William Holland Thomas papers, 1814-1900s and undated

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Summary

Creator:
Thomas, William Holland, 1805-1893
Abstract:
White agent and representative for the Cherokee, merchant, lawyer, and trader, of Haywood Co., N.C. Collection includes correspondence, account books, day books, ledgers, and other papers, relating to Thomas's life in western North Carolina; the removal of the Cherokee and the status of those who remained; the development of intrastructure including turnpikes and railroads in North Carolina; Civil War fighting in east Tennessee; postwar administration of Indian affairs; and his private business operations as a white trader among the Cherokees. Includes records of Thomas's five stores in Haywood and Cherokee counties, and business correspondence and accounts of Thomas's son, also William Holland Thomas, a merchant and farmer of Jackson County, N.C.
Extent:
30 Linear Feet
Language:
Material in English and Cherokee
Collection ID:
RL.01290

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains letters and papers of William H. Thomas (1805-1893) concerning his life and businesses in western North Carolina; his role as a white agent representing the Indians in negotiations and communications with the U.S. government; the removal of the Eastern Band of Cherokee on the Trail of Tears; the legal and financial conditions of Cherokee who remained behind in North Carolina; the building of roads and railroads through Western North Carolina; fighting during the Civil War in East Tennessee, including Thomas's leadership of Thomas's Legion in the Confederate Army; postwar administration of Indian affairs; and private business of Thomas, including some documentation of his declining health and his institutionalization for mental instability. There are also account books, day books, and ledgers showing a record of goods bought and sold in Thomas's five stores in Haywood and Cherokee counties. Included also are business correspondence and miscellaneous accounts, 1875-1890, of his son, William Holland Thomas, Jr., merchant and farmer of Jackson County, North Carolina.

Biographical / historical:

William Holland Thomas (1805-1893) was a white agent for the Cherokee in Western North Carolina. He also worked as a merchant, lawyer, and trader, based in Haywood Co., N.C. He also served as a colonel in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and led Thomas's Legion, which enlisted both Cherokee and Southern white recruits.

Acquisition information:
The William Holland Thomas papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library between 1938 and 1952, with an addition acquired in 2018.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, Sept. 2017

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, Sept. 2017

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 1938 to 1952; 2018-0106.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], William Holland Thomas Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1sh43