USAT Thomas was a United States Army transport ship purchased on 26 July 1898 for Spanish–American War service. Thomas served with the Army Transport Service (ATS) until retired in 1929. The ship was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and launched as Persia in May 1894 for the Hamburg-American Packet Company (Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfarhrt Aktien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG)) with service to New York. She was bought by the Atlantic Transport Line in 1897 because she was "practically a sister" to other Massachusetts class of ships already in service there. She was renamed Minnewaska by her new owners.