The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-06-04

~ itRNlhf lWVhlfY hhn fOf ~ colonel,
Albert Sidney IOhnsOni lieutenant
colonel, llnbpn u, Ice, majors, Earl
Van Dorm and George II. l'hOmns' All
lpHD were apntherneH 10y hirlh, fam
NY connection and sectional feeling,
All Resigned their commissions IN
the service Of tho United
slatesand accepted commissions in the
service NJ the o0nfederaoy- all, except
Ilomas, Ito twas faithful among the
fallhless f0lnd,n but NJ what amount
Of personal sacrifice no one can under
stand who has not passed through q
similar Ordeml aud emerged ~ pure
AMI mistaken from Us fires, Born la
virginia, bred IN that noble old state,
eherlshlng the strong affection for her
soil anl Institutions, which IN the most
marked characteristic OF Virgnians,
bound ~ the south by those home ties
which knit themselves with the very
llearl-slrlnga Thomas had all the JUS
lllleallon for deserving the federal ilag
aud cause that his companions could
Ollerh
Far belt from IN the desire 10 pluck
one laurel leaf from tho grave Of the
Republicans model soldier aud patriot,
hut when he II heldup 10 tho world
~ u second liayard, sans peur II sdns
reprOoho, We must be permitted TO
doubt either tho Republicans infor-
nation In regard 10 certain well known
facts, connected with General Thomas
career, or u strange obllqulty Of moral
vision,
Al the, Republican states, at the
breaking out Of the war, Thomas was
major Of the second cavalry, and sta
TONED nj Fort Mason, In this state.
During that long and anxious winter
preceding the outbreak, nowhere was
there such gloomy forobodlngs Of the fu-
lurc M amongst the officers Of tho regu-
hrarmy Of southern birth, Amongst no
class Of Americans was there 40 ilorco
n mental aud moral conflict between
the allegiance duo from them 10 the
government whose pay thoy were ro-
ccIvlng, and the Unborn love of their
native states ON the one hand was
the government, 10 whose service they
had given no many years Of their man
hood demanding the use of their
swords TO cocrcc their own kith and
kin back into u union which they de-
splscd and on the other, mn earnest
appeal from their brethren, TO
come to their help against threat
cncd invasion and ruin. Besides,
amongst the older Officers, there was n
clear conviction that there was no
authority, under the constitution, In
the federal government TO force n
state back into the union by fire and
sword. To such, II would have seemed
n crime to lend n helping hand IN any
such outrage. These opinions were
freely expressed, at Fort Mason In the
winter OF 1861 and 1862, by Van Dorm,
Hood phfer and above, and more em-
phatically than all, by Major george
H. Thomas. There was no doubt on
his mind IA to his future course, should
his state secede, and II she should re-
creantly remain In heunion he should
disown her. His accommodations of Vr-
ginla, for her hardness in following
the more southern states, was expressed
in the bitterest terms. Lieutenant
Colonel Robert Il. Lee, at that time in
command Of his regiment was also at
Fort Mason, but he was never heard to
express an opinion which would indi-
cate his future course. In CONVERSE
ton with his southern subordinates
OH this subject, he always counseled
caution and deliberation in all they
did, and particularly impressed upon
them their supreme duty to the federal
government, rs long as they wore its
uniform and drew its pay. This advice
was more frequently given to Major
Thomas, perhaps, than to any other on
account of the greater intimacy of their
official and social relations.
In the latter part of the winter of
lSG0-6l, Thomas obtained n leave of
absence and left Texas to join his family
in the north. Before leaving San An
tonic, he declared his fixed purpose of
leaving the service, whether Virginia
seeded or not, rs he could not con-
scentiously serve in the war against
The south. Even after his arrival in |
Washington, he wrote to an old army |
friend in Virginia, and the letter is
now in the possession of Ex-Governor
Letcher, n copy of which has been
seen by the writer of this, requesting
his friend to see the governor and try
md obtain for him (Thomas) the posi-
ion of ordnance officer of the state,
giving his reason for this request in |
lbout these words, "For see plainly
hat | shall have very soon to find
'ome other occupation" Virginia, at |
hat time, had not seeded, or Fort
Sumpter been fred upon, and more
han all, Colonel Albert Sidney John
'on and Lieutenant-Colonel Robert
.. Lee had then not resigned. These
vents followed soon after, and Thomas
ound himself by regular promotion,
he colonel ofthe elite cavalry regiment
If the army. This seems to have COM
,letely changed his views on the con-
titutional right ofsecession and of fed
raj coercion, and he remained in the
eryicp.