It is thought that Tom's father took his family to the United States.
There is a Thomas FURBOROUGH who enlisted in the 40th Regimenet, New Jersey Infantry, the Union New Jersey Volunteers in December 1864. His regimeent must not have seen much action as only two enlisted men were killed (although 17 died of disease), but his unit was present at the capture of Petersburg and the defeat and capture of General Robert E Lee at Appomattox Court House on 9 Apr 1865.