u/Bamerhof99

He was born in Greenville, South Carolina at an unclear date, with commonly given ones being 1827, 1830, or 1833. His father, Street, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and he had four brothers, the shortest of whom was 6'6". Thruston's height has variously been given from 7'1" to 8 feet tall; 7'7" is the most common listing. The Thruston family later moved to Missouri. Presumably his parents were poor Whigs given both whom they named their son after and their decision to move far west.

Literacy was rather poor in the South at the time, and many could not consistently spell their own names. Henry Clay was one of them and wrote out his name in various ways throughout his life. I use Thruston here because that's what he wrote when he purchased the land he would later live on.

In 1850, he travelled to California during the Gold Rush but didn't make any riches and would return by crossing the Isthmus of Panama to save about 5 months of time. He would spend some time in Cuba and then return to Missouri, where he married his cousin Mary with whom he would have two children with.

When the Civil War started, he and his family were probably learning towards the Confederacy, and after the infamous Camp Jackson massacre all the Thruston men joined the Missouri State Guard. After he shot a Union Major he was transferred to the regular Confederate army and served briefly under the famed General Van Dorn. Despite self-evidently being a massive target, and especially so on horseback, the biggest injury he received was a bullet grazing his head.

During preparations for a parade, the cavalry was called to attention in line formation, a Colonel saw Thruston down the line and assumed he was standing on a stump, the Colonel yelled at Thruston to get off. Seeing Thruston remain at the same height, the Colonel drew his saber and rushed over to find Thruston on his own legs, to which Thruston said he was standing on the ground.

He was captured in 1864 and would be paroled after the war ended. His time in the cavalry was uneventful, but because of his notable height many false stories about his stint exist, such as that a battle was paused so that he and the tallest Yankee soldier, David Van Buskirk, could stand side by side to see which side had the tallest soldier. Van Buskirk spent his Civil War career in Virginia, not Missouri.

He was a devoted rider throughout his life and rode many horses. When he rode small ones, he was described as pulling his knees up to the horse's back so his feet would not drag on the ground. He also had a specially made buggy. Two of his brothers and his nephew died in the Civil War. His first wife might have died around this time, as he was recorded as also having a wife named Eliza Harris.

He moved to Mt. Vernon, Texas, and purchased land there and became a rancher. He lived in a two-storied dog-trot house which still exists. Later, he would begin performing with several circuses, including Barnum and Bailey's. He was variously billed as the tallest Civil War soldier, the Missouri giant, the Texas giant, and the tallest man in the world. To appear taller, he wore shoes with built-in heels, tall beaver-skin hats, and long coats. He was variously billed as either a major or a colonel, despite only ever being a private.

He would often dress as Uncle Sam during promotional parades. When the circuses he was in visited areas of the North, he would carry Old Glory, whereas in the South, he would carry the Stars and Bars. Sometimes he would carry both. He was very proud of his height and did not take jokes about it well. A short man once asked him, "How's the weather up there?" and Thruston responded by hocking up a large glob of spit onto the short man's head and saying, "It's raining." He apparently would tour Europe as well as America. He attended many meetups of Confederate veterans in Dallas and Memphis, where he would often be the color bearer of an especially large flag.

While eating supper with his family, Henry Clay would butter his biscuit when suddenly he had a massive heart attack and died. The year of his death has been recorded variously as 1908, 1909, and 1911. A local newspaper would write, "He was our friend and we shall miss his cheering words and hearty handshake. Colonel Thruston was a kind and generous friend, a citizen of strong prejudices, and intense patriotism. His family loses a devoted father and we extend to them heartfelt sympathy in their dark hour of bereavement." He is buried in Mount Pleasant, Texas. His house is currently part of a county visitor center.