National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-11-20

flower safely out of the nette danger when, by the
| common laws Of human conduct, he ought TO have
suffered tho penalty OF rashness and improvidence.
one oil the valuable lessons OF his military career
is that every success rests upon the rational basis
OF thorough equalization OF the means necessary
to insure IL that valor Is nothing better than blind
and bloody Persistence. unless supported on either
| Hank by knowledge and prudence
This was the secret Of one OF the chief character
| isticS of his work-its thoroughness. He did moth
ing by halves. lie wasted no material or time III
experiments The issue Of which was ndcter1nin1te.
| lie did not worry and wear out his ranks In pur.
poseless marches and couutcr-inarches, 70 make
| Them believe he was doing something when he
was not lie carefully uurSed nnd provided for
them so Ms 10 bring his troops TO the highest point
~ spirit and efficiency, and kept them well IN
hand. lie determined what most important end
was reasonably practicable; he matured the plan
best adapted TO secure its Accomplishment aud care.
fully gathered and organized the means necessary
for It's execution. And then. when all things were
| ready, he launched the dread thuudefbolt OF
power, and with one stroke, dealt the destruction
first aud last battle in the West9are capital illusro-
ttons of this feature OF his military character. In
reference to this Inst memorable and decisive
battle OF Nashville, tie impOrunity and impatience
OF his SupotOrs, at distance too great TO appre-
cate the difficulties Of his situation provoked from
Lieutenant.Gcneral II can only say have done
al III my power 10 prepare, and II you should
agen vi,h, II necessary to fel,Sye me shall submit
| the delivery Of the meditated blow and its com
| pete aud thorough success was known, lie re-
ceived ample compensation for this Temporary dis
| trust in hearty aud ungrudgng congratulations
| from President, Secretary of War, and Lieutenant
General as creditable to them as they crafty
| ing and just to him, confirmed as they were by
| the thanks of Congress for the
SKILL AND DAuETLEss COURAGE
| by which the rebel army under General Hood was
| signally defeated and driven from the State Of
Speaking of the circumstances Of that occasion.
General j. ID. Cox, most competent Judge himself
most honorable participant In It's trials aud its
| triumphs, in his oralion ut Chicago In 1865 snid
Fortunately our commander at Nashville was
man Of Wa>hingtonian character ana will, and
| knowing that his country's cause depended upon
his being right, and not upon his merely seeming
SO. he waited with immoyabc frmness for the
right hour to come. II came and with A. A iustiH.
| cation of both his military skin and his own sell.
forsetful patriotism complete and glorios tbnt
| would be mere waste Of words iur inc TO lalk
This episode finely illustrates not only tho TEN.
Per oi that crisis IN our public affairs, but the best
| characteristics of It's chief figure.
II was the dictate Of a sound and prudent iudy.
ment, and became the habit of his fife 10 assume
no important responsibility which he did not feel
| wcll prepared 10 meet We have seen that at Nash.
vile with the experience of more than three wears
| OF constant and active service, lie WINS willing
| rather TO be relieved from his command than tS
| accept the responsibility of a movement he be-
leyed to be premature. In All earlier stage OF his
| service he resisted the temptation of ambition by
| declining what amounted 10 promotion because
he was able prefer the public good 70 his personal
| advancement In the fall Of 1862 the circumstances
as related by General Buell. himself in private
| unpublished note, were rs follows:
| " The army was 10 move on the Goth OF septem-
| Der against Bragg, who occupied Bardstown
Frankfort and in fact, the whole OF Central Ken
| lucky. ON the morning of the 29th an order was
| received rum Washington, assigning General
| lhOmm To the command in my stead. lie very
soon came 10 my room and stated his intention To
| ask the revocation Of the orler-that he was not
prepared by information and study for the respon.
sipbllity OF the command. tried 10 dissuade him,
| told him that would give him all my information
| and plans and assured him of my confidence i'm
| his success. Finding him determined, / said that
| could under no circumstances consent To his
| sending dispatch which could imply that had
| any wish or influence IN the matter lie promised
| that much, went away, and after awhile returned
| with the message which he had prepared for
General Halleck. thought that he was actuated
IN ms course by generous confidence in me and
modest distrus OF himself with so little warming
| aud considered that both motives did honor to
| his sterling character"
His language in the dispatch referred to was this
| General Buells preparations have been com
pletcd TO move against the enemy, and / therefore
respectfully ask that he may be retained in com
mand. Ny position is very embarrassing, not be-
mander OF this army and on the assumption of
| such responsibility"
But the quality which more than all others spc.
officially and coistutiOnally distinguished General
| Thomas was
| HIS INvINcIBILTY-
| his heroic faculty for enduring unWearied aud
| successful obstinacy III defense. II was not mere
| brute courage nor insensbiity " danger Neither
was it mere ressoluteness and stoutness of heart,
| nor certain sulleu defiance, which in some cases
has seemed TO await an expected udversity. II was
cheerful and sWeet'tempercd, although OF supreme
|
was its contagOn, by which II propaguted its fear
lessness and hopeiulness 10 the whole body of his
support; so that every soldier in his company felt
an assurceof security and success in his presence
and authority. The latent heat of his passion grew
| into glow under heavy hammering and spread
through all the particles that adhered and gathered
70 II, until the fused and molten mass red hot with
| its combustion, consumed everything that up-
| preached II. II was the sympathy of confidence
| commander and men and made them Jointly in.
vincible. II was shield which quenchCd the fiery
| which more OF his arrows could pierce.
signal illustration Of this power Of resistance il
furnished By the course of battle at Stone River
where he stayed the tide of rebel with his
| immovable front. But its most conspicuous ex-
ample is seen on the last days fighting at Chicka-
mapga III ms memorial ol9tion 81 Cleveland in
statesman-has, in tribute, of which the highest
praise Is TO say that 1t is worthy both OF himself
and OF It's theme, in most felicitOus phrase, has
drawn his picture as he appeared in that scene
| He says:
while men shall read the history of battles
they shall never fail 10 study aud admire the work
of Thomas during that Afternoon. With but 25 OCl
men, formed in n Femi circle of which he himself
was the centre and soul, he successfully resisted
for more than five hours the repeated assaults o.
| an army of 5000 men flushed with victory and
bent on his annihaton. When night
had closed over the combatants the last sound oi
battle was the booming of Thomas shells bursting
| among his bafled and relreating assailants He
was indeed the Rock OF ChickamaugL' against
| which the wild waves Of battle dashed in va in
Ii will stand written forever in the annals Of mis-
| country that there he saved from destruction the
| Army Of the Cumberland"
| A day Of onsets Of despair!
| Dash d on every rocky square
| Their surgng charges fualned themselves away.
| Speaking of him in the general order announcing
| his death the General of the Army, in terms both
| just and warm recorded and published his esti.
mate of the character and career Of General
| Thomas. He said:
| The General has known General Thomas init.
mately since they sat, as boys, Oh the same bench
aud the quality Ia him, which he holds up for the
admiration and example of the young, is his com
| pcte aud entire devotion 10 duty Though sent TO
| Florida, to Mexico, to Texas, To Arizona when
| duty there wns absolute baniShmcnt, lie went
CheCTiully, and never asked personal favor cx-
emptiOn or leave of absence. In battle he never
wavered. Firm, and OF full faith in his cause he
knew II would prevail, and he never sought ad-
yancement Of rank or honor at tho expense of any
| one. Whatever he earned of these was his own
| and 10 one
DISPUTES HIS FAME.
| The very impcrsonation of honesty integrity and
honor, he VIII stand 10 us us the beau ideal OF the
| soldier aud gentleman
! General Thonas, in his simple and modest way,
| has left on record statement concerning himself
which VIII be accepted now without question. In
a letter of November 26 1869 expressing his re-
| gret that he wonld not be able " attend the Re.
! union Of the Society Of the Army OF the Cumber-
! land that year, at indianapolis he said:
| :" II was my hearty desire from the beginning TO
| tho end Tho late "a with