John James Thames

1834 - 1923

John James Thames was born on September 17, 1834 in Talbotton, Talbot County, Georgia to Thomas John Thames from North Carolina and Levinia "Viney" Aaron from Randolph County, Georgia. He married Nancy Ann Peacock of Pulaski County, Georgia in Randolph County, Georgia on December 18, 1853. He and Nancy had two daughters, Amanda and Theodosia, in Georgia before moving to Dale County, Alabama in 1859 where several of his Thames and his wife's Peacock kin had already moved.

On March 4,1862 John and Nancy's daughter, Levinia, was born. The next day John enlisted in the Sixth Alabama Infantry, Company B, at Abbeville, Alabama. He changed his mind about going with the Sixth Regiment and instead joined as a Private for three years or the war on March 8, 1862 along with Nancy's brother, James A. Peacock, (who was married to John's sister, Mary Jane Thames), into the 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment Company "G" , "The Daleville Blues", which was being formed at Daleville, Dale County, Alabama near their home. John later said, in the 1907 Covington County, Alabama census, that he didn't leave with the regiment until March 15, 1862. He was 27 years old.

After the fighting at Perryville, Kentucky Company "G" was occupying the second boxcar on the train south of Ceveland, Tennessee when it derailed. Many of soldiers were riding on top of the boxcars as was usual and that may have contributed to the numbers killed in the wreck. In this wreck John James Thames recieved a leg broken in two places near the hip. Possibly John was riding on the top of the boxcar. He was with the 67 soldiers taken to the hospital in Cleveland where his leg was amputated. He remained until Christmas eve of 1862 when he was furloughed to Daleville by order of the hospital surgeon to recover. He never fully recovered and walked with crutches the rest of his life. He was kept on the roles until his discharge at Eufaula, Alabama. He later drew a pension for his war service.

John's family were owners of a lot of land in the southern part of Alabama and northern Florida. He had purchased land from the U.S. Land office as early as 1860 and he added to it after the end of the war. He and Nancy had a son, John Alexander, in 1863, Thomas Jefferson, in 1866, Lincy Ann Dancy Dan, in 1868, Timpay in 1872, Susan Ann Missouri, in 1874, and William Allin, in 1879.

His wife, Nancy, died in 1898 and John moved to Covington County, Alabama and remarried in 1899 to Arlinoche Coroxton. He then moved to Laurel Hill, Florida and lived there until he became feeble in 1922 when he moved to Samson, Geneva County, Alabama with his grandson. He died there on January 25, 1923 at the age of 89 years. He is buried south of New Brockton, Coffee County, Alabama at Bethany Baptist Church where he was one of the first deacons and representatives to the regional Baptist conference. And the church that his father, Reverend Thomas John Thames began in 1884 and pastored until his death in 1893. Most of the folks buried in that large cemetery are related to him.

This information provided by Willie W. Butts

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