Florer - Thomas Wilson - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani.  Montgomery Medicine Men & Women.  Crawfordsville, Indiana: Montgomery County Historical Society, 2002.

Dr. Thomas W. Florer was one of the most interesting of all of the Montgomery County early physicians.  Born near Waynesville, Ohio Nov. 25, 1822. he was the son of Jesse and Nancy Wilson Florer.  At the age of 10, he removed with his mother and grandparents to Indiana, where he received his early education in the country schools. As a young man, he began the study of medicine under a private preceptor, Dr. AS James of Brookville, Indiana. He served as one of the representatives from Montgomery County when the Indiana Medical Society was formed in 1849, but did not graduate from the Ohio Medical College until March the following year, when he then went to Alamo.  He served as the secretary of the new state society for the first 8 years.  He married Harriet Elizabth Stone (daughter of Isaac and Laura Turrell Stone) in Rush County, Indiana and they had one daughter, Hattie.

Evidently, Harriet died in childbirth or shortly thereafter.  Thomas Florer then married on October 25, 1852 Sarah E. Aydelotte and they lived in Waveland, just east of the Methodist Church.  Later, they moved to Crawfordsville where they lived on the corner of Washington and Spring Streets until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he served under Lew Wallace, his personal friend, as Surgeon of the 26th Indiana.  His records show that in 1862, he was transferred to Vicksburg to work in their hospital.  He was mustered out there in January of 1866.  Not long afterwards, he lost Sarah, possibly in childbirth with their youngest daughter, Anna.  Other children I have found were Emma, Thomas, John and Birdie.

Dr. Florer left our area and moved to Meridian, Mississppi, where there is some indication that he was postmaster.  At Meridian, he purchased a plantation but had little success in doing so.  He lived there until 1875, then moved to Waxhacie, Texas where he spent many years practicing medicine.

Beginning in 1886, he received a $25 per month pension due to a hernia (lifting a very heavy invalid soldier) he received during the war.  

Dr. Florer married a third time to Cornelia Herbert of Alabama and they had two childrne, Helen and Cornelia.  Iin 1899 (June, according to the Waveland newspaper), Dr. Florer visited the community while he attended the 50th Anniversary of the Indiana State Medical Society.  He was made an honorary membr and included this poem in his spech.

Land of the pioneer doctor good
Through stygian darkness, sleety storm in solemn mood;

From cabin to cabin in the tangled wood

Fought malaria with Peruvian bark and nitre, the best he could.

This man of fasty-forgotten fame,

Was educated, honored, and Thomas W. Florer by name.

An active member of the Methodist Church, Dr. Florer was also a Mason.  He was buried by that order in Waxahackie May 11, 1907.  Ellen Parsons, a descendant of Dr. Florer was most helpful in the information on this great physician!

Source: Waveland Independent Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana Sept 10, 1907

Dr. T.W. Florer, of the Medical College of Ohio, 1840, d. in Corsicana, Texas May 10 of paralysis aged 84 years 6 months. He was b. near Waynesville Ohio 1822. He began the practice of medicine in Alamo, In. From there he moved to Crawfordsville, where he resided until 1862, when he was appointed surgeon of the 26th Ind. He was on Gen. Lew Wallace's staff; was mustered out at Vicksburg, Jan 1866. After the war he moved to Mississippi and resided there till 1875 when he removed to Tx and settled in Waxahatchee where he lived and engaged in the work of his beloved profession till 1905 when he was stricken with paralysis since which time he has resided in Corsicana at the home of his son-in-law, MW McAfee. In 1849 he was a delegate to assist in the organization of the Indiana State Med. Soc; he represented Montgomery County and was made one of the V Pres. He kept a record of the proceedings for 8 years and had them bound in one volume, which he presented to the state Medical Assoc in 1886 in recognition of which gift he was elected an honorary member. In 1899 he attended the Golden Jubilee of the Indiana State Med. Soc held at Indianapolis, being one of the four living charter members. This was the crowning event of his long and useful life. He leaves 5 children: Mrs. Emma Elder and Miss Annie Florer of Sedalia, Mo; Mrs. Hattie Parsons of Red Oak and Mrs. Helen McAfee and Nena Florer of Corsicana, Tx.

Florer(Flora), Thomas Wilson Civil War Rank: Surgeon Civil War Regiment: 26th Place of Birth: Waynesville,Ohio Date of Birth: 1822 Place of Death: Corsicana Tx Date of Death: 5.10.1907(85) Other residence: Meridian, Mississippi till 1871 / Waxahachie Schools attended: Medical College of Ohio Year Medical Grad or Attendance: 1849-50 Political office or connection: Postmaster after war Career other than physician: farmer Wife: (No wife or child listed in 1850c)Harriet E. Stone / Sarah E. Aydelott / Cornelia E. Herbert Date of Marriage: 1849 / 1866 / 1869 Children: 1 / 6 / 2 Membership in Medical Orgz.: Perm. Member Indiana State Medical Society; Montgomery Co. Med. Soc.;Founder of ISMA Obit location: IMJ 17:12; V.25:500: JISMA v. 3;77(1910); T Indiana State Medical Society 1907:483 Journal of the American Medical Association 48:2202 Portrait: x Kemper Florer, T. W. Portrait. Ind. Med. J. v.17 #12 (1899) Fronts. Obit. Ind. Med. J. v.25;500 (1907) Obit. and P o rt r att. J. Ind. State Med. Assn. v.3;77 (1910) Violent death: 41 Length of Service: 24 m.o. Comm. Date: 11.10.1862 Final Date: 9.22.1864 Final Date of last commission: 1.1866 at Vicksburg County: Montgomery(Alamo / Crawfordsville / Waveland) Sources: 1850c $600 // He was on Gen Lew Wallace's Staff; was mustered out of service at Vicksburg, Miss Jan. 1866 'warm personal friend of Lew Wallace M / S Hist On Lew Wallace's staff until transferred to hospital in Vicksburg in 1862. v.10 701 #84 Binnamon A 26 IN Amputations in the shaft of the humerus 12.7,9.63 right;flap;by Surg. T.W. Flora [sic], 26th IN Disch'd 3.7.63 // v.12 p 468 Case # 172'Injuries of the lower extremities primary amputations of the leg' Dooley, H. C. Pt. C, 26th In age 27, 3.27.65 Right Surg. T. W. Flora, 26th IN Disc'd 6.2.1865 // v. 11 284 #281 Injuries of the lower extremities intermediary amputations of the thigh Frakes, W. Pt. B. 26th In age 19 12.7.1862 --; cir. SUrg. T. W. Florer, 26th In. Died 12.26.1862; pyaemia and pneumonia // v. 11 286 #441 Injuries of the lower extremities intermediary amputations of the thigh Steward, J Pt. C 26th In., age 22 12.7 / 22.1862 Left(gangrene); cir. Surg T. W. Florer, 26th Ind Died 12.24.1862; hemorrhage // Ibid 299 #412 Jay, J C. pt. K 19th Iowa age 18 12.7 / 11.1862 Left; cir. Surg. T. W. Florer, 26th Ind. Flap sloughed. Died 6.11.1863; pyaemia. 'Sulphate of Quinia'- thesis Hist of Ellis County (TX) Index Terms: Herron's D 1b 26 / / preceptor A.B. James of Brookville Record# 30411 in database 19th Indiana Century Physicians