Nelson, Thomas, Jr. (1738-1789), an American soldier and statesman, served as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777 and again in 1779. He was one of the Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. During the American Revolution (1775-1783), Nelson commanded the Virginia militia and fought in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. He also served as governor of Virginia that year. He was born in Yorktown, Virginia, on Dec. 26, 1738. He died on Jan. 4, 1789.
