Thomas Henry Nelson (October 24, 1821 – March 14, 1896)[1] was aU.S. diplomat and politician fromIndiana.[2]
Nelson was born inMinerva,Mason County,Kentucky to Dr. Thomas W. Nelson and Frances Doniphan Nelson. On Dec 11, 1843 in Aberdeen, Ohio, Thomas married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Key, the daughter of Marshall Key and Harriet Sellman Key. She was a student ofHarriet Beecher Stowe.
The Nelsons moved toRockville, Indiana, where he set up a law practice. A few years later, the couple moved toTerre Haute, Indiana. In 1852 he was on the Board of Commissioners for the construction of theSpringfield and Terre Haute Railroad. During the 1850s, he was tasked with organizing theRepublican Party in Indiana. In 1860, he unsuccessfully ran for theUnited States Congress. He was appointed U.S. Envoy toChile in 1861 byAbraham Lincoln. On December 8, 1863, he organized rescue operations during the catastrophicChurch of the Company Fire inSantiago and was called "a true hero of Chile" for doing so.
He was made U.S. Envoy toMexico from 1869 to 1873 byUlysses S. Grant. Nelson died in Terre Haute, on March 14, 1896, and is buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery.[3]
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Envoy to Chile 4 October 1861 – 12 March 1866 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Envoy to Mexico June 26, 1869 – June 16, 1873 | Succeeded by |
| Minister Plenipotentiary |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chargé d'Affaires | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
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