Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-26
GEN. GEO. II. THOMAS
ONE or THE MANY NEGLECTED UNION
HEROES OF THE LATE WAR.
Dom Pia,ts biography Of Him--white-
law Reid Not = Creature OF Luck--A
Well-Namcd and Good Novel.
Correspondents Of tho Richmond Dispatch,

law Reid Not Creature OF Luck-A
weii-Namcd and Good Novel.
Correspondence Of tho Richmsnd DIspatch.l
New York, Juno 2j.--At ihs time OF
his death Colonel Dom Piatt, of Ohio,
was engaged in writing biography Of
General George II. Thomas. l saw his
widow here the other day and she has
made up her mind to have somebody
complete the work and then publish it.
1t is most singular that there is not in
existence genuine biography OF this
greatest and most useful OF the Union
generals. General Thomas was n singu-
larry splendid figure in our gallery Of
war heroes No man wrought better. de-
served more. or received less. A native
OF Virginia, he chose to cast his lot with
the Union cause, and have sometimes
wondered whether the StantonIan mar
plots in Washington. led by old
Belisarious Halleck, did not dis
trust him on occount of his early
affiliations. A more faithful. loyal
70 der never lived. He saved the
cause Of the Union at two great
turning points during the war--Chicka-
manga and Nashville yet at the
close of the war he was banished to the
Pacific Coast and permitted TO die in
apparent neglect, while other soldiers.
less deserving, were exploiting them
seves in the gilded hotel rotundas of the
East or living on the fat of the land at
the good military stations. l have some
times wondered what would have hap
pened had General Thomas proven
recreant at Chickamauga or had he
failed TO check the advance Of Hood at
Nashville.
In both instances he was personally q
barrier between Confederate armies and
a northern invasion, and had he failed
at either of these critical periods no
power could have stopped the southern
ers short of the Ohio river. There Is
one picture Of General Thomas in my
mind which should like very much to
see on canvas. 1t was placed there 10y
old fighting jim Steedman, of Ohio,
who, some years after the war. told
me of his meeting with General
Thomas on the field OF Chickamauga.
Steedman, with his command, was STA
toned at Red House church some ten
miles from Chickamauga III accordance
with that wonderful policy of General
Rosecrans which strung ont his army
twenty-five miles through the noun
tains Of Tennessee while waiting for an
I.l
NOTHING expedition to Ringold, and had
seen Longstreet's corps disbark at the
railway station and march toward Rose
cranss left. He realized the movement
OF concentration on the part of the enc
nv, ana when the battle of Cbickamau-
ga opened on Sunday morning he de-
termined TO 60 there. His orders were
to hold the bridge in his front across Il
little stream. When he heard the
guns he called bis officers together
in the church. read them his order
to hold the bridge, announced
his intention to burn the bridge
and march to the battlefield. What
great man Lew Wallace would have
been If he had done this at Shiloh
Steedmans officers protested, but the
old fighter had his way. He burned the
bridge and started on the most direct
route to the sound of the battle. 1t was
some time in the afternoon when he
came upon the field by the flank. Our
troops were being sorely pressed. lie
asked 10 see General Thomas, and one
of his aides took him to where the
General was standing opposite an old
dead tree. Steedman described HIN
thus:
AS A MAN OF BRONZE.
"He stood rs immovable as man OF
bronze. His ewes were fixed upon a
ridge IN his front from which our troops
had been driven and upon which the
enemy poured in great force. i never
saw such al expression upon man :
iace as upon his. 1t was calmness, de-
termination, and witLal bitter fierce
ness in his eye. AS | rode up and dis
mounted from my horse, travel stained,
he gave me single glance, then reached
out his hand without taking his eyes
from the terrible scene which confronted
him. He said General Steedman,
have always been glad to see You, but
never half so glad as now.
81 held his hand for an instant and
said: Where shall | put my men, Gene
ral? He pointed to the ridge which
now seemed 10 be III full posse sion Of
the enemy and said General Negley
was commanded to hold that ridge.
presume somebody has given him order;
to 90 away | certainly did not lie
has gone. / want you to put your di-
vision there and take that ridge and hold
it all hazards.
AT this instant" said General Steed'
man. q round shot struck the dead tree
near which Thomas was standing, not
more than five feet above his head.
confess that lodged when | heard the
ball coming and ] shuddered when II
struck the tree. But l will take my oath
that General Thomas was no more moved
by that cannon-ball than If he had been
made Of bronze. There was not the
slightest tremor nor change OF color Oh
his part. A drawer man never lived.
Steedman did as commanded and wor
his maior-generalship. The feature that
amused MN III tuiS DeIOlC tHSVdut'i wac
the calm comment of General Thomas
on the conduct OF General Negley. Any
other soldier would have characterized
it differently. But even in the bitter
ness OF bis soul, in the heat OF that terri
BILE battle he could not reflect upon 6
brother nor say an unkind word which
repeated, might cause bitterness.
sincerely hope that somebody vii
he found to complete Soione
piatt's History of General Thomas
and his services to the Union cause
Colonel Mcclure in his recent work OF
Il Lincoln and Men of the War Times,
pave a splendid tribute to Genera
Thomas, and touches upon that sac
phase of neglect which must have fillee
his latter days with sorrow. lie speaks
of him as one Of the deserving but un
reouited heroes of our civil war. lie
us hope that this forthcoming hlstor!
will, in measure, make amends for thu
cruel neglect and indifference shown u
General Thomas when alive.
JOURNALIST EXALTED.