BIOGRAPHIES: F. N. (Frances Neville) THOMAS, Augusta, Eau Claire County, WI

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F. N. Thomas, loan and insurance agent, Augusta, Eau Claire county, is one 
of the old settlers in the Chippewa Valley, having settled there in the fall 
of 1858.  He was born in Bedford, Ohio, July 12, 1839, and is the youngest 
of the five children of Anthony and Isabella (Cox) Thomas, natives of 
Connecticut and England, respectively.  The father, who was born in 1806, 
lived until he was seventy-two years old; the mother, born in 1805, died in 
1857.  Their children were as follows:  Amelia, wife of R. S. Eldred; 
Willard H.; Elizabeth, wife of M. M. Smith; Charles G. and our subject, the 
latter being but thirteen years of age when the family moved to Richland, 
Wis., where he lived until 1858, when he moved to Osseo, Trempealeau county, 
and resided there until 1881.  In that year he moved to Augusta, where he 
has since lived, and where he is doing a large farm loan business and has an 
excellent fire and life insurance agency, representing such excellent 
companies as the Continental, Queen, Springfield F. & M., St. Paul German, 
Phoenix of Hartford, Lancashire of England and others.  In the spring of 
1861 he enlisted in Company I, Fourth Wisconsin under Capt. John W. Lynn, of 
Sparta, Col. Albert E. Payne, of Milwaukee, commanding.  He served in the 
department of the Gulf under Generals Banks, Butler and Canby.  He took part 
in the siege of Vicksburg, Port Hudson, two assaults; Baton Rouge, and Camp 
Bisland.  While making a charge on the works at Port Hudson he was shot 
three times, was one of thirty-three who reached the ditch where twenty-two 
were killed and eleven taken prisoners, and detained in the fort thirty 
days.  The greater part of his time was spent in the cavalry service, 
engaged in fighting bushwackers and other skirmishes.  He was promoted to a 
second lieutenancy in 1864, to first lieutenant in 1866 and in the following 
June, was mustered out, having served five years, one month and five days.  
He returned to his home in Osseo, greatly disabled, and has been a great 
sufferer up to this date, from the ill effects of the war.  In partnership 
with his brother, W. H. Thomas, E. S. Hotchkiss and W. L. Fuller, they built 
the Osseo mills, but after two years, he was obliged to discontinue the 
partnership, owing to his ill health.  In 1869 he was appointed postmaster, 
and held that position for ten years, running a stock of drugs also.  In 
1867 he married Mary R., daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Dickinson) Cox, 
natives of England.  Mrs. Thomas was born February 16, 1846 in Philadelphia, 
Pa.  Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have three children:  Clarence C., Halbert E. and 
Charles E.  They are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. 
Thomas is a member of John E. Perkins Post No. 98, G. A. R., of which he has 
been post commander, and now fills the position of quartermaster, which he 
has held for eight years.  He is a republican in politics, and served as 
enumerator in taking the census in 1890.  He is a public-spirited man, 
always ready to support enterprises that are of a benefit to his town and 
country.

--Taken from "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin" Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records of Leading Families; Biographies of Representative 
Citizens, Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by
George Forrester.  Chicago, Illinois: A. Warner, Publisher.  1891-92
Pages 633-634