Thomas Forman Screven

Contents

Personal and Family Information

Thomas was born on 19 Apr 1834 in Chatham Co., GA, the son of unknown parents.

He died on 6 Jun 1913 in Chatham Co., GA.

His wife was Sallie Lloyd Buchanan, who he married on 30 OCT 1866 in Maryland. They had no known children.

Events

EventDateDetailsSourceMultimediaNotes
Birth19 APR 1834
Place: Chatham Co., GA
Death6 JUN 1913
Place: Chatham Co., GA
Census7 JUN 1880
Place: Savannah, Chatham Cty, Georgia
Age: 46 born Georgia
Address: dwelling 231 family 304 Rice Planter with wife, mother, brother in law & nephew
Census9 JUN 1900
Place: Savannah, Chatham Cty, Georgia
Age: 66 born Georgia, april 1834
Address: 205 Congress East, dwelling 86 family 115 with nephew Thomas and wife of 33 years Sallie L

Notes

Note 1

CAPT. THOMAS F. SCREVEN.

Distinguished not only as a splendid representative of the native-born citizens of Savannah, his birth having occurred in this city April 19, 1834, but for his honorable record as a brave and efficient soldier, and for the very efficient and creditable manner in which he is filling his present position as sheriff of Chatham county. He comes of honored pioneer stock, being a son of James Proctor and Hannah Georgia (Bryan) Screven, of whom an account may be found on another page of this volume.

Beginning his early studies at home, under the instruction of a private tutor

in the family, Thomas F. Screven afterwards attended Miss Church's school and the Chatham Academy, in Savannah, and then entered Franklin College, now the University of Georgia, from which he was graduated with the class of 1852. For a short time thereafter he was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Savannah, but gave up his position in order to take up the study of medicine with Dr. R. D. Arnold. Finding that to his liking, he continued his studies at the old Savannah Medical College, where he was graduated in 1858. Subsequently his father sent him abroad, but after being in Europe but six months he was forced to return to Savannah on account of the ill health of his father. In caring for his father, Captain Screven subsequently traveled with him a good deal in those days, and never took up permanently the practice of medicine, although his professional knowledge was most usefully applied in treating the various ailments of the negroes belonging to the Screven family.

In 1852 Captain Screven had joined the Savannah Volunteer Guards, of which he was still a member when the dark clouds of war began to hover over the country. Following the secession of South Carolina from the Union, Governor Brown resolved to take possession of the forts and barracks on Georgia soil, a wise decision as subsequent events proved. Under his order to that effect, Colonel Lawton, of the First Volunteer Regiment, took fifty men of the Savannah Volunteer Guards (which were then commanded by Mr. Screven's brother, the late Col. James Screven, then captain), also taking a detachment from the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, and from the Chatham Artillery, and, on January 3, 1861, seized Fort Pulaski. Mr. Screven, who had assisted in the taking of the fort, was made second lieutenant junior of Company B, Savannah Volunteer Guards, on February 25, 1861. In March, 1862, he was commissioned first lieutenant of company A. S.V. G., and on May 10, 1863, was promoted to captain of said company, a position which he filled bravely and well until the end of the war, the Savannah Volunteer Guards having been organized as the Eighteenth Georgia Battalion, which served throughout the war with distinction.

Captain Screven's service was in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. With his company he served for a time under fire of the terrible bombardment of Battery Wagner (Charleston Harbor). Going with his command to Virginia in May, 1864, he joined Lee's Army, and was stationed at Mattoax, on the Richmond & Danville Railroad. In October, 1864, the Captain went with the battalion to join the forces of the Richmond lines, and was there stationed at Chafin 's farm. In April, 1865, Captain Sereven returned to Georgia on a furlough, and on May 1, of that year, received his parol at Augusta.

For some time after the war, Captain Screven was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the Screven plantation, in Chatham county, but for many years past he has resided in Savannah, an honored and respected citizen. For a long while after the war the captain remained a member of the Savannah Volunteer Guards, serving as captain of Company B from 1872 until 1883. On retiring from the captaincy of the company, its members presented him with a beautiful silver set, and resolutions expressing their high regard for him, and their regret at his leaving them. On February 7, 1888, Captain Screven became a member of Camp No. 756, United Confederate Veterans. In 1906 the captain was elected sheriff of Chatham county, and has since filled the position with credit to himself and to the great acceptation of all concerned.

Captain Screven married first, in 1860, Miss Adelaide Van Dyke Moore, a daughter of Dr. R. D. and Elizabeth (Stockton) Moore, and granddaughter of Maj. Thomas Stockton, who served as major in the United States army, and at the time of his death was governor of Maryland. She passed to the life beyond in 1864. In 1866 the captain married for his second wife Miss Sallie Lloyd Buchanan, a daughter of Admiral Franklin and Ann Catherine (Lloyd) Buchanan, her father having been first a member of the United States Navy, and later of the Confederate States Navy.

(A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME I

ILLUSTRATED

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

CHICAGO AND NEW YORK

1913)