Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-19


prepare, and IL you should deem it necessary ID
relieve me shall submit without mufmur."
When the time arrived for the delivery OF the
neditated blow, and its complete and thorough
success was known. he received ample compen-
sSuon Tor this temporary dStrust, In hearty and
ungrudgipg congratulations from the President,
Secretary of War. and Lleutenant-General as
creditable TO them as they were gratiIyin and
Just to him, confirmed, as they were, by the
thanks OF Congress for the
SKILL AND DAUNTI.ESs COURAGE
by which the rebel army. under Gen. Hood. was
stgnally defeated and driven from the state Of
Tennessee.
Speaking OF the circumstances OF that occa-
sion, General j. ID. Cox, most competent
Judge, himself most honorable participant in
, us trlalS and It's triumphs, In his grafton at
Chicago In 1885, said:
Fortunately our commander at Nashville
was man of WaShngtonian charaIer and Will,
and Knowing that his country's cause depended
upon his being right, and not upon his merely
seeming SO he waited with immovable firmneSS
ior the right hour TO come. 1t came and with
II justification OF both his military skill and
his own self-forgetful patriotism. so complete
and glorious, that it would be mere waste OF
| words for me to talk about it.'
This episode finely illustrates, not only the
temper OF that crisis in our public affairs, but
| the best characteristics OF its chief feature.
III was the dictate of sound and prudent
| Judgment, and became the habit OF his lfe, to
assume no important responsibility, which he
| . did not not feel Mell prepared to meet We have
| more than three years of constant and active
| service. he was willing rather to be relieved
| hillty Ct a movement he believed 10 b. prema-
| ture. In an earlier stage of his service he re-
| sisted the temptation OF ambition by declining
what amounted To promotion, because he was
| able to prefer the public good TO his personal
! advancement. In the fail of 1859 the crcum-
| stances as related by General Buell. himself in
apriyate unpublished note, were as follows.
The army was TO move on the seth or Sep
tember against Bragg, who occupied Bartistown,
Frankfort, and, in fact, the whole OF Central
Kentucky. On the morning of the 29th an order
was received from Washington assigning Gen.
Thomas to the command in my stead. He very
soon came to my room and stated his intention
to ask the revocation of the order-that he was
not prepared by information and study for the
responsibility of the command | tried to dis
| suade him. told him that / would give him all
| my information and plans and assured him Of
| my confidence in his success. Finding him de-
] termined, l said that l could under no circum-
| stances consent to his sending dispatch which
| could imply that had any wish or influence in
| the matter. He promised that much, went
| away, and after awhile returned with the mes
| sage Which he had prepared for General Halleck.
| thought that he was actuated In his course by
| general confidence in me and modest dStrlSt
| OF himself with so little warning; and consid-
| cred that both motives did honor to his sterling
| character
| His language in the dispatch referred to was
| this: General Buell's preparations have been
| completed to move against the enemy and
| therefore respectfully ask that he may be re-
| tanned in command. My position is very embar-
| rasSing not being as well informed as / should
| be as the commander of this army and on the
| assumption of such responsibility
But the quality. which more than all others
| specifically ard conStitutionally distinguished
| General Thomas was
| HIS INvINCIBIIITY-
| his heroic faculty for enduring, unwearied, and
successful obstfnacy in defense. IL was not
| mere brute courage nor inSenSbility to danger.
Neither was it mere reSoluteneSS and StoutnesS
OF heart, nor certain Sullen defiance which in
some cases has seemed to await an expected
adverSity. 1t was cheerful and sweet tempered,
although OF supreme seriousness and intensity.
But its chief faculty was its contagion, by which
1t propagated its fearleSSneSS and ndhopefulneSS to
| the whole body of his support; SO that every
soldier in his company felt an assurance OF Sc
curity and success in his presence and author
ity. The latent heat OF his passion grew into a
glow under heavy hammering, and spread
through all the particles that adhered and
gathered to 1t, until the fused and molten mass,
red hot with It's combustion, consumed every
| thing that approached it. 1t was the sympathy
of confidence and Self-devotion that indissolubly
bound together commander and men, and made
| them Jointly invfncible. 1t was shield which
| quenched the fiery darts of the adversary-an
| armor OF tempered steel, which none of his ar
| rows could pierce.
| ance is furnished by the course of battle at
| Stone River where he stayed the tide Of rebel
| success with his immovable front. But its most
conspicuous example is seen on the last days
lighting at Chtcamaugua. In his memorial ora
| ttOn at Cleveland in 1870 General Garfield-him-
self soldier, scholar and statesman-has, in a
| tribute, OF which the highest praise is to say
| that it is worthy both OF himself and of its
theme in most felicitous phrase, has drawn
his picture as he appeared in that scene He
says:
"While men shall read the history or battles,
| they shall never fall to study and admire the
! work of Thomas during that afternoon. With
but 25 900 men, formed In semi circle, of which
| he himself was the center and soul, he success
| fully resisted for more than five hours the re-
peated assaults OF an army OF $4,000 men,
| flushed with victory and bent on his annihila-
| ton. When night had closed over the
! combatants the last sound of battle was the
| booming OF Thomas shells bursting among his
hlt in1 md frnhft tnCr a a m.
deed the Rock of Chickamauga, against which
the wild waves of battle dashed in vain. II Will
stand written forever in the annals OF his coun-
| try that there he saved from destruction the
Army OF the Cumberland
day of onsets of despair!
Dashd on every rocky square,,
Their surging charges feamed themselves away.
| Speaking of him in the general order an
! nouncing his death, the general OF the army, in
| terms both just and warm recorded and pub
lished his estimate OF the character and career
| OF General Thomas He said:
| 1.-The General has known General Thomas in
llmately since they sat, as boys, on the same
bench, and the quality In him, which he holds
up for the admiration and example of the
young is his complete and entire devotion to
duty. Though sent to Florida, to Mexico to
Texas, to Arizona, when duly there was abso-
lutte Punishment: he went cheerfully, and never
asked personal favor, exemption or leave Of
absence. In battle he never wayered. Firm, and
OF full faith in his cause. he knew it would pre-
vail va and he never sough. advancement of rank
he earned OF these was his own, and no one
DISPUTES HIS FAME.
the very representation OF honesty, integrity,
and honor, he will stand to us as the beau ideal
OF the soldier and gentleman"
Gen Thomas, in his simple and modest way,
has left on record statement concerning HIM
self, which will be accepted now without uues-
t1on In letter OF November 26, 1869, express
ing his regret that he would not be able to at
tend the reunion OF the Society of the Army of
the Cumberland that year, at indianapolis, he
said:
"lt was my hearty desire, from the beginning
to the end OF the late war, to accept with cheer
fulness and perform with zeal and honesty,
whatever duties devolved upon me. At the same
time 1t was my constant endeavor to impress
those who were with me and under my COM
mand with sense of the Importance OF the SER
vices they had undertaken to perform"
These sentences show that George III. Thomas
was something more and better than merely a
soldier. He was a patriot. He had q country
and a cause, and in their defence he drew his
sword. The principles and interests for which
he periled his life and Staled his fame, more
even than the gallant service he performed in
their behalf, great and distinguished as it was,
justify the celebration of this day. The occa-
sion seems appropriate for statement and vim
dication of the grounds on which they are eS-
tablished and now securely rest.
The reason and religion OF all ages and races
have recognized the love OF country as nobler
passion than the love OF life. The pIeasure-lov-