Thomas Fenwick Drayton (August 24, 1809 – February 18, 1891) was an American
planter, politician, railroad president, slave owner and military officer from
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...
. He served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and then as a
brigadier general in the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. His brother,
Percival Drayton
Percival Drayton (August 25, 1812 – August 4, 1865) was a career United States Navy officer. He served in the Brazil Squadron, the Mediterranean Squadron and as a staff officer during the Paraguay Expedition.
During the American Civil War, h ...
, was a Naval Officer and fought on the Union side during the war.
Early life and career
Drayton was a native of
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, most likely born in
Charleston. He was the son of William Drayton, a prominent lawyer, soldier, and US Representative. In 1833, William Drayton took all the family but Thomas, who chose to stay in the South, to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
following the
Nullification Crisis, as he was a unionist. Thomas' grandfather,
William Drayton Sr., was a judge for the province of East Florida (1763–1780) and appointed as the first Federal judge of the new
United States District Court of South Carolina.
[Evans, p. 387.]
Drayton graduated in 1828 from the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
, where he was a classmate of
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
, who became his lifelong friend. Drayton was commissioned as a
second lieutenant in the
6th U.S. Infantry.
Four years later, Drayton resigned from the US Army and became a
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
for railroad construction in Charleston,
Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
, and
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
for two years before he returned to plantation life. He was a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in the state
militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
for five years.
[Warner, p. 75.]
Drayton was elected to the South Carolina
state legislature
A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of ...
and was an outspoken supporter of
states rights
In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and t ...
and
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. He eventually owned 102 slaves at Fish Haul Plantation, which his wife had brought to their marriage. While a member of the
South Carolina State Senate
The South Carolina State Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at t ...
, Drayton also was President of the
Charleston & Savannah Railroad from 1853 until 1856.
Marriage and family
In 1832 Drayton married Catherine Pope of a wealthy planter family in
Edisto, South Carolina
Edisto Island is one of South Carolina's Sea Islands, the larger part of which lies in Charleston County, South Carolina, Charleston County, with its southern tip in Colleton County, South Carolina, Colleton County. Edisto Beach is in Colleton C ...
. Her family owned Fish Haul Plantation on Hilton Head Island. The Draytons had several children. Two of Drayton's sons also served in the Civil War.
Civil War
Drayton was appointed a Brigadier General in September 1861 and placed in command of the military district at
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town on Port Royal Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 14,220 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton metropolitan area. Port Royal is home to Marine Corps R ...
. Drayton subsequently used "Fish Haul Plantation", which his wife owned, as headquarters in the defense of
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and southwest of Charlesto ...
. Drayton assigned many of his own 102 slaves on the island to construct defenses and do other work to support the Confederates.
At the
Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Geo ...
later that year, troops under his command at
Fort Beauregard and
Fort Walker
Fort Anderson-Pinn-Hill, commonly known as Fort A.P. Hill (formerly Fort Walker)MDW USARM(25 August 2023) Fort Walker Redesignation Ceremony59:22, Ceremony sponsored by MG Trevor Bredencamp, commander of Military District of Washington; additio ...
came under attack by ships of the
Union Navy, including the
USS ''Pocahontas'', commanded by his brother,
Percival Drayton
Percival Drayton (August 25, 1812 – August 4, 1865) was a career United States Navy officer. He served in the Brazil Squadron, the Mediterranean Squadron and as a staff officer during the Paraguay Expedition.
During the American Civil War, h ...
. Thomas Drayton's son, Lieutenant William Drayton, also fought with the Confederates in defense of the forts. After a lengthy bombardment, both forts fell to the Union attackers, who subsequently occupied much of the region. They gained an important deepwater port in coastal Carolina. For the remainder of the war Union naval operations against
First Battle of Charleston Harbor
The First Battle of Charleston Harbor was an engagement near Charleston, South Carolina that took place April 7, 1863, during the American Civil War. The striking force was a fleet of nine ironclad warships of the Union Navy, including seven m ...
and the
Union Blockade
The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading.
The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...
were both supported by the port.
In 1862, Drayton was assigned command of an
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
composed of the 15th South Carolina Infantry, the 3d Battalion S.C. Inf. and three Georgia infantry regiments: the 50th and 51st and Phillips' Georgia Legion. The brigade joined the Army of Northern Virginia after the
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...
and became part of the Right Wing of the
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...
under
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Ho ...
. Drayton led his brigade at
Second Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
and in the
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...
.
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
became displeased with Drayton's performance. Drayton had failed to get his brigade into action at
Second Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
, and it was then driven from the field in panic at both
South Mountain and
Antietam
The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...
. Lee complained that Drayton was unable to keep his brigade properly organized, failing to file reports and returns, and that in each battle the brigade had been engaged in most of its colonels were AWOL, leaving the regiments commanded by inexperienced majors and captains. The brigade was broken up and its regiments transferred to other brigades. Drayton himself was transferred to the
Western Theater to command a brigade in
Sterling Price
Sterling Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was an American politician and military officer who was a senior General officers in the Confederate States Army, officer of the Confederate States Army, fighting in both the Weste ...
's army. During the final two years of the war, he mainly performed administrative duties in the
Trans-Mississippi Theater
The trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War was the scene of the major military operations west of the Mississippi River. The area is often thought of as excluding the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed ...
, although he did briefly command a
division in early 1864.
Postbellum activities
Following the surrender of Confederate forces in the spring of 1865, Drayton moved to
Dooly County, Georgia
Dooly County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,208. The county seat is Vienna. The county was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on May 15, 182 ...
, where he managed a plantation. Destitute and unable to reclaim his confiscated property in South Carolina, in 1871, he moved to
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
, where he sold insurance for a living. Drayton was president of the South Carolina Immigrant Society until shortly before his death in
Florence, South Carolina
Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropol ...
, at the age of 81. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
Drayton is commemorated by a historical marker erected in 1985 by the state of South Carolina near Hilton Head in
Beaufort County.
Drayton marker
/ref>
See also
* List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
*Drayton Island
Drayton Island is a privately owned heavily wooded island at the northern end of Lake George on the west side of the Saint Johns River's main channel in Putnam County, Florida, United States.
Drayton Island, during the steamboat period on th ...
Notes
External links
References
* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher
David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. .
* Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .
* Evans, Clement A., ''Confederate Military History'' Vol. 5, Atlanta: Confederate Publishing Company, 1889.
Site about the Drayton brothers and the Civil War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drayton, Thomas
United States Military Academy alumni
United States Army officers
Confederate States Army brigadier generals
Businesspeople from Charleston, South Carolina
People of South Carolina in the American Civil War
19th-century American railroad executives
Drayton family
South Carolina state senators
1809 births
1891 deaths
Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina
People from Beaufort County, South Carolina
People from Charlotte, North Carolina
19th-century American planters
U.S. state legislators who owned slaves
19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly