Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898

J. Thomas Scharf was an author of numerous books on Maryland history and a noted collector of manuscripts.

Author.

Historian J. Thomas Scharf was born and raised in Baltimore. He joined the Confederacy as an infantryman, was hospitalized after being wounded in the Battle of Chancellorsville, then became a midshipman in the Confederate navy, and later resigned his commission, was arrested as a spy and imprisoned, but pardoned by President Johnson. Scharf worked as a lawyer, a journalist, and a public servant, becoming an aide to Maryland governor Owen Bowie, but spent much of his time writing articles and books about Baltimore and Maryland history. His boundless energy and detailed research resulted in numerous popular historical works, including non-Maryland subjects such as Philadelphia, Delaware, and the Confederate Navy. He had a large collection of documents, and served as commissioner of the State Land Office.

John Thomas Scharf was an American historian, author, and collector.

He was born in Baltimore in 1843 and left home at 18 to join the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After the war, Scharf became a lawyer, an editor for several Baltimore newspapers, a politician, and an office holder. He also was a collector of historical materials particulary those dealing with Southern history. Scharf was the author of several volumes of local history related to Baltimore City and Baltimore County. His other works include "A History of Philadelphia" (1884) and "A History of Westchester County" (1886). John Thomas Scharf died in 1898.