Reed, Thomas German, 1817-1888

Thomas Reed, born in Pennsylvania, worked as an attorney in Natchez, Mississippi and resided at Cottage Home Plantation. His father, Thomas Reed (d. 1825), moved his family to Mississippi in 1820 and intended to found a cotton ginning business. After his death in 1825, his sons, Thomas and James P. began a merchandising business in Natchez. Both brothers left merchandising to study law; James P. moved to San Antonio, Texas, and worked as a druggist; Thomas remained in Natchez to practice law. Thomas Reed was a Major in the Confederate Army. After his first wife, Lavinia W. West, died in 1851, he married Mary Jane Forman. One of his sons, Richard Forman Reed (b. 1861), became a Mississippi State Senator in 1911. The family was apparently not related to Thomas B. Reed (d. 1829), a United States Senator from Mississippi.

From the description of Thomas Reed papers, 1787-1926 (bulk 1840-1890). (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 122573908