Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees. –                              Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson

 

It is with great regret to pass along to you news of the passing of Thomas Newton Bruce. Tom died yesterday just a couple of months short of his 89th birthday.

Tom had the distinction of being one of the last sons of a Confederate Soldier still living until his death yesterday. Sadly that number grows smaller each passing year.

I believe the count is now in the twenties.

A few years ago I wrote a Real Son Article for the Confederate Veteran on Tom and Jim Brown who died last year. I have included the info on Tom below.

LEVI NEWTON BRUCE

Tom Bruce has little recollection of his father who died when he was five but knows he was a proud Confederate soldier.

Born April 10, 1846 in Wytheville, Virginia, Levi Newton Bruce was the son of Enoch G. Bruce and Letitia Umberger. Levi’s Great Grandfather William had been a Sergeant in the 2nd Virginia Regiment Continental Army. The Bruce family was Scottish and had come to America in the early 1700’s.

Levi joined the 4th Virginia Infantry in 1862 and served with that unit until October 1864 when he was transferred to Company E 7th Virginia Cavalry Battalion. During his service he participated in the battles at Crockett Cove, Clayed Meadow and Princeton, W.V. and other smaller engagements. He suffered a flesh wound during one of these but missed no time with his unit due to this wound.

After the war, Levi married Sarah Virginia Robinett. The 1880 census for Morristown, Tennessee shows one son and four daughters of this union. Another son, Robert was born after 1880 and by the early 1920’s was living in Fort Worth, Texas.

Virginia died after 1900 and Levi married Betty J. Ellis. Betty died in January 1919 of complications stemming from pregnancy at the age of 51.

Four years later on February 23, 1923 Levi married for the third time to Mary Belle Long. Their only son Thomas N. Bruce was born eighteen months later on October 1, 1924. Levi Bruce was Seventy-Eight years old at the time. He died June 29, 1930 at the age of Eighty-Four.

Today his son Tom lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and is a member of the Longstreet-Zollicoffer Camp # 87 Sons of Confederate Veterans in Knoxville. Tom married Maude Moneyhun on August 19 1950 and they had two children. Maude passed away in 1999 after 49 years of marriage.

In 1943 Tom Bruce was drafted into the service of the United States. Tom’s unit, the 66th Infantry, was sent to Europe where on a channel crossing on Christmas Eve 1944 his ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat. Wounded by the blast Tom was rescued by a PT Boat and recovered in a hospital in France. He later served in the coastal area of France securing pockets of surrounded German soldiers and U-Boat pens.

Tom is still active and can be found frequenting his favorite places near his home in Fountain City on and almost daily basis.

 

Arrangements

As of now the families arrangements have not been given.

The Mynatt Funeral Home – Knoxville, Tennessee will be assisting the family with final arrangments. Up to date information can be found with them.

Our Condolences to the Bruce family from all of the

South Carolina Division – Sons of Confederate Veterans