The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-12-02

the great soldier with whom Thomas servei so
grandly in the darkest hours Of the war. Cen
eral Sherman has favored me with letter
tron which l copy. After stating that ne
went to Williamsport to visit Thomas early in
lS6l, he says: alt was June l6, the very day
Patterson's army crossed the Potomac had a
long personal conversation with Thomas that
day, and after discussing the events that then
pressed so heavily on all who dreaded civil
war, especially the course taken by our friends
who had abandoned our service and gone
South, asked him how he felt. His answer
was emphatic. 4 have thought it all over,
he said, 'and shall stand firm in the service
of the Government"
General Shermun also writes, under date
of August l. 1870: 81 have seen the letters
published by Fitzhugh Lee, sustaining the as
sertion that at the outset OF our civil war
Thomas leaned to the South. | understand
the state OF his mind at that dreadful crisis,
and see how stranger might misconstrue
him. AT the time to which Fitzhugh Lee al
ludes, the Buchanan administration was in
power, and had admitted III the Federal
Government could not coerce a sovereign
State, and his Cabinet did all they could 10
make army officers feel insecure in their off
ces. The Northern politicians, as a rule,
had been unfriendly to the army, and when
the election OF Lincoln and Hamlin was COM
pete, they (the officers naturally felt uneasy
as to their future, and cast about for employ
ment. Several of them, among the number.
were employed at the military colleges of the
South, and 1t was natural that Thomas should
look to his friend and our classmate, Gillian,
then employed at Frank Smiths military
school at Lexington, Virginia. Thomas also
entertained as you must know, that intense
mistrust of politicians to which the old army
was bred, and feared the complications Of
1850 would result in some political comprom-
Use or settlement, if not in mutual agreement
to separate, in which case it is possible he
would have been forced for a support to have
east his lot with the Southern part. 1t is
more than probable that at the mess-table
Thomas may have given vent 10 some such
feelings and opinions, then natural and proper
enough. But as soon as Mr.. Lincoln was in
stalled in Office and manifested the deep feel
ing of love for all parts of the countryside
precating civil war, but giving they keynote
that the Union should be maintained, even if
it had to be fought for, and that fOrcible seces-
sion was treason-then Thomas, like ali ma
tional men, brushed away the subleties of the
hour, saw clearly his duty, and proclaimed it
not by mere words, but by riding in full uni
form at the head of his regiment and brigade
invading without murmer his native State,
and commanding his men toput down forcible
resistance by the musket.'
This Just and mastery analysis is more than
sufficient to settle the whole controversy. But
1 canrot dismiss the subject without opposing
to his slanderers the stainless shield of hon.
as himself-his own unimpeachable words, re-
corded by colonel A. L. Hough, his confden-
tial aid at the time they were spoken. Col,
Hough says:
"a SANDER upon the General was often re-
peated in the Southern papers during and i'm
mediately subsequent to the rebellion. 1t was
given upon the authority Of prominent rebel
officers, and not denied by them. 1t was to
the effect that he was disappointed in getting
high command in the rebel army he had
sought for, hence his refusal to join in the re-
bellion. In a conversation with him on this
subject, the General said this was an entire
fabrication, not having an atom of foundation;
not a line ever passed between him and the
rebel authorities they have no genuine letter
of his, nor wa a word spoken by him to any
one that could even lead TO such an inference.
he defed any one to produce any testimony,
written or oral, to sustain such allegation /; he
never entertained such an idea, for his duty
was clear to him from the beginning"
Among these utterances of General Thomas
one brief sentence, simple and sublime, is an
epitome of his character and life. 1t is this:
any duty was clear from the beginning of the
war;"
1t is not enough to compare the conduct of
Thomas at this trying period with that Of
Northern officers who remained true to the
Gag. The real measure of his merit is found
BY comparing him with such men as Lee and
We have seen that on the Goth Of
April, Robert E. Lee resigned his commissions
and on the same day wrote to \ relative words
which will remain forever as the most vorita-
BILE picture of his character. He said:
"The whole South is in a state of revolution
into which Virginia, after long struggle, has
been drawn; and though recognize no neces-
sity for this state OF things, and would have
foreboIne and pleaded to the end for redress
of grievances, real or supposed, yet in nv own
person had to meet the question whether
should take part against my native State.
With all my devotion to the Union, and the
feelings of loyalty and duty of an American
citizen, have not been able 10 make up nv
mind to raise my hand against my relatives,
my children, and my home. have therefore
resigned my commission in the army, &c"
Lee here avows the devotion to the Union,
his feelings Of loyalty and obligation as an
American citizen, and declares that there was
no necessity for the rebellion and yet, after
these confessions and declarations, which sur
render utterly and forever all grounds for the
justification Of his conduct he abandons his
government and offers his sword to Virginia
and to that rebellion which he neither iusti-
fed nor approved. His example was immedi-
ately followed by hundreds of Southern officers
Every officer of his old regiment from the Sc
ceded States, save two, joined the rebellion.
Thomas was one of the two. Like Lee, he
1eplored the suicidal strife, and denied the JUS
lce or necessity of rebellion. Like Lee, he
was warmly attached to the family and friends
10 Virginia and her glorious traditions. Like
Io on1r,,o,r-la6orad y, L.
great Republic, of which all the people of Vir-
yinia were citizens, and to the support and de-
tense of which he had registered his solemn
oath when he became a soldier. But unlike
Lee, when the supreme hour of trial came, he |
rose to the full height Of the occasion, and es-
,eeming the sanctity of his oath, and the life
If the Republic more precious than home, or
kindred, or State, he drew his sword to put
loWn q rebellion, which, even by Lees con- |
.ession, was both Unnecessary and indefensible |
There was one thing in Lees conduct which |
would have been impossible to Thomas's ma
.ure. Though Lee wrote his resignation April |
20, it was not accepted by the Secretary OF |
War till the 2jth, and the letter of the Adiu- |
amt General informing him of the acceptance |
vas not written till the 9th. Yet on the 23d, |
Lee accepted the appointment of Major Gen. |
,ral from the rebel Governor of Virginia, and /
he same day issued general order assuming |
of the military and naval forces of |
hat State, which forces, five days before, had |
ttacked the troops of the United States at |
iarptr's Ferry, and also at the Gosport navy |
ard, and were at that moment levying war |
,gainst the Government which he had solemn |
Y sworn to defend against al its enemies |
nd opposers whatsoever" Instead of keen
ng this oath, he assumed command of the /
nemies Of the Union two days before his con-
ract of service was canoeled-a contract /
which he had lately renewed by accepting
rom Abraham Lincoln the commission Of col |
mel in the army of the United States.
Ii there Ind been no other sufficient motive,4
he religious aspect with which Thomas re-
arded his oath would alone have prevented
i'm from following the example of Lee. I |
onclude the discussion of this topic by de-
laring what l doubt not will be the lust and
nalterable verdict of history, that this man
7as not doubling Thomas that he did not
eed to behold the bleeding wounds Of his
ountry before he believed, Tor his ''duty was
lear from the hecinning," and he followed it
7ithout murmur.
At o'clock On Friday, the annual Grafton
-as pronounced by Gen. Palmer, and was fol-
owed by the election of officers for the ensu-
lg year, Detroit was chosen as the place for
he next meeting. In the evening the Banquet
anne of, in the Rink, which was approprate-
? decorated for the occasion. A number of
oasts were drank and responded to IN the hap
lest manner, when the concourse separated
ntil the next reunion.
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