I have uncovered through family, records that say a Thornton Valentine Leach, after being in Iuka, Corinth and Shiloh battles, was transferred to Company D, 34th, Mills Regiment (that I can't find) in 1862. It mentions serving under Van Dorn.
Neither on Footnote.com or the NPS Civil War Soldiers site can I find Leach's name or military record? Some of his other records show as initials, T. V. Leach. Two of his brothers are "possibly" on a Wood County Texas Militia web site (spelled as Leech) but are not found either, on the two mentioned Confederate sources.
Both a Thornton and his brother R. H. (Robert Harrison) Leach are on the Confederate indigent families list from 1863-65 in Wood County, Texas. Also, a family member believes another family member has a picture in a trunk showing Thornton Leach in his Confederate uniform. We're trying to get a copy of it, if it exists. Another family member says he may have been a Confederate spy since he was born in Indiana in 1833. He came to Texas by 1846, however, as a young boy.
Based on 1860 census records, and an 1861 county tax record, Thornton Leach was in Wood County, Texas. Prior, he's with his father, Peter Leach, in the 1850 Van Zandt Co., TX census as T. V. Leach.
I've found nothing on him through web sites but it appears he should be associated with the men of Gen. John W. Whitfield. He apparently was in the Gen. John W. Whitfield U. C. V. Camp No. 560 of Devine, Texas (Medina Co.), as they passed a memorial resolution upon his death on January 14, 1898, which was to be recorded in the Devine News and the San Antonio Express (the SA library is checking microfilm for me). Thornton is in the 1870 Hays Co., census, then 1880 Frio County, bought land in 1886, is taxed there in 1887, then dies at his home in 1898 near Bigfoot, Frio Co., TX.
Were some men's military records lost, or just haven't been processed yet on either Footnote or the NPS site? Can anyone help?
Historically yours,
Duane Helweg
Author of: Lone Survivor At Shiloh
Available online at: eParks.com
Book web site: RimrockWritings.com