The Quincy Daily Herald, Saturday, July 29, 1911; page 2.

HERO OF
CRIMEA
___

LATE THOS. H. COSBY
CARRIED VICTORIA CROSS.
___

Plumber Whose Death Occurred This
Week Fought as Lad Under Lord
Raglan and Was in Sebastopol
Siege.
___

Thomas H. Cosby, the plumber, whose death, last Monday night, has been chronicled in these columns, was English by birth and spent his boyhood days and the days of his youthhood in the land of his nativity. He was a lad of 14 when the Crimean war broke out, in 1853, and before it was ended, in 1855, he had enlisted and gone to the front, a patriotic son of Old England. He lived to attain the age of 72 and was one of the few survivors of that bloody war.

Mr. Cosby got into the service in time to take part in the Siege of Sebastopol. The war was between Russia on one side and the allied powers of England, France, Sardinia and Turkey on the other. The motives alleged for the war were the desire of Russia on one hand to protect the Greek Christians in Turkey, and of the allied powers on the other to check the progress of Russia and aid that of Turkey.

It was in September, 1854, that the allied army, in which Mr. Cosby served, landed at Varna, moved to the Crimean peninsula, and defeated the Russians at Alma river, the British troops being under Lord Raglan. In the first battle 5,000 Russians and 3,400 of the allied troops were slain. Within a week the Russians had attacked Balaklava, and the immortal charge of the British light brigade was made, followed presently by Inkerman, when they were defeated with heavy loss. Peace was finally concluded by treaty in March, 1856, and the allies evacuated the Crimea in July. The British losses by killed in battle, died of injuries and disease, etc., were about 26,900; French, 63,500, and Russian, of 90,000.

When the British soldiers returned home they were greeted with intense enthusiasm and good old Queen Victoria conferred on many of them medals and badges of honor. Mr. Cosby received one of the medals and preserved it to the end of his life, although it was only rarely that he discussed the period of his life when he fought under the Union Jack.

In England, Mr. Cosby learned the plumbing and fitting trade and of course learned it thoroughly during a long term as a bound apprentice. Then he came to America and some thirty years ago arrived in Quincy. Here he spent the remaining years of his life in the employ of the E. Best Plumbing and Heating company. He understood his business in all departments and was faithful to every trust reposed in him, a modest, unassuming man with scores of friends and no known enemies. He was proud of the gift he received in his youth from the hands of the sovereign of his native land and with good reason, but he never boasted and not many of his friends except the most intimate knew that he had it in his possession. No man ever received the coveted Victoria Cross who was not proud of it and cherished it as chiefest of his chattels.

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- Research and Transcription by Tree Leaf.
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Veteran of the Crimean War.

Married twice; two daughters by his first marriage. One daughter by his second marriage did not live past infancy.

Worked as a plumber for E Best Plumbing Co in Quincy, Illinois.

- Biography by Tree Leaf