The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-29


ment of the Pacific, was yesterday attacked by
an apoplectic fit, which terminated in his death
at o'clock last evening.
A sketch OF General Thomas Career.
George Henry Thomas was born in Southamp-
ton county, Virginia. on the 3lst of July, 1916.
He belonged to wealthy and educated family
and was destined in early life for the profession
of the law. In 1886, however, he received and
accepted an appointment to a cadetship at the
West Point Military Academy. In June, 1S4O,
he graduated from that institution, ranking
twelve in a class of forty-two. His first commits
sion was that of second lieutenant in the Sd
United States Artillery, and he Immediately
Joined his regiment in Florida, where the In
dams were then engaged in determined war
are against the Government. In this rugged
school of frontier warfare he learned the
art and science of war, learned it so tho
roughly and developed so many high sodierly
qualities that his skill required but the opportu-
nifty afforded by the Rebellion to win for him an
imperishable Tenown. For gallant services in
the Florida campaigns he was breveted first
lieutenant in 1S41, an honor which carried with
it some significance in those days. At the close
of his first service in Florida, Lieutenant Thomas
was stationed in succession at Baltimore, New
Orleans and Fort Moultrie, in Charleston
Harbor.
From the last-named post he was ordered, on
the outbreak of the war with Mexico, to report
with his company to General Zachary Taylor,
at Corpus Christi at the mouth of the Neuces
river, in Texas, and distant about one hundred
miles from the Rio Grande. Here he arrived
in July, 1S45 and from that time to the cessa-
tion of hostilites between the two republics,
was engaged in active and perilous service. The
main portion of the army of General Taylor had
moved to a point on the Rio Grande opposite
Matamoras during the month of March preced-
ing, and Lieutenant Thomas was present at Fort
Brown the American encampment when it was
bombarded by the Mexican forces. In the
various conflicts at Monterey, on the 21st, 22d,
and 23d Of September, in the following
year. he also participated, COMFORTING
himself so nobly that he was
promoted to captaincy for gallant conduct.
In December of the same year we again find
him in the advance, entering Victoria in
January 1S47, with General Quitman's Brigade.
On the 22d of February, 1S47, was fought the
unequal but signally victorions battle of Buena
Vista, for gallant and meritorious conduct in
which Captain Thomas was breycted major.
In the month of August, 1S4S, with the surviving
members of his company, he recrossed the Rio
Grande into Texas, and was placed in charge
of the commissary depot at Bra azos Santiago.
At the close of the war with Mexico, Major
Thomas was granted six months leave of alb
sence, at the expiration of which he was placed
in command of Company B, Sd Artillery, and
ordered to the scene of his first exploits in
Florida, where another uprising of the Indians
had made it necessary for the Government to
interpose with the military. In 1850 he was
transferred to garrison duty at Fort Indepen-
dence, near Boston, where he arrived in Janu-
ary, 1851. In March following he was
relieved and assigned to duty at the
West Point Military Academy, as
instructor of artillery and cavalry tactics, re-
naming on this duty until the summer of 1858.
In 1854 and in 1855 he was on duty at Fort
Yuma, California, in command of the post and
of two companies of artillery. About this time
Congress authorized an increase of the regular
army, and Captain Thomas was transferred to
another branch of the service, receiving COM
mission as junior major in the I'd Cavalry. He
Joined his regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Mis-
souri, in September, 1875 and proceeded with it
to Texas where nc escorted the Texas Reserve
Indians to their new home in the Indian Terri
tory. Three years were then passed on the
Texan frontier in command of the regiment, the
time of which was employed in keeping the
Indians in order and making exploring eXpe-
ditiOns.
The outbreak of the Rebellion found the late
General Twiggs in chief command of Texas,
and by his infamous treachery Major Thomas
regiment was dismounted and ordered out of
Texas. Although Thomas was man of South
ern birth, he did not waver for moment in his
devotion to the flag under which he had fought
for twenty years, but when ordered, in April,
1851, to Carlisle Barracks, in this State, to re-
mount his regiment, he responded without
hesitation. Six of the companies were imme-
diately sent to Washington, and with the re-
naming four Major Thomas was assigned to
duty in the Department of Pennsylvania. On
the 25th of April he was promoted to Lieuten-
ant-Colonelcy, and on the third of May to the
Colonelcy of the 9Th Cavalry. At the same time
he was assigned to the command of brigade
in General Patterson's army in Northern Vir.
ginia, retaining this position after Patterson
had been relieved by General Banks.
On the 18th of August 1861, Colonel Thomas
was commissioned as a Brigadier-General Of
Volunteers, retiring from his command in the
Army of Northern Virginia on the 26th, anc
proceeding, in pursuance of ORDERS to the scene
of operations in Kentucky. From this time
forward he became one of the most active
officers in the loyal army, and it is quite
impossible, in the time and space al