The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-01-25
How Gen. Thomas Came to Es'
pOuse the Union Cause.

Explanatory Of the vote that he
was about to give in favor of the
Fitz John Porter bill, the other day,
Don Cameron read a speech in the
U. S. Senate that possesses peculiar
interest to may persons in the South
as the first acknowledgement from
high authorities on the Northernside,
of the irresolute attitude Of Gen.
Thomas-then Major Thomad at
the commencement of the war. The
record Of this brilliant Virginia SOL
dier whose memory is honored inone
of the many bronze horsemen who
adorn the parks of the National Cap
itol, is inseperablo connected with
the history of the most notable
achievements of the Federal army,
including the saving of Chattanooga
after the terrible defeat of Rozecrans
at Chickamauga, and the repulse OF
Hood at Nashville. 1t has always
been claimed by his old comrades of
the South, that his heart was entirely
with us at the commencement of the
civil war, and we have more thau
once told the story in these columns
that was current in the Gonfederacy
in 1861, of his having forwarded his
application for commission by Earle
Van Doom, to the authorities at
Montgomery, and having given his
sword to the Union cause for the
reason that he was irritated at the
apparent neglect of his communica
ton by our Provisional War Office.
Be that true Or false, there is little
doubt but that he at one time medi,
tated "going with his State and
solicited an appointment in the Mill
tary Academy of Virginia as prelimi-
nary to resigning his commission in
the Federal service;
The following is the story of the
gaining of Major Thomas to the Fed
eral cause, as told by Senator Came.
ron who was himself witness and
auditor of the remarkable scene he
describes:
Fitz John Porter, in April. 1861,
then a major on the staff of General
Scott, was sent by the War Depart
ment to Harrisburgh, Pennsylvania,
to aid the State authorities iu organ
izing and forwarding the troops of
.."" f's~'~ - 80 snat of war at
Washington. He hnu roS veeh eHi u ~
the State forty eight hours before
communication by mail and telegraph
was cut off between the two cities,
and he was left to act upon his own
responsibility. He was equal to the
emergency, Not only did he per-
form the duties to which he had been
assigned in Pennsylvania with great
zeal, tact, industry, and wonderful
vigilance, as will be and has been
testified to by the then State author
tiles who were themselves without
any military experieuce,but knowing
the utterly helpless condition of the
authorities at Washington, he assum
ed authority in the name of the com
manding general, and directed the
movements of troops from other
States-particularly the troops from
the State of Ohio-who were en-
route to Washington and passing
through Pennsylvania. He never
seemed to eat or to sleep, but was
eternally on the alert. cheering the
men by his zeal and his confidence
aiding the authorities by advice, and
instructing them how to bring orde,
out of chaos.
1t became my duty to take charge
of the railroad from Harrisburgh to
Baltimore, and while so engaged an
incident occurred in my Office which
impressed me greatly at the time
and which, it has always seemed to
me, should atone to great extent
for any errors General Porter may
have committed, if any, at a later
period of the war. 1t was to a great
extent through him, in my judgment
that the services of General George
H. Thomas were secured to the side
of the Union.
General Thomas. then Major
Thomas, was stationed at Carlisle
Barracks; there were at the same
time two other majors of the Army
stationed at the same place, I have
forgotten their names (but that is
immaterial, for the records of the
War Department will show, when or
order was received from the Wal
Department by messenger who
came across the country, directing
Major Porter to send the troops ther
at Carlisle to Washington, with d.
rections to have them cut their way
through. 1t is the language of this
order which makes me say that this
was at one of the darkest periods o.
the war. The capital of the nation
was menaced by an enemy camping
within few miles of it, and had bu,
a handful Of men for its protection
Porter, with quick perception o.
the gravity Of the situation, and
showing a thorough knowledge Of
the fitness of the man for the duty
to be performed, selected Thoma.
from the three majors, and ordered
him to report to him at my Office in
Harrisburgh, that being Porter's
headquarters. Thomas arrived there
promptly the same evening. When
' - forn,oJ of tI,o dr,tv to ha ,,orforn,