Early years Thomas Hinds was born in
Berkeley County, Virginia, (now part of West Virginia), on January 9, 1780. He would later move to (Old)
Greenville in
Jefferson County, Mississippi, where he was appointed justice and assessor of the county in 1805. Hinds was made a member of the
Mississippi Territorial Council in 1806, remaining in that position until 1808.
Military career Hinds was commissioned as a
cavalry lieutenant in October 1805, gaining promotion to major in September 1813, during the
War of 1812. His forces participated with distinction in the
Battle of Pensacola (1814) and the
Battle of New Orleans (1814–1815), under the command of General
Andrew Jackson. Late in 1815, following the death of General
Ferdinand Claiborne, Hinds was promoted by President
James Madison as
Brigadier General of the Mississippi territorial militia. He was continued as the highest officer of the Mississippi militia in the rank of
Major general following statehood (late 1817), resigning this position in December 1819.
Promotion and retirement Late in 1815, following the death of General
Ferdinand Claiborne, Hinds was promoted by President
James Madison as
Brigadier General of the Mississippi territorial militia. He was continued as the highest officer of the Mississippi militia in the rank of
Major general following statehood (late 1817), resigning this position in December 1819.
Later life In the
August 1819 general election, Hinds ran for
Governor of Mississippi against
George Poindexter but was soundly defeated, garnering only 38% of the vote behind Poindexter's 62%. (Mrs. Hinds had died in late June of the same year, at age 28.) Hinds was elected to the
Mississippi Legislature in 1823. Following the resignation of
William Haile on September 12, 1828, he was elected to the
20th Congress to complete his term. He later won re-election and held that position until March 3, 1831. Thomas was married to Lemenda Green, daughter of
Congressman Thomas M. Green.
Death and legacy Hinds died on August 23, 1840, in
Jefferson County, Mississippi. He was sixty years old at the time of his death. As of 1899 his remains were buried in a cotton field near
Fayette, Mississippi, on what had been his plantation Home Hill Place, along with the bodies of his wife and brother John Hinds. During his lifetime Hinds was regarded as the leading military hero of Mississippi. He was remembered by Congressman
J.F.H. Claiborne as having been "beloved by his troops, and one of the most intrepid men that ever lived."
Hinds County, Mississippi, home of
the state capital, was named in his honor. ==Notes==