Thomas also participated in and was captured during the 1865 Battle of Fort Blakeley, the conflict's final infantry fight.

Thomas was born in 1836 in Milledgeville, Georgia, and gained his primary education while attending Atlanta's Oglethorpe University.

Leaving the line service for staff work, Thomas was assigned to command the ordnance in the Confederate Department of Alabama & West Florida on December 20.

[1] In 1862 Thomas was sent to serve in the Western Theater, and was given command of the artillery belonging to a brigade in the Army of Mississippi as of March 18.

[4] Assigned to the staff of Maj. Gen. Jones M. Withers, Thomas fought at the Battle of Shiloh on April 6–7, performing a "commendable part in the battle..."[3] In July he was assigned command of the army's Reserve Corps artillery, a position Thomas would hold for the rest of the year.

[5] Beginning on January 2, 1863, Thomas was assigned as assistant inspector general of the Withers' Division in the renamed Army of Tennessee.

"[7] On August 4, 1864, he was appointed as a "temporary" brigadier general of volunteer troops and that September was assigned brigade command in the defenses in Mobile, Alabama.

[8] In 1865 Thomas participated in the Mobile Campaign as part of the Confederate force holding Fort Blakeley in Baldwin County, Alabama.

At 5:30 p.m. on April 9 the attack came, with simple numbers (around 16,000 Union versus 4,475 Confederate) deciding the assault, which lasted only 20 minutes.