Norris, Thomas
(Abt 1824-1894)
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:
Primary Sources:
Books and Pamphlets:
City Directories:
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
Maps/Plats/Surveys:
Newspaper/Magazines/Journals:
Photographs/Images:
Projects:
Sound and Video Recordings:
Websites:
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
Secondary Sources:
Books and Pamphlets:
Documents/Collections:
Maps/Plats/Surveys:
Newspaper/Magazines/Journals:
Photographs/Images:
Projects:
Sound and Video Recordings:
Websites: