This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

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Being young and single at the time, Thomas joined the Confederacy on October 5, 1861 shortly after the South declared war. He was a member of the Gainesville Volunteers, County G, 3rd Miss. Infantry. This company was also called Capt. J.B. Deason’s Company. He was later promoted to Sergeant according to his military records.
While home on leave, he married Matilda Brown, a daughter of Robert Brown and Jane Davis (see our Robert Brown History for more on her). The Hancock County Court House records show they married on February 11, 1864. This was to be his first and only marriage. Following his return from the war, he became a farmer and raised cattle according to his living descendents.
Thomas was supposed to be baptized a Catholic, as were his siblings. The records at St. Louis Cathedral have yet to produce such a baptism. Perhaps his baptism record was misfiled, or a priest from another Catholic Church baptized Thomas and his brother, Lott. Whatever religion Thomas had, he lost it after he married Matilda for she was a very “hard shell” Baptist and openly denounced the Catholic faith.
While on his death bed, it is told, that he was asked if he wished the company of a priest or minister, but he stubbornly refused!
The exact amount of education Thomas had is unknown. He supposedly went to St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis for a short while. If he did, it was probably for religious instruction rather than academic training. From all indications, Thomas could read and write which was something beyond the ability of the typical farmer of that day.
Older family members remember Thomas being described as having dark hair and dark, dark eyes. The only photo of him is a large 14” x 20” once owned by Thomas Zengarling (we have made copies from it). It was supposedly taken shortly after the Civil War around 1865, making Thomas approximately 24 years old at the time.
From the old black and white photo, Thomas is seen as a husky, rather handsome young man with dark eyes, and dark, wavy hair.
Thomas Jefferson McArthur and Matilda Brown appear in the 1880 Hancock County census with all seven of their children still in the household. The following are their children, as well as, other related information:
1.	Alice Rebecca McArthur - according to her headstone in Turtleskin Cemetery near Nicholson, MS (old Corinth Baptist Church), she was bom in 1865 and died in 1919. She lived in the Hickory Creek community of Hancock County and married Alexander “Buddy” Dossett on January 17, 1884. They had:
a.	Thomas William “Billy” Dossett - bom October 21, 1884, married Nancy Lee and also lived in the Hickory Creek community. They had five children of their own and adopted one girl called Beatrice. Two of their children died as infants. The others are:
1)	B.L. Dossett -married Myrtis Seal and lived on Hwy. 43 between Kiln and Picayune, MS. They had three sons.
2)	Myrtle Dossett - married Buford Spence and lived in North-west Hancock County with family.
3)	Thomas Jefferson Dossett - died at about age 2.
b.	Matilda Marsoline “Tildie” Dossett - bom October 15, 1887, married Oliver “Livea” Moran and lived near Kiln. They had:
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