Fourth Generation

210. Thomas Benjamin VANDAL was born on 13 Jun 1848 in Montcoal, Fayette, Virginia. He died on 8 Jan 1940 in True, Summers, West Virginia. !From the Vandal Newsletter, April, 1989.
Thomas Benjamin (Shoutin Tom) Vandal was born on 13 June, 1847 in Fayette
County, Virginia. He died 8 January 1940 and was buried with full military
honors, and was buried on the ridge above Elton P.O. in Summers County (Green
Sulphur District). His casket was draped with the Flag of the Confederacy by
Hinton Chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy.
!From the Vandal Newsletter, October, 1988.
Thomas B. "Shoutin" Tom" Vandal served in the Conferderate Army at age 17,
with Wallace's Battalion at Richmond, Virginia and later with Company C at
Chalottesville, Virginia.

!From the Vandal Newsletter, October, 1987.
When Thomas was quite young, his mother, Cynthia, died, and his father, in
1850, married a widow, Leah Likens McCoy. There are indications that, first
his brother Nathan, and then Thomas were "put out" to live with relatives in
nearby Counties. The 1860 Census of Monroe County listed Thomas as living in
the residence of William Becket.
According to Thomas, he enlisted, at age 17, in Co. C (Capt. Rudall),
Wallaces's Battalion, Virginia Reserves, Confederate, as a Private. At the
time of his enlistment, he was living in the home of Widow Chandler, in what
was known as the Forest Hill community. When discharged from the Confederate
service, he was a Private in Captain George's Co. When Lee surrendered, he
was hospitalized, in the military hospital of Charlottesville, in Albermarle
County, VA., suffering from pneumonia. He is said to have lost his hearing as
a result of this illness, and, hence, gained the nickname, "Shoutin' Tom"
because of his loud voice.
Thomas married Mary A. "Bettie" (Surbaugh) Howell, widow of David Howell on
September 6, 1888. Thomas and Bettie had two babies, both still-born, and
later separated.
In 1938, Thomas attended an encampment of Civil War Veterans at the Gettysburg
Battlefield, and there met and chatted with President Roosevelt.
Thomas Benjamin Vandal died at the Neely residence on January 8, 1940. He was
buried with full military honors in the Elton Cemetery, Green Sulphur District.
His casket was draped with the Flag of the Confederacy.

!From the Vandal Newsletter, October, 1987.
Charles Orren Vandall once made the comment "My Cousin, Geneva (Vandall)
Hicks, knew Thomas Benjamin Vandal. She said he was disgusted with women as
far as romance was concerned".

!BURIAL: Elton Cem., Summ. Co., West Virginia

Thomas Benjamin VANDAL and Mary A. "Betty" SURBAUGH were married on 6 Sep 1888. They were divorced. Mary A. "Betty" SURBAUGH (daughter of John A. SURBAUGH and Lovie HICKS) was born on 9 Sep 1858 in , Greenbrier, Virginia. Thomas Benjamin VANDAL and Mary A. "Betty" SURBAUGH had the following children:

743

i.

Unknown VANDAL was born on 29 Dec 1890.