Mexican War: Californio Lancers
Civil War: 2nd Lieutenant, Los Angeles Mounted Rifles, California State Militia
1859-1867: Los Angeles County Sheriff

Thomas Avila Sanchez was born "José Tomás Tadeo Sánchez y Ávila" at Los Ángeles, Alta California, México. He was the son of Pedro Antonio José Sánchez y Higuera and María Ascención Josefa Ávila (Ábila) y Ruíz. Tomás was baptized at the Los Angeles Plaza Church April 17, 1826 (LA Baptism 00016). Following the invasion of Mexico by the United States in 1846, Thomas served as a lancer in the Californio militia organized soon after Alta California was occupied by U.S. forces. He became a U.S. citizen with the transfer of California's sovereignty in 1848 and assumed an anglicized version of his name, using his matronym as his middle name, thenceforth becoming known as Thomas Avila Sanchez. He had established a common law relationship with María Sepúlveda y Domínguez by 1855, whom he later married in 1867. María was the 'hija natural' of Fernando Bernardo Sepúlveda y Serrano (BP Baptism 00442) and María Josefa Domínguez y Villa (SG Baptism 06962). María was born at Los Angeles April 11, 1838.

After the murder of Los Angeles County Sheriff James R. Barton on January 23, 1857, Thomas made a name for himself leading a posse of Californios and Anglo-Americans against the Anglo-Texan marauders that killed Barton and who had been terrorizing Los Angeles County. Consequently, he ran for County Sheriff to replace Barton on the Republican Party ticket in 1859 and was elected. He was re-elected several times and served as sheriff until 1867. On the eve of the Civil War Thomas briefly served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles, a chartered company of the California State Militia. The unit was organized on March 7, 1861, about a month before the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Shortly after President Lincoln's call for troops to suppress the rebellion on April 15, 26 Confederate sympathizers within the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles deserted, taking the company's weapons with them as they fled to Texas. Consequently, the unit's charter was revoked in June by the California Adjutant General and the remaining members were mustered out. Sánchez then focussed on his duties as sheriff, whereas his half-brother, José Antonio Sánchez, who had enlisted with him in the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles, went on to raise Company D of the California Native Cavalry and serve as Company D's first commander.

It was during Tom's tenure as sheriff that Los Angeles observed the world's first ever "Cinco de Mayo" celebration in May 1863, just one year after the Republic of Mexico's victory over the French imperialists at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Unlike today's observance, Cinco de Mayo in 1863, and again in 1864 and 1865, were patriotic occasions calling for continued support of both President Lincoln and Mexico's President Benito Juárez in their joint struggle to preserve a republican form of government. Tom's half-brother José resigned his military commission in May 1864 so he could join Thomas in the Los Angeles chapter of the "Junta Unionista de Nativos Californios" (Council of Native Californio Unionists). This group was active in organizing the Cinco-de-Mayo events and in drumming up support among the Californios for President Lincoln's re-election in November 1864.

After the war Thomas finally married María Sepúlveda y Domínguez at the Los Angeles Plaza Church on February 5, 1867. Thomas Avila Sánchez died at his beloved Rancho San Rafael (now Glendale). His funeral mass was conducted at the Los Angeles Plaza Church January 24, 1882, and he was buried in [Old] Calvary Cemetery (burials at the Plaza Church had ceased in the mid-1840's). There is no evidence that Thomas was re-interred to New Calvary Cemetery when Old Calvary closed in 1896.
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Children:
(All born Rancho San Rafael [Glendale])

- Felipe (Jul. 25, 1855 - ? ; bap. Sep. 14, 1855, LA Plaza Church)
- Vicente L. (Aug. 25, 1857 - ? ;bap. Sep. 19, 1857, LA Plaza Church; m. [1] Eulalia Rodríguez, [2] Delfina R. Moreno Dec. 13, 1879)
- Pedro (1858 - ? ; bap. Oct 29, 1865, LA Plaza Church)
- Alonzo G. (Mar. 7, 1861 - Nov. 21, 1905; bap. Oct. 29, 1866, LA Plaza Church; m. María Masón, later divorced)
- Uzbaldo (Feb. 26, 1864 - 1916; bap. Feb 26, 1864, LA Plaza Church; m. Eloisa Raquela Stone y García)
- Wenceslao Guillermo (Feb 11, 1865 - Feb. 4, 1939; m. [1] Eloisa Obando abt. 1887, [2] Ruby Solomon abt. 1896)
- Ascensión Isabel (Feb. 2, 1869 - ? ; bap. Jun. 27, 1869, LA Plaza Church)
- Rosa María (May 13, 1870 - 1893; bap. Jul. 13, 1870, LA Plaza Church)
- Tomás (Mar. 25, 1872 - 1944; bap. Apr. 14, 1872, LA Plaza Church; m. [1] Josefina Rivas y Canes*, [2] Ascención Moreno)
- Ignacio Fernando (Aug. 10, 1873 - Oct. 9, 1944; bap. Aug. 17, 1873, LA Plaza Church; m. [1] Mamie Vance (died 1903), [2] Ella Dennard)
- Felipe (Jun. 6, 1874- ? )
- Frederico (Oct. 1876 - 1942; m. Anita Winn)
- María (Jul. 1878 - Sep. 1878, LA; bap. Jul. 13, 1878, LA Plaza Church)
- Tadeo Francisco José (Oct 3, 1880 - Sep. 22, 1919 ; bap. Aug 29, 1881, LA Plaza Church; m. [name unknown])

* Josefina was the daughter of Francisco Rivas y Ruíz, another veteran of the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles who also served in Company D, California Native Cavalry.

Biography by Steve