River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-27
GEN. GEO. H. THOMAS.
Sketch of the Military Services Of One
of Americas Generals.

OIL AHitTlCd y NtHtIdlss
AS the unwilling Of the Thomas
statue at the national capital viii dis
pose of the active history Of the hon
ored general with the generation which
he illustrated by his skill and valor,
some account of his life and career
will not come amiss.
George Henry Thomas, like Robert
Edmund Lee and many another able
captain, was born on Virginia's heroic
and historic soil. He first beheld the
light of this world on the 3lst day of
July, 1916. or little more than year
after the Cesar of the modern world
hands of Wellington. The battle of
New Orleans seemed but as yesterday,
when the infant, VIII was subsequently
TO rise so high in the martial annals of
his country, added a unit to the popula-
ton of the rather unimportant burg of
southampton. His babyhood and boy
| hood were spent in the manner COM
mon to nearly all the Virginian youth
| of that comparatively early day, and
there is little on record to show that the
embryo general differed materially in
habit or ability from his playmates and
school-felows. George Thomas got the
benefit of the ordinary education OF a
respectable American youth, and, in
due course, having developed some
taste for military life, and tendency
toward mathematics, he successfully
passed an examination for West Point,
and entered that famous institution,
| from which
NE cp ADIrArEn .yfrr1 tIoNNp
and was assigned to the artillery, in
1886. He served for some years on the
Florida coast, and operated against the
Indians in few affairs of DO particular
importance. His active military life
commenced in earnest when the
war with Mexico broke out in
| 1916. At the commencement of
the conflict he was engaged in the de-
Tense of Fort Brown, but his valor had
a better opportunity for effective work
when Taylor stormed Monterey and as
tonished Santa Anna by his miraculous
victory of Buena Vista. For distin-
guished courage in both these brilliant
| fights Thomas was successfully brevet-
ted captain and major. He did not
have any further chance to show the
stuff he was made of during the re-
mainder of the struggle-the laurels of
which were cleaned by the sword of
Scott during his renowned, romantic
march on the Mexican capital. After
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Thomas was re-assigned to Florida and
served vigorously against the Seminoles
during the campaign of 1849 80
His arGuous services in the field pro-
cured him the distinction of being ap-
pointed instructor of artillery and caval-
ry at the West Point academy, from
1851 to 1854 inclusive. firing of the
partial monotony of this duty he was,
at his own request, relieved. and was
kept on frontier service, chiefly in Cal
ifornia and Texas, until the summer of
1860, when, in skirmish with the Co
manches on the head waters OF the
BraZos river, he was severely wounded.
This restored him to civilization for a
brief period.
TUE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR
in the spring of 1861, found the stubborn
soldier a colonel of cavalry, and, unlike
many of his southern brethren, he did
not commit the folly of preferring the
prejudices of his state to the integrity of
the union. His noble fidelity to his
whole country during that trying time
no less than his military genius. has
endeared the name of George III.
Thomas to the heart of every true
American.
He operated at the head of his regi-
ment in the Shenandoah valley during
the summer of 81. and in August,
Abraham Lincoln, who had heard good
reports of his conduct, appointed him
brigadier general of volunteers. This
transferred him to the army of the Ohio
and while in command of division of
that organization, he took prominent
part in the operations of the fall and win
ter in Tennessee and Mississippi.
On the 25th of April. 1862. Thomas,
whose loyalty tC the republic had stood
the test of every allurement coming
from confederate sources, was pr0mot-
ed to major-general of volunteers, and
was engaged for several months in bat
Ting with the rebel forces in Kentucky,
Tennessee, and Alabama. He did not
have, however, good opportunity to
signaliZe his strategical ability.
During the campaign of Rosencranz,
in Tennessee and Georgia, Gen. Thorn
as had the privilege of commanding
corps of the gallant army of the Cum
berland, and particularly distinguished
himself in the bloody battles in front of
Murfeesboro, or Stone river, beginning
December 26, 1862, and terminating in
the triumph of the federal arms on June
2. 1868.
But the chiefest glory of the cam
paign, so far as Thomas was concerned,
was that sturdy stand in the rear of the
retreating army
AT CHICKAMAUGA.
Sept. 1920, 1858, where he hurled back
the triumphant leeions of the south
with titanic force. and won for himself
the proud title of "I'he Stonewall of the
north" Some historians-especia
jealous military rivals-have endeavor-
ed to shear him of some of his well won
laures, but the verdict of the army was
with "Pap" Thomas; and in matters of
that kind the rank and file generally
know what they are talking about.
Thomas and Chickamauga are insepa-
rably united in the history of the Amer
lean nation.
1t was at Chlckamauga, too, that the
country heard of Sheriaan's dashing
exploits on large scale for the first
time.
In October, 1868, Thomas was placed
in command of the department and
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND,
with headquarters at Nashville or Louis
vile, according as his presence was re-
quired at either point. About this time
he was promoted to a brigadiership in
the regular army.
He was next engaged in the sangui-
nary conflicts around Chattanooga, and
at the battle of Missionary Ridge, three
divisions of his army materially aided
in sending the army OF Bragg Keeling
back on Georgian soil.
When Sherman marched on Atlanta,
Thomas, with three corps Of infantry
and three divisions of cavalry, of the
army of the Cumberland, accompanied