The National tribune., 1883-11-01

to resist the mighty influences about him required
q dominating sense of honor, elevation and
firmness of resolution which the proud associates
of Thomas In the army--the Johnstons and the
Lees-did not possess. When the crisis came they
| flung away their promise to defend the United
States and drew their swords to destroy what they
| had sworn 10 maintain Their fidelity and patriot
ism shrank into State limits, while the honor and
| the sword of Thomas like the fixed stars grew
| brighter as darkness came into the armament of
sst r. raneed With WashinSton's and Mneolns
4 through all the latitudes OF our widest national
! jurisdiction.
1 And now / wish TO recall to you how General
Thomas demonstrated his ascendancy in the art OF
wsr-that great art by which empires have been
dismembered and independent States created
United States preserved. Although other distin-
| guished generals were, at various periods con-
nected with our campaigns, General Thomas from
the beginning 10 the end of the was of, and at
/ times seemed himself almost to be, the Army of
the Cumberland. Heroic in stature heroic in mind,
and with character appropriate to the grandest
4 career, Thomas seemed formed by nature to be
great soldier. His clear vision and sound Judg-
ment made il easy for him TO determine what the
main object of the campaign should be- accurately
/ to know with what force and when, and how,
prudent general should undertake TO defeat TO de-
stroy the army opposed TO hm 10 create an
army TO conceive the true plan of operations, and
al the right moment to bring into full volume,
properly direct and sustain the destructive ener-
| gies of organized masses, requires genius; and
these demands on Thomas, though large, never
came up 70 the level of his resources. Thus, after
q compact force had been formed in Eastern Ken
tucky his first blow left nothing but the dlsorgan-
ized remnants of an opposing army TO recross tie
! Cumberland River in the night. After appalling
disaster to our right wing al Stone River the ma
tional center, under his firm command, fought
/ longer and better than the enemy could endure.
On the first Of the three days battle Of CHATTANOOGA
he surprised the enemy in clear cay, carrying the
4 advanced position OF Orchard Knob by an lnpetu-
Gus and weil-directed attack Early IN the second
day. Thomas put his right wing in motion under
! Hooker TO fight its way up the rocky slopes into
the clouds Of Lookout Mountain and ia the even
ing you saw from the valley far below his files
! sweep round " its lofty crown. On the third day
the massive columns of the Army OF the CuInbeT-
land, led by Sheridan, Wood. Baird md johnson,
made that sfupenduus assault. tTiumphing ct the
hoimuzzes OF forty cannon, or lntrenched SUBMITS
that were believed fTlpregnGbe. and IN bringing,
with unsurpassed success. the resources Of his art
10 grand actioR for the existence OF his army in
the forests of Northern Georgia, and TO an over
4 wheHaing advance and victory IN Tennessee, Cen
eral Thomas carved into the annals ot our country
as perfect models OF defensive ana oleIslNe ottee
as any recorded in the military history of the
. world. His presence was seen and his aseendency
/ felt al along his lines OF battle, and wherever
Thomas commanded whether Z. the head OF
division. corps, or army, those lines were never
| broken. never driven from positions TO which be
! had assigned them. nor did the enemy ever sue
ce5sflily resist attacks that he hae planned OF ap-
| proved.
SAVING THE ARMY WITHOUT sTEEDMANf
1 II has been assumed that the arrival of Granger
and Steedman with two brigades at Chiokalnau+ga
| saved Thomas from defeat. Until we have found
| limits 10 the resources OF his genius it viii be
sounder to assGne that without their heroic pres
ence Thomas would have slowly drawn back the
right and LEFT fanks OF ms army tIii an uBhroken
circle Of invineibie soldiers had been formed, and
am sure that every soldier who Was there and -
here viii sustain the opinion that no attack which
the enemy then had tie power 70 make couo have
penetrated that grim round Wal 81 ire S1ad steel
where lived the uncongueFabe sar3t ot our chief
in the Nashville campaign q weak commander
I would doubtless have given = powerful impulse 10
the enemy - abandoning TO f.il The entire SYSTEM
OF ioEtlheatIons winch, extending 4sy mics Gov
cred the great points between Nashville and Chat
tanooga positions Of the highest IN pertsuce posi-
;ions that had cost campaigns ad battles 10 gam
10
difficult 20 take than those ar0u.d Richmond and
Petersburg. before which JQ30g4 soldiers were faf-
fed FOR months. To abandon such positions
/ would have been fatal crror, because II would
not have given Us army tfiet could defeat the
enemy IN The open field. An arny largely con-
posed. as this would have been, o1 unframed re-
] cruts and OF fragments long IN cnerVatng service
al many garrisons must have crunbied TO pieces
before an attack s1rh as llOse on the I1l0ts'ii
right 81 charlottesville, Our center st Peach
Tree Greek, Our ieff where S4cSberson fell.
Fortunately General Thomas was in command,
and he Judged that 10 stiie.d tlle country from ols
asters and TO achieve solid results he must bring
together not bulk. but force. And. discerning
the bearing that ms own movements must nave cn
those Of Grant and SleTBleu Tho1aais formed BIS
plan with such scope and cses.EBess, aId executed
i with sueh energy, tllai TIE events which fol-
lowed seemed cut the splendid LeieesioI % hls
original conception n idc-sprea0 alaEIn In the
i North. official pressure sIcEa the East, The Icy
storms Of winter. and hundred hostile cannon n
front did not uusettle Eis ell-oised aairG did not
bend his Intelligent Will L. Fegld yet UnFeasan-
ably inperl his .a75ny--llis cause-f7T, Ike the
that after human wisdom hiss exhausted lis re-
sources there lie be-GnG G4ngers tilst cannot be
foreseen. Thomas uncuestionaliy perceived that
disaster IN ienucsse EFolio cause ttle tItsFeE-4s
TO Withdraw the national armies from Richmond
10 Washington; 10 send a large feTee thence to
meet Hood on the line OF the Dhlo River, end azl-
other perhaps b. the ses, 10 rfscue Sherman from
Gcstruction IL 8 word would dissolve the psans
by which tae General sef hoped % extlngaish
, the rebellion in 1864 What grfve consequences
would naturally have followed this wide range 81
reVerses may lie left to reasonable speculation
l.. - -
end hostllites IL the Nes eave Genera eiieri1ls
free advance through E1eorpia ana tne ftgFCizs
and enable Cement Grant 10 peEsist--1oree the
evacuation OF the Confederate epitsi, 4lc tilsu e
rerose with the armies Of The East fhe liiis O
AppcnRtsox- TITS now clear thai General Thomas
wisely delayed until las preparations Nere su5
stanffal for then through the destruction OF the
Confederate army IL Tennessee, the war in the
West was ended forever.
THE GENERALS FAIR DAUGETERs.
Four hundred wears before tlae Christian era Z
renowned general commanded The Baeotan Greek.
ia two great battles Near tie close Of the second
when las counEyn1en were i8lentirg that he rga.
dying ci1iidless, EpaIninon8as replied; - leave
you two fair daughters i4enetfa and Aianiinea.'
Iwenty-tlree centuries lGseE another great genera
died childiess. lie a.so lcfJ two fair daughter
t1lcEaliltsa and 1asytSl-le through = !lie itla
T; had no stain nlagnaninlity uncommon that !
has been Insinterpreled 10 his injury, fideiity
and patriotism luheXibie as destiny. q general
ship never baiticd defeated. lld through ths
glorious offspring of his aeEiusf hlcz8Inana ails
Nashville-the name and fnnIe cf General 5e9rg'
with the preservation. with The unIileasurssli;
blessings, and with tbe glory o! The Union. Blu
Jet not forget the heroic dead who live ia hum
: bier gT1ves-ite noble anderson, agaiist wlleiE
4 were aimed the epsnine; gluss q the conflict IT,
: iTnpetuous Hooker eHe kcsFny, the abie McPner
son and Reynolds, the fearless t.ytie, taEzer s.ng
& McCook. and those nEvT sten heroes of TIE F1ai
and file whose dauntless courage AID biang on
:. durGnce made irTcvcTsibe tlie high decree fl
: Republic is indestrictihle. Tenderly and Fevsr
emily lei ne cherish their memories until the Lac
; I surviving member cf our society sliaD have AZ
sweFed 70 the ilnal roil-csi But are cur eoaraae
dead? co oct into The grand solennity 81 night
! look Up into the milky Bay-sthat vast zone O
D lght-arciiDg over the infinite universe, and see
/ IN it's clustering stars tie fadeiess cgIup-fres
i the heroic the immortal dead.
4 The other foasis and those who responded Z
them were: Volunteers Of the Union army
General John a Logan; The Commanders o
< the Army of the Cumberland" f" Major William
. H. Lambert; ohio in the War; General J
: W. Eeifer; "The Army Of the Cumberland,
J. General w. B. Hazen; The Loyal Women 0
Z 1866" General r. ID. Mussey.
Reunien Of the FoErth Kentucky.
+ The third annual Reunion OF the Fotlrtl
y r..