Thomas Jefferson Winship III, born in Connecticut on July 7th, 1832. Later he became a citizen of the State of New York. The document below is a copy of his Oath of Allegiance acquired from the National Archives Record Group No. 45, Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library. Thomas Winship was appointed by Secretary of Navy, Gideon Welles, to serve in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. This document was signed while serving on the U.S.S. Massachusetts when it was docked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard December 7th, 1863, Abraham Lincoln was President. 
