Biography of Thomas H. Dennis - Monroe Co. WV


The History of West Virginia, Old and New 
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume III, 
pg. 622 


THOMAS H. DENNIS, for a half a century an active 
member of the Greenbrier County bar and one of the Con- 
federate veterans in the state, was born in Charlotte County, 
Virginia, February 20, 1846, representing a family that has 
been in Charlotte County for many generations. He is a 
son of William H. and Ann (Morton) Dennis, and grand- 
son of John and Margaret (Elliott) Dennis. Col. William 
Dennis owned and operated a large plantation on the 
Staanton River in Charlotte County, and lived in the same 
neighborhood that had been the home of John Randolph 
of Roanoke and Patrick Henry. He served many years in 
the Virginia State Legislature and in the Senate, and at 
one time was president of the Senate. Six of his sons took 
up arms in behalf of the Confederate cause. One of them 
was Robert F. Dennis, who for a long period of years 
practiced law in Greenbrier and surrounding counties. He 
located in Greenbrier County in 1848, and was one of the 
leaders in the democratic party. He raised the first com- 
pany of men from Greenbrier County for the Confederate 
army, known as the Greenbrier Rifles, became its captain, 
and later was captured and spent the last months of the 
war as prisoner at Camp Chase. He served as prosecuting 
attorney of Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Fayette counties, 
for eight years was state senator, and was chairman of the 
Judiciary Committee of the Senate. His name was fre- 
quently mentioned in connection with nominations for gov- 
ernor, Congress and the United States Senate.
Thomas H. Dennis spent his early life on the home 
plantation in Charlotte County. In January, 1864, when he 
was not quite eighteen years of age, he entered the Con- 
federate Army, and saw service in several Virginia battles 
before the close of the war. He was a member of the 
Light Squadron of the Fourteenth Virginia Cavalry, Com- 
pany B, made up mostly of Charlotte County men. Mr. 
Dennis is now brigadier general of the First Brigade of 
the United Confederate Veterans, West Virginia Division, 
and for many years has been active in the organizations of 
old soldiers.
After the war he graduated, in 1868, from Washington 
College, now Washington and Lee University, graduated 
from the law school in the University of Virginia in 1873, 
and since then has had his home at Lewisburg, where for 
many years he was associated with his brother Robert in 
law practice. For thirty-five years he was editor of the 
Greenbrier Independent, and made that paper a source of 
power in the community, and his editorials were widely 
copied. In 1884 he was elected to the West Virginia 
House of Delegates, and in 1885 was chosen speaker of the 
House. He served again in the House in 1909, and in the 
early years of his law practice he was for six years super- 
intendent of schools of Greenbrier County. He served 
a term as mayor of Lewisburg some years ago, and in 
January, 1922, was again honored for election to that 
office. He is a director of the Bank of Lewisburg and is 
a Presbyterian.
Colonel Dennis married, December 24, 1884, Miss Jennie 
Johnston, daughter of Andrew H. Johnston, of Union, 
Monroe County.


Submitted by Valerie Crook <vfcrook@earthlink.net> 

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