Memorial Record of Western Kentucky, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904,
pp 541-542 [Graves]

HON. THOMAS J. ELMORE was born in Holmes county, Mississippi, May
22, 1836, and was reared in his native county and educated in
Madison College, of that state.  He embarked very early in the
vocation of school teaching, and continued it until the late Civil
war between the north and south broke out, when, in the freshness of
young manhood, he raised a company known as Company G, Fourth
Mississippi Infantry, Baldwin's Brigade and Stewart's Corps, and
continued in service till the Confederacy surrendered, engaging in
all of the important battles in the Mississippi and Tennessee
departments.  He was a prisoner of war three times, viz.: Fort
Donelson, sieges of Blakely and Vicksburg; was offered promotion to
a coloneley [sic] for gallantry at the latter siege.  He was an
efficient officer, a faithful soldier, discharging every duty so as
to win the respect of his men and the commendation of his superiors. 
When the war closed he returned to Mississippi, where he was engaged
in farming until 1869, when he moved to Mayfield, Kentucky, and has
continued the agricultural pursuits in this state until the present
time.  For a period of seven years he was engaged in the grocery
business under the firm of Watts & Elmore; subsequently in the dry
goods business under the firm name of Hale & Elmore.  He has been
successful in his principal lines of endeavor, and is a
representative of the best class of Graves county citizens.
     Captain Elmore has always been an ardent believer in Democratic
principles, and has represented his county in both branches of the
state legislature, where he proved a steadfast and able defender of
the interests of his constituency, and identified himself with the
progressive element of the state's lawmakers.  He was sent as a
delegate to the state constitutional convention, which, during its
work in 1890-2, framed a new fundamental law for the state, and he
succeeded in embodying several sections in the new instrument that
have been a great interest to the state.  Captain Elmore is a
believer in the Missionary Baptist church, and is chairman of the
Democratic county committee.
     He comes of an English family, which early settled in the
south, and his paternal grandfather was born in Georgia.  William
and May (Reynolds) Elmore, his parents, were born in South Carolina
and Alabama, respectively, and the following children were born to
them: Elizabeth, Thomas J., Robert H., Richard, Stephen H., May,
Carrie, Lon and Lee--all deceased except Thomas J., Stephen H. and
Lee, the latter being a resident of California.
     Prior to Mr. Elmore's removal to Kentucky he was united in
marriage to Miss Sarah Ophelia Weems, December 19, 1865, of Holmes
county, Mississippi.  She was a lady of fine literary attainments
and great strength of character, and was an excellent wife and
mother till death took her away in 1897.  Eight children were born
to this marriage, viz.: Carrie, Bettie B., Eleanor P., Kate C.,
Oscar, Beulah, James M. and Thomas J., the three last deceased.

Elmore Watts Hale Reynolds Weems
=
Holmes-Mississippi Georgia SC AL CA

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/graves/elmore.tj.txt