By William "Bennett" White, Spring 2023  

Thomas Norris was born in Norfolk sometime between 1824 and 1834. He enlisted and served in the 1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry between 1863 and 1866 (the same unit as Nathan Butcher). Norris’s unit saw action while participating in Gen. Butler’s reconnaissance missions along the southside of the James River, Drury’s Bluff, and Baylor’s Farm. Norris’s Company I was detached to Ft. Powhatan from August 1864 to May 1865. His unit then sailed to Texas for operations along the Rio Grande until February 1866. Norris returned to Norfolk after the war, marrying Polly Norris (née Wilson) in November 1884. According to the 1880 Census, Norris was living on Williams Street in Norfolk and working as a wood sawyer. He was still married to his first wife, Ann.

Sources:

Full Name: Thomas Norris

Also Known as: Thomas Morris

Birth Date: Abt. 1824

Birthplace: Norfolk County, Virginia

Parents: C. Norris, F. Norris (possibly Fanny)

Ethnicity:

Race: African American

Spouse: Ann Norris, Polly Norris (née Wilson)

Children:

Marriage Date: November 6, 1884 (Polly Norris)

Marriage Place:

Death Date: July 22, 1894

Death Place: Norfolk, VA

Burial Date:

Burial Place: West Point Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia

Major Keywords/Search Terms:

Thomas Norris | Thomas Morris | Norfolk, VA | United States Colored Troops| 1st Regiment, United States Colored Cavalry |

Sources:

1. Primary Sources:

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City Directories:

1. 2. Documents/Collections:

Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA; Virginia Marriages, 1853-1935

The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845

Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia; Roll: 1381; Page: 470B; Enumeration District: 074

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National Park Service, “The Civil War: Battle Unit Details,” Last modified (n. d.), Accessed on March 17, 2023, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UUS0001RC00C

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