Texas Revolution, letters from William P. Zuber regarding a reunion of Texas veterans, and other family letters. | |
| Identification: | Doc 5213 | |
| Extent: | 11 items (6 folders) | |
| Language: | Materials are in English. | |
| Repository: | Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library at the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas | |
Biographical Note
John Files Tom was born in Maury County, Tennessee, on 1818 April 22, the son of William Tom and Mary Files. He moved with his family to Texas in 1835 and settled at Washington-on-the-Brazos. During the Texas Revolution, he and his father joined the army, participating in the Siege of Bexar. At the battle of San Jacinto, Tom was seriously wounded and listed as killed when a musket ball shattered his knee.
Tom and his family moved to Seguin in 1846, and he served as a Guadalupe County sheriff from 1856 to 1860. Moving to Atascosa County in 1862, Tom was commissioned to organize a ranger company for frontier protection during the Civil War. He represented Pleasanton (Atascosa County) in the Texas House of Representatives for one term, 1873-1874.
Tom married Mary Ann Moffitt (1820-1873) on 1840 July 2; the couple had four daughters. Following his wife’s death, Tom married Nancy Henderson (1848-1928) and had seven additional children. He became a Mason in 1867 and died on 1906 March 26.
References
John Files Tom biographical file, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
John Files Tom: Battle of San Jacinto Veteran, Texas Pioneer, circa 1967.
John Files Tom Papers, 1835-1952, Doc 5213, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Long, Edith Harriette. “John Files Tom.” Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fto13.
San Jacinto Descendants Records, 1965-2010, Col 6245, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains military service records, letters, and genealogical material related to John Files Tom and his family. Included are copies of documents associated with Tom's service during the Texas Revolution, letters from William P. Zuber regarding a reunion of Texas veterans, and other family letters. Some items in the collection are photocopies.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
No restrictions. The collection is open for research.
Usage Restrictions
Please be advised that the library does not hold the copyright to most of the material in its archival collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure those rights when needed. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright, literary property rights, and libel.
Index Terms | ||
| Personal Names | ||
| Tom, John Files, 1818-1906. | ||
| Zuber, William Physick, 1820-1913. | ||
| Subjects | ||
| Soldiers--Texas. | ||
| Veterans--Texas. | ||
| Genres/Formats | ||
| Personal papers. | ||
| Correspondence. | ||
| Military records. | ||
Related Material
|
San Jacinto Descendants Records, 1965-2010, Col 6245, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas. The DRT Library also has a William Tom family Bible: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments. Philadelphia: Bible Society, 1812. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], John Files Tom Papers, 1835-1952, Doc 5213, Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Acquisition Information
Probably a gift of Edith H. Long, 1963 August.
Processing Information
Processed by Warren Stricker, 1997 November.
Finding aid edited and encoded by Tom D'Amore, 2011 October.
Detailed Description of the Collection