William Jones

William Jones was a resident of Baltimore and Grand Secretary of the Odd Fellows in 1908. He sent this card to his sister's family. They were Thomas and Isabelle Woolfenden of Kopp, Va. Thomas and Isabelle, my great grandparents, moved to Prince William County's Kopp community in the mid 1880's from Baltimore. The Woolfendens and Jones visited each other via train on a regular basis. We can verify this because the Kopp column in the local papers for Prince William County mentioned these trips as they occurred.

Thomas' father Eli G. and his brother James are buried at Loudon Park. The following is a bio of Thomas during his years in Baltimore. Since the Woolfenden surname does not appear in your surname search, this may fill in a hole for the Woolfendens who still live the Baltimore area to this day.

In 1850 Thomas was living on his father Eli's farm in Catonsville, MD on the Frederick Turn Pike Road which connects Ellicott Mills with Baltimore. The road is now known as Route 144. Thomas was 7 years old on the day that his household was counted in the 1st District of Baltimore County, MD for the 1850 U.S. Census. He was listed as having attended school in the past year.

In the 1860 U.S. Census for the 1st District of Baltimore County, MD, Thomas was still living on his father's farm in Catonsville and was 16 years old. He was listed as a farmhand.

On September 28, 1862, Thomas enlisted in Company C, 8th Maryland Regiment (U.S.) in Washington County, Maryland. His rank was private and his enlistment was for three years. This is according to the State of Maryland records, which are located in the City of Baltimore. However, the U.S. Army records from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. state that Thomas mustered in on August 18, 1862 at Camp Bradford, Baltimore, MD. The regiment took the field on September 18, 1862 with the Army of the Potomac, then on the banks of the Potomac, in Western Maryland, in response to General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia which had invaded Maryland and made a demonstration in the direction of Baltimore.

The 8th Maryland Regiment, part of the Maryland Brigade, was part of the Army of the Potomac (U.S.). In January of 1863, Thomas is listed as absent, on January 24, 1863, he is listed as deserted. His January and February 1863 Company muster roll lists him as present, with the remarks that he forfeits 12 days pay by regimental order, dated November 13, 1863. The unit served briefly during April of 1863 in West Virginia where it operated around Clarksburg, West Virginia. The unit returned to Bolivar Heights, Virginia on May 27, 1863. In June and July, 1863 the 8th Regiment was held as a reserve to the Army of the Potomac and to protect Washington during the Gettysburg campaign. The unit participated in skirmishes at Maryland Heights, July 7, 1863, and Funkstown, MD, July 12, 1863.

The unit was in the line of battle at the Wilderness, VA on May 5-7, 1864. The unit also participated in the battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse, VA, May 8-20, 1864. Other battles it was in were Harris' Farm, VA, May 19, 1864; North Anna, VA, May 23-27, 1864; Shady Grove, VA, May 30, 1864; Bethesda Church, VA, May 31 and June 1, 1864; Cold Harbor, VA, June 2-5, 1864, Petersburg, VA, June 17-18, 1864; siege of Petersburg, VA, 1864-1865; Weldon Railroad, VA, August 18-21, 1864 (Thomas was listed as sick in the Division Hospital in August, 1864. The number of days is not given.); Poplar Springs Church, VA, September 30, 1864; Chapel House, VA, October 1-3, 1864; Peeble's Farm, VA, October 7, 1864; Hatcher's Run, VA, October 27, 1864; Hicksford, VA, December 7-12, 1864;

Dabney's Mill, VA, February 6, 1865; White Oak Road, VA, March 31, 1865 (Thomas is listed as absent on furlough on the March and April, 1865 Company muster. The length of the furlough is not given.); Five Forks, VA, April 1, 1865; and, the surrender at Appomattox, VA, April 9, 1865. After Lee's surrender, the unit returned to Washington, D.C. and took part in the grand review of the Army of the Potomac before President Abraham Lincoln.

Thomas was mustered out at Arlington Heights, VA on May 31, 1865. He received $75.00 dollars and his discharge. The unit then returned to Baltimore, MD and was received by the Governor of Maryland, the Mayor of Baltimore, and a large group of people.

By 1867-1868 Thomas appears in the Baltimore City Directory at 461 W. Lomard Avenue. Thomas was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge during the period of September 1867 to September 1870. It is believed that Thomas' father-in-law, Jacob Jones, was also in the Odd Fellows Lodge.

In the 1868-1869 edition of the Baltimore City Directory, Thomas' father Eli is also listed as living at 461 W. Lomard Avenue. This is also true for 1870. On September 13, 1869 signs a lease for a part of the property known Mount Clair with Daniel Sheehan.

In 1876 Thomas is listed in the Baltimoe City Directory as living at Millington lane near Frederick Avenue. On November 15 of this year, Thomas and Isabelle, for the price of $472.00 dollars, purchased 140 acres in Prince William County, Virginia from Benjamin P. and Mary A. Ledley. Baltimore City tax records for 1876 show that Thomas and James owned a 14 x 100 lot on Marriott Street with assessments of $125.00 dollars, land; $400.00 dollars, house; and, $40.00, furniture.

In 1884 and 1885 Thomas is listed in the Baltimore City Directory as living at 6 Marriott. Thomas and Isabelle were attending The Church of the Holy Cross (Episcopal) at this time. Their records show that the sixth child of Thomas and Isabelle, Hattie Irene Elizabeth Woolfenden, was baptized at Holy Cross on April 16, 1884. On March 26, 1885, Thomas deeded his lease to the part of Mount Clair that he leased on September 13, 1869 to Hennitta Schlens and Gustav Adolph Schlens.