The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-11-12

~ " II
man. The years have dealt gently with her
save an unfortunate lameness the result of an
accident some time ago. Her hair is black and
glossy, and has not yet been invaded by the
gray that marks the ravage of time. She has
no children, her sister being her companion
| Her name before marriage was Frances L.
| kellogg.
'"Now, please do not write much about me, "
she said. at is well enough to talk about the
public men, but there are few women who like
to be written up in the newspapers. My life
is very quiet and uneventful, and there is
really nothing about me that anybody would
care to know. | very often meet, wherever l
| go, men who served under the General during
the war, and 1 have no words to express my
| sincere appreciation of the many kind things
that they all, without an exception, say of him.
| Knowing him as no other person did, of course
l feel that he fully deserved the many high
tributes paid, both before and since his death,
to his long and faithful service to the Govern
ment."
In Difference to her wishes, we say but little
of Mrs. Thomas personally. Of the General
she talked freely and without reserve, giving
some "reminiscences that Will be read with in
| terest. AS she s,r;oke of his intense loyalty
! Notwithstanding his Southern birth and life
| long associatons-and his singular devotion to
duty, her face kindled with animation and her
manner betokened a genuine enthusiasm.
a know" she said, the General felt most
keenly, especially during the early years of the
war, that he was regarded with suspicion by
many because he was a Virginian. Nor can
any one realize rs / do how perfectly loyal and
devoted he was, in every act, word and thought.
| He was born in Southampton County, Va, in
| 1916. Nearly all his friends and family con-
nections were fully committed to the cause of
the South; though, he had no relatives nearer
than cousins in the Confederate arm"
The peculiarly delicate situation of Gen.
| Thomas will be better understood by brief
reference to the facts. In 1856 there was a par
| tial reorganization of the United States army.
| Jefferson Davis was then Secretary of War.
| The I'd Cav was Differed by him very largely
| with men who were of Southern birth. Its
| four field officers were: Colonel, Albert Sidney
| Johnston Lieutenant-C Colonel, Robt. +. Lee !;
Senior Major, w. J. Hardee; Junior Major,
Geo. III. Thomas. All these are familiar names
in connection with the war. When the war
began % officers Of this regiment were grad
| yates of West Point, and of these II were ma
| tiyas of the South. The regiment furnished
| II Generals for the war, of whom II were in
| the Confederate service.
| Van Horne, the biographer of Gen. Thomas
| says: 1.-TWO considerations, in all probability
| induced Mr.. Davis to appoint Capt Thomas
Major in the I'd Cav: his birth in Virginia and
| his efficiency and galantry in the Mexican
| War; Gen. Thomas always believed that Mr.
Davis had regard to probable war between
| the Northern and Southern States in organic
| ing that regiment The writer once asked him
| Thomas if he enter tanned this opinion. He
| promptly answered that he did. And in reply
| to the question: Did not Mr.. Davis depend
| upon you as upon Gems. Johnston, Lee, Hardee
| and other Southern officers to fight for the
South in the event of WARP he said: Ger
tainly he did Maj. Thomas and Lieuts. Roy
all, Chambliss and Harrison were the only Off
GERS of this regiment born in seeding State
who remained loyal; and only three others of
Southern birth-Capt. Il. W. Johnson and
Lieut.. Kenner Garrard, of Kentucky, and
Lieut.. Joseph Macarthur, of Missouri-main
tanned their allegiance to the General Govern
ment."
1t is we'll known that Gen. Thomas was con-
spicuous for his faithfulness to duty. Said Mrs.
Thomas: He was not absent from his post
single day during the war. He never so much
! as asked for a leave Of absence. He and l did
not even see each other for more than three
years. For few years before the war the Gen
eral had been serving with his regiment in
Texas. He had been nearly 20 years in the
army without leave of absence, and one was
granted him Nov l, 1860. While on his way
home he met with serious accident at Lex
ington, Va. Stepping from train ut night he
fell down high bank, receiving injuries to his
spine from which he never entirely recovered,
though he was able to be about in q few weeks.
When Fort Sumter was fired on the General
was on the way to Carlisle Barracks, where he
had been ordered to take command of the Cd Cav.
All his superior OfficelJ, Johnston, Lee and Har
dee, had resigned to enter the Confederate sery-
ice. l was in New York at the time, where my
husband had been spending his leave Ofabsence.
| After a brief period of service around Washing
ton he was made a Brgadier-General and sent to
| the Western army. | babe him gOod-by just
before he started, about the LIST of August
| and did not see him again till after the cap
| ture of Atlanta in 1864. Late in the Fall of
| that year went to Nashville and was with
| him for month. 1 was there again just after
the war closed, and was present when he
reviewed the Fourth Corps"
1.-THE General died very suddenly" said
| Mrs. Thomas, in reply to question. I" He
was Frustrated by an apoplectic stroke March
| IS, 1870, and lived but u few hours. He was
| in his usual health that morning, and was more
| than ordinarily cheerful. This was in San
| Francisco. He was ordered to the command
on the Pacific Coast in 1862 and went there in
| the Fall of that year, His health had never
| been entirely good since the war. He always
felt the effects of the exposure and hardship he
| endured, and these, added to the permanent
| injury received in the accident at Lexington.
| Va, just before the war, greatly impaired his
| natural vigOr, although he maintained to the
| last his robust appearance. 1 was urged to
consent that the General should be buried at
West Point, but I much preferred that his
body should rest in our family lot at Troy, N.
| Y, and it lies there"
"All the Generals military papers and docu-
ments," said Mrs. Thomas" are preserved in
| the Department of Records here in Washing
ton. l thought they would be safer in the GUS
| tody of the Government than in my own hands,
| and l turned them over some years ago. l
have several swords and personal keepsakes
| which, of course, are above all price to me.
The General had two swords that were pre-
sented to him-one by the citizens of South
ampton County, Va, for his services in the
Mexican War, and the other by Kentucky
regiment under his command, soon after he won
his first victory in the late war at Mill Spring"
"What became of his horses, did you ask?
One of them was shot through the body at
Chickamauga. He recovered, however, but
was never fit for service again. He died a few
years later. The other horse, which he rode