Thomas Fletcher was born in Jefferson County, Missouri on January 21, 1827; in 1860, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, where he supported the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for president.

With the start of the Civil War, Fletcher was appointed colonel of the 31st Missouri Volunteer Infantry and served with that regiment from 1862-1864. Captured during the 1862 Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi, he was taken to Libby Prison and not exchanged until May 1863. Fletcher was present at the fall of Vicksburg, the siege of Chattanooga, and the start of the Atlanta Campaign. He returned to Missouri in the summer of 1864, due to illness, but recovered in time to organize the 47th and 50th Missouri Infantry Regiments. He commanded the 47th during the Battle of Pilot Knob, where he successfully defended Fort Davidson against General Sterling Price’s Confederate army.

Fletcher was nominated and elected the eighteenth governor of Missouri in 1864 (the first native-born governor of the state), and served from 1865 to 1869. During his term, he issued a proclamation abolishing slavery in Missouri and dealt with numerous post-war issues. When his term as governor ended, he moved to Washington, D. C., where he practiced law. He died on March 25, 1899.

Carte-de-Visite by Unknown Photographer.

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 11509