Thomas Chisholm Beckham

From Chester County, he represented a Charleston shipping company in Fernandina, FL until 1860, when he returned home at his father's death. He enlisted there as a Private in the Calhoun Guards, which became Company A, 6th South Carolina Infantry. He transferred to Company B, 5th South Carolina Infantry in 1861 and was appointed 1st Lieutenant when the unit was formally organized at Charleston in the Spring of 1861. He was promoted to Captain about the time of the Army reorganization in April 1862.

He commanded the regiment as senior officer present on the Maryland Campaign.

He was seriously wounded at Chattanooga on 2 October 1863 and recuperated in an Atlanta hospital for at least 3 months. On his return he was again briefly in command of the regiment, at Spotsylvania, VA in mid-May 1864. He was commissioned Major in November 1864 and was surrendered with his regiment at Appomattox Court House, VA on 9 April 1865.

He lived in Rock Hill, SC and was a deputy sheriff for 15 years. He was active in the United Confederate Veterans and a magistrate there at the time of his death.

His service from the Roll,1 and his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3. Personal details from his bio sketch in Elison Capers' South Carolina (Vol. V of the Confederate Military History, 1899) and his obituary in the Confederate Veteran of February 1912. His Appomattox parole is listed by the NPS. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Martha Louise Henkle (1844-1930) and they had 6 children.

06/08/1832; Landsford, SC

09/30/1911; Rock Hill, SC; burial in Laurelwood Cemetery, Rock Hill, SC