Thomas A. Butler was born around 1837 in Alabama as the oldest child of James M. Butler and Sarah Crawford. He moved to Winston Co. MS around 1847 along with the James M. Butler family. He lived in Winston Co. MS at least until 1855 when he purchased a rawhide for 10 cents at the estate sale of his uncle, Peter Crawford.
In 1859, Thomas married Frances A. Duke in Tuscaloosa Co. AL, July 28, 1859. A family tradition within his brother Jimmy's family is that three Butler brothers married three sisters. Research shows that John Wesley Butler married Nancie Ann Duke and Sarah Emily Butler married Isaac Alfred Duke so there were at least three marriages between the Butler and Duke families.
Apparently, Thomas and his family traveled along with the James M. Butler family north into Lauderdale Co. AL and eventually to Decatur Co. TN. Thomas spent some time in Lawrence Co. TN before showing up in the 1880 census in Decatur Co. TN with his second wife, Clementine Wallace and his seven children. Sometime prior to 1900, Thomas and Clementine moved their family back to Lauderdale Co. where Thomas died. Clementine remarried and some of the children completed the trip to Arkansas and Missouri.
Source: 1850 census, Winston Co. MS; Probate of Peter Crawford Estate, 1855, Winston Co. MS; Tuscaloosa Co. AL marriage license; 1880 census, Decatur Co. TN; 1900 census, Lauderdale Co. AL; 1910 census, Colbert Co. AL; James J. Butler death certificate.