Thomas Nelson was born on Fox Island, VA., and served the entire duration of the Revolutionary War under Colonels Simpson and Corbin in the Accomack County Militia.  His commitment to the Patriot cause was born out of affliction: both he and his father suffered harassment under the British including imprisonment, physical aggression, and the destruction of their home and property.

Henry Sterling, a Justice of the Court of Somerset County (MD), wrote:
Thomas Nelson of the County of Somerset (formerly of the County of Accomack, State of Virginia), being over one hundred years of age and consequent infirmity attending on old age, renders him unable to appear in court, he therefore on the 18thday of March, 1852, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Court for Somerset County and State of Maryland and made the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th day of June, 1832, who being first duly sworn deposith and saith: That during the War of the Revolution he resided in the County of Accomack, in the State of Virginia, that during the said war he served in the Militia of Virginia throughout the whole war; that during the war the Militia were frequently called out to keep guard at different stations on the Pocomoke River near where he resided, to prevent the enemy from landing to get supplies and sack our houses, etc; and were in actual service a considerable portion of the whole war; that during the war he was twice taken prisoner by the British and had his house, together with all his property burnt, and destroyed, as he lived immediately on the water exposed constantly to the British fleet which lay in sight of his residence where they would frequently land in the dead hour of the night and on one occasion took my father also a prisoner, and endeavored to force him to pilot their vessels, and because he refused threw him down the gangway of their vessel and broke one of his thighs, and crippled him for life. This deponent further states that Col. Simpson commanded the militia at the beginning of the War, and afterward Col. Corbin, and others. This deponent further states that he verily believes and has no hesitation in asserting as a fact that during the Revolutionary War he was in actual service on guard in the defense of his country for over two years. This deponent was born in the county of Accomack in the State of Virginia, but has no record of his age; but is confident he is over one hundred years of age as he has lived to see his fourth generation of children, and has living at this time 172 children including his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, which is so provable that some years since it was published in the newspaper of the day. This deponent further states that some years after the close of the Revolutionary War, having lost all his property in the War he removed from the County of Accomack, Virginia, to the adjoining County of Somerset in Maryland, where he has every since resided and still resides; that he has never served as a substitute, but in his own proper person and at the end of the war he received no written discharge, but verbally. This deponent is known to the Honorable Joseph S. Cathman, now in Congress from his district; also to his members of the State Legislature from Somerset now at Annapolis, and to nearly all the citizens of this county, generally by the name of "Old King Nelson." This deponent would long since have made his declaration but thought as he removed from Virginia it forfeited his right. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year above written. Signed: Thomas (his X mark) Nelson.

Thomas Nelson died in 1853 in Somerset County, Maryland.  His exact burial site is unknown.