Historical Rosters Database

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Thomas Lawson Pitts

Roster ID 699
This is a summary. Contact the Archives for additional biographical information.
First Name:Thomas
Middle Name:Lawson
Last Name:Pitts
Suffix:
Affiliation:Class of 1858
Biography & Genealogy:Thomas Lawson Pitts, Class of 1858. Genealogy: Born Tappahannock, VA, October 15, 1835. Father- Reuben Lindsay Pitts. Mother- Maria Lawson Dobbins. Marriage- never married, no issue. VMI Record: Enrolled on July 9, 1855; graduated July 1858, standing 14th out of 19. Military Record: Entered service on June 14, 1861 at Warsaw, VA; Appointed Captain, Co. E, 40th Virginia Infantry on July 1, 1861; re-elected April 1862; in hospital September 1862; resigned September 25, 1862 citing "tendency to pulmonary disease" rendering him unfit for military duty; resignation accepted Oct. 3, 1862. Career: Lawyer. Death: Reportedly admitted to Western Lunatic Asylum (Staunton, VA) circa 1864. He died there in 1876.

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The database currently includes the names of all enrolled students (both graduates and non-graduates) from VMI's opening in 1839 through the World War II era. In addition, you will find biographical and genealogical information, including a summary of military service during the Civil War, for many individuals who attended in the 19th century. The database also includes some historical Faculty and Board of Visitors members, as well as U. S. Army students sent to VMI for training during World Wars I and II. The latter groups were not VMI cadets. For further information about an ancestor listed in the database, please contact the VMI Archives. We can check the complete record, let you know if other information available, and provide copies of original documents. This database is for historical research. We do not release information about living individuals.

VMI Archives
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA 24450
archives@vmi.edu
540-464-7516