The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-16
GENERAL THoMAs's LOYALTY.

The Record Shows Him to Have Been AL
ways Firm Friend of the Government.
Extract from Garfeld's Grafton Thomas CIeve.
land, Nov. 25, 1870.
He was held IN peculiar honor by the peo-
pie of his own State (virgina). Virginia
mad presented him a splendid sword, as a
recognition of his high qualities and gallant
conduct in the Mexican war. We
have no doubt that he shared in the general
sentiments of Virginia, and deprecated any
agitation which should disturb her social in
situations. III He regarded the growing
political strife as a measureless outrage in
which both contestants were wrong. but in
which the Northern agitators were the first
aggressors."
Washington Special
AS has been heretofore shown the official
report of Fitz John Porter on the very points
wherein Cameron recites him as a witness.
are against the Senator. While his brother
officers were leaving to go South, which was
before the date of which Cameron speaks,
one of Thomas's comrades asked him what
he would do if Virginia should secede. 81
will help to whip her back again." was his
answer
General William Hartsuff has put on rec
ord the fact that he saw Thomas many times
in New York in the latter part of 1860, and
frequently aeaId MN discuss the state of the
,Country with Southern officers. This was
also before the time of which Cameron
speaks. General Hartsuff said that while
Thomas reprobated very strongly the course
of certain men and parties at the North, he
denounced to these Southern officers the idea
that it was necessary to go with their States,
and denied the necessity of dividing the
country or destroying the government.
General R. w. Johnson, who was an officer
in Texas with Thomas, and went with him to
Carlisle Barracks, where they were previous
to the date named by Cameron says: Gen
eral Thomas never finched, nor faltered, nor
wavered in his devotion to his country"
General Patterson, under whom Thomas
first served going from Carlisle to JOIN him,
wrote thus; General Thomas contemplated
with horror the prospect of a war between
the people of his own State and the Union,
but he never for a moment hesitated, never
wavered, never swerved from his allegiance
to the nation that educated him and whose
servant he was. From the beginning would
have pledged my hopes here and hereafter on
the loyalty of Thomas
| General Sherman, writing of his knowledge
of Thomas's early feelings, says But as
soon as Mr.. Lincoln was installed in Office,
and manifested the deep feel loye-foE
all parts of the country, "a coating civil
war; but giving the keynote that the Union
should be maintained even if it had to be
fought for, and that forcibIe secession was
treason; then, Thomas, like all national
men, brushed away the subtleties of the
hour, saw clearly his duty and proclaimed
it, not by mere words, but by riding in full
|
brigade, invading without murmur his ma
tive State and commanding his men to put
| down forcible resistance by the musket."
Thus General Sherman testifies, that sa
early as March, 1861 General Thomas had
proclaimed his position, The date Cameron
gives as that at which he was undecided
until Fitz John Porter persuaded him was
| April IS.
Colonel A. L. Hough, long the confiden-
tial aide of General Thomas, has put on record
the following notes of a conversation with
the General on the subject under discussion,
the notes being made at the time; "A SLAM
der upon the General was often repeated in
the southern papers during and Immediately
subsequent to the rebellion Ii
was given upon the -au-
thority of prominent rebel officers and not
denied by them 1t was to the effect that he
was disappointed in not getting a high CONF
mand in the rebel army that he bad sought
for, hence his refusal to join the rebellion.
In conversation with him on this subject,
the General said this was an entire fabrica-
rication, not having an atom of foundation.
Not line ever passed between him
uine letter OF his nor was word spoken by
him to anyone that could lead to such an in
ference. He detied anyone to produce any
testimony, written or oral, to sustain such an
allegation He never entertained such An
idea, for his duty was clear to him from the
beginning"
In the beautiful order announcing his
death, General Sherman. who knew him in.
timately since they sat as boys on the same
bench, wrote: "The great civil war found
him at his post true and firm amidst the ter.
rible pressure he had encountered by reason
of his birthplace"
The Senate and House, at the time of his
DEATH in attesting "the sympathy of Con-
gress at this national bereavement" declared
that "his never-faltering faith and zeal in the
maintenance of the Union and the integrity
of the government, and his stern execution
OF every trust conilded to him, constitute q
record in his life made memorable in DEATH"