This portrait of Thomas Jefferson Powers hangs in the Council Chambers at City Hall in downtown Fayetteville, Cumberland Co, NC. Tom Powers was born 04 Sep 1844 in Fayetteville to William (d by 1850) and Zilla (Godwin) Powers (b 1803) and was probably a grandson of May E Powers b ca 1775. Tom died 29 Mar 1922 in Fayetteville. William and Zilla Powers and their family lived in Columbus Co prior to moving to Fayetteville by 1840. Tom married Adeline Barbara Smith in Fayetteville 07 Oct 1865. Adeline was born 20 Sep 1846 and died 28 Mar 1922, one day before her husband, and is buried with him and their three year old daughter Ellen in Cross Creek Cemetery #2 in Fayetteville. They had at least one other child, Thomas H Powers.

Tom Powers served in Co I, 51st NC Regiment CSA, was Mayor of Fayetteville from 1906-1908 and was a Desk Sergeant at the Police Station at the time of his death. He was the brother of Elizabeth Ann Powers b 1829, Stephen Powers b 1837 and Holland Powers 1832-1904.

Thomas was sentenced to hang, the sentence was reduced to 15 yrs hard labor, then he was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in the 1867 shooting death of a man accused of attempted rape of his niece Elvira, daughter of his sister Holland and her husband William Henry Massey. An article recounting this tragic event was published in the Fayetteville Observer several years ago.

Note: Elizabeth Powers, Stephen Powers, May E Powers, along with Thomas Powers, were all in Zilla Powers' household in the 1850 Cumberland Co census, thus my assumptions of their relationships as siblings and grandmother of Tom. If anyone knows of an error on anything, please let me know. Elaine Carr



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