M. Jeff Thompson
| M. Jeff Thompson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 22, 1826 Harpers Ferry, Virginia now West Virginia |
| Died | September 5, 1876 (aged 50) St. Joseph, Missouri |
| Allegiance |
 Missouri Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Missouri State Guard Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |
 brigadier general (MSG) |
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War *Battle of Fredericktown *Battle of Westport *Battle of Mine Creek |
Meriwether Jeff Thompson (January 22, 1826 – September 5, 1876) was a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard during the American Civil War. He served the Confederate Army as a cavalry commander, and had the unusual distinction of having a ship in the Confederate Navy named for him.
Meriwether Jeff Thompson was born at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, now West Virginia into a family with a strong military tradition on both sides. Thompson received basic training in military tactics in Charleston, South Carolina, but was not appointed to a military academy. Following his education, he found employment as a store clerk in a few Virginia and Pennsylvania towns. He moved to Liberty, Missouri in 1847 and St. Joseph the following year, beginning as a store clerk before taking up surveying and serving as the city engineer. He later supervised the construction of the western branch of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. He married Emma Hayes in 1848. Thompson served as St. Joseph mayor from 1857–1860. He presided over the ceremony inaugurating the first ride of the Pony Express on April 3, 1860. Thompson also gained national attention in May, 1861, when he cut down a union flag from the St. Joseph post office flag pole and threw it down to an angry crowd of southern sympathizers who shredded it to pieces.
Thompson was a colonel in the Missouri state militia at the outbreak of the Civil War. In late July 1861, he was appointed brigadier general of the First Division, Missouri State Guard. He commanded the First Military District of Missouri, which covered the swampy southeastern quarter of the state from St. Louis to the Mississippi River. Thompson's battalion soon became known as the "Swamp Rats" for their exploits. He gained renown as the "Swamp Fox of the Confederacy." Although Thompson frequently petitioned for the Confederate rank of brigadier general it was never granted. His brigadier rank came from his Missouri State Guard service.
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