You have a mystery on your hands! The closest we have to that name in the Society database is an abreviated record for a Private A. W. THOMAS, Company H, 42nd Virginia Infantry. But when I attempted to examine his CMSR via footnote.com, I could not find the name. I examined all of the 42nd VA Infantry records in the CMSR - no Fort Delaware POW records. I double checked the Soldiers & Sailors System with the same negative results.

From NARA Tape 40, Society researchers had collected the name of Private A. W. THOMAS, Co. H, 42nd Virginia Infantry as having been captured at South Mountain on 4 JUL 1863. Nothing on his arrival at or departure from Fort Delaware. Nothing on his stay at Fort Delaware. NARA Tape 40 (a microfilm roll) contains records specific to Fort Delaware that rarely appear in the Compiled Military Service Records. This "A. W. THOMAS" was the only record in our database under the surname THOMAS associated with the 42nd VA Infantry.

There was a 1st Lieutenant named "J. W. THOMAS" in Company E, 42nd Virginia Infantry listed, but the CMSR index card said to see 1st Lieutenant George W. THOMAS, Co. E, 42nd VA Infantry. George's CMSR shows that he was dropped from the rolls on 21 APR 1862. No Fort Delaware POW record.

Back to the NPS Soldiers & Sailors system, I found three men named "James W. THOMAS" in Virginia service (Co. F, 13th VA Infantry, Co. F, 26th VA Infantry, Co. B, 22nd VA Infantry), but none had a Fort Delaware POW record listed in their CMSR.

I am at a dead end.

A question for you: where did the information about James Wesley THOMAS' (H/42nd VA Infantry) wounding at Gettysburg, dates of capture, confinement at Fort McHenry, and delivery to Fort Delaware come from IF NOT from a Compiled Military Service Record? How reliable do you think this information is?

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society
www.fortdelaware.org
society@fortdelaware.org