Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-04-05
Death of Major General George Il,
Thomas.

The whole country will hear with
great sorrow and surprise that Major
Gen. George Henry Thomas died at
San Francisco on Monday night, of
apoplexy. Thus suddenly passes away
one of the nations greatest benelac-
tors, leading actor in the drama Of
the rebellion, one of the abIest officers
that ever gave historic Immortality
to the roll OF our armies, thorough
ly sound and exemplary man.
Gen. Thomas was in the ffty-fourth
year Of his age, having been born in
the county Of Southampton, Va, on
the 31st of July, 1916. On his fathers
side he was English, and on his moth
er'S Huguenot, both representatives
of families Of wealth and respectable
ty. He entered West Point Acade-
my in 1886, and graduated in 1910,
the twelfth in rank in class Of for
ty-two. Assigned to artillery service,
he soon joined his regiment in FIori-
da, where, on November 6, 1871, he
was brevetted first lieutenant "for
gallantry and good conduct in the war
against the Florida Indians" He
was subsequently, stationed at vari-
Gus places, till July 1S45. when, war
with Mexico being imminent, he was
ordered with his company to report
to General Zachary Taylor, and ar
rived at Corpus Christi in, the same
month. His company and the Third
and Fourth regiments L. s. infantry
were the first troops to land upon the
soil of Texas. His service was dis
tinguished by all the qualities of his
subsequent career, so far as his limit
ed sphere would allow their exhibition,
and he was successfully breyetted
Captain and Major for gallant and
meritorious conduct. In 1850 he was
ordered to Boston, on garrison duty
at Fort Independence. and arrived in
January, 1851. In March he was re-
lieved and assigned to duty as instruc-
tor of artillery and cavalry at West
Point. This appointment he filled
until May 81, 1854 From that time
till 1860 he was employed in arduou8
frontier service.
When the rebellion broke out, and
so many officers Of Southern birth
were proving recreant to their flag, it
is to the honor of Thomas that no
man seems to have suspected the pos
sibility of his detection. Ordered to
duty in Pennsylvania, as Major in the
Second Calvary, he conducted himself
with such vigor and efficiency that he
was soon promoted as Colonel of the
Fifth Calvary, and was assigned to
the command of brigade in General
Patterson's army, in Northern Vir
ginia, and held the same until July
where he commanded, under General
Banks, until the latter part of August
Then he was sent to Kentucky, undel
General Anderson. He organized the
movements which led to the defeat O
Zollicoffer at Wild Cat by Gen Soho
epf, but the first action that really re
vealed the qualities OF the man wa:
the battle Of Mill Spring, which re
suited in Zolicofers death and add
ed greatly to the prestige of the Ioya
cause. In April, 1862, he was made
Major General of Volunteers and as
signed to the command of the RICH
wing of the army in Tennessee. Hi
next severe engagement was the bat
tie of Murfreesboro'. or Stone River
in which he commanded the centre o
General Rosecrans's army, and whicl
but for his generalship and tenacity
would have proved serious disaster
: Assigned to the command OF the -Four
teenth Army Corps, he took an activ