The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-17


eernsd. a Union defeat. Praise IL awarded to
Gen. Bragg for his well-conceived plans and
timely orders although he IL criticised for
falling TO destroy the Union corps in detail
while they were separated from each other
This failure. however. 10 attributed to a want
OF proper support by his subordinates and IL
IL acknowledged that. from a military point OF
view. the Southern commander deserved to
win. On the other hand. although circum-
stances we're from the fret adverse to Thomas
obstruction seemed only TO give him an op-
portunity. His counsel was disreRarded atthe
outset; his corps was thrust, sinRle-handed
into the Jaws OF disaster; the other CORPS were
Mt first insulated, and aiterward disinteRrated
and could give him little assistance. BY rea-
son Of an unfortunate order. communicated
not through him but directly to q subordinate
hls line was pierced. H. at the beginning. the
armies had been OF about equal strength.
yet later. owing to untoward Incidents. Thomas
was forced to maintain himself with 25.OoO
men against the rapidly repeated attacks Of
more than twice that number. His valor and
endurance received the plaudts OF the enemy.
Never" has said one OF their historians. did
the Yankees fight better than just here" His
own men thenceforth called Thomas the Rock
OF ChickamauRa." In the judgment OF the au-
thor OF this narrative. he saved the army OF
Rosecrans not only from flight but from utter
ruin. for fight would have meant the scatter
ing OF the troops, an unrelentinR pursuit OF
them By Bragg. an occupation OF Tennessee
and Kentucky by the Confederates. and a
threatening OF the line OF the Ohio. AZ In the
subsequent battle OF Chattanooga Thomas
became subordinate officer under Grants
orders. only enough is said by Prof Copp6e
OF this action to assign to Thomas his
proper share OF credit and to show that his
troops were admirably handled and eminently
successful 1t is assumed that. in the bioRra-
piles Of Grant and Sherman. which are to ap-
pear In this series. the services OF Thomas at
Chattanooga will receive due appreciation.
In a chapter on the battle OF Nashville and
its results, II Is pointed out that Grant was
guarded in his congratulations on this great
victory. and retained his opinion that Thomas
had moved too slowly before the engagement.
Prof. Coppee insists. however that. up to that
time. Nashville was the only battle OF the war
in which the Union army had defeated. dissi-
pated, and destroyed a Confederate army In
logical sequence from the beginning to the
end. II Ia certain also that Thomhss victory
at Nashville had manifest correlation to
other momentous plans and events. 1t so
nearly annihilated Hoods army. considered
rs an effective foe that II was OF little
further service to the Confederacy. and
practically left the South at the mercy
OF the Union troops There remained
but one considerable Confederate army
east OF the Mississippi which. so close
~ was II beleagured In Richmond. would
manifestly soon be forced to lay down It's
arms. Thomas. at Nashville. dashed the last
hopes OF Lee In Virginia. and fastened tho
surrender at Appomattox Court House. In q
word. according to the author OF this narra-
tive. the battle at Nashville stands alone as q
far
by the skill and frmness Of one man. 1t was
we'll Prot Coppde thinks. that the last i'm
portant action OF Thomas's military life should
have had such cApacious significance: that
once at least and untram elled he was to be
Commander in Chief; and that, by this signal
victory. all his own. he was to offer the mea-
sure OF his great ability.
We have recalled tho fact that Gen. Grant,
while praisIng Thomas for his victory at Nash
Vile. was still Of the opinion that the latter had
been slow and that he might have fought and
driven back the enemy before he reached
Franklin-an opinion In which Grant has not
been supported by the judgment OF the best mil
itary critics. In speaking on Jan. Is. 1865. Of
the chance that BeaureRard would collect the
fragments Of Hoods army and move against
Sherman. Grant said: If this be the case
Selma AND Montgomery can easily be reached.
/ do not believe. though. that Gen. Thomas will
get there from the North; he is too ponderous
In his preparations and equipments to move
through country rapidly enough to live off
it," This was severe criticism and Thomas
felt It deeply. As a matter Of fact. he had
never failed and had never been beaten. and
his ponderous blows had saved armies when
many OF the swift moving Generals had used
their fieetness in the wrong direction.
It was on March %. 1870 In his ONCE in San
Francisco. where he was discharginR tho
duties incident to the command OF the mill
tary division OF the Pacific, that Gen. Thomas
died. At the moment when he was death
stricken he was penning answer to a letter
in the Ne1 York Tribune which was unjust to
Thomas. and severely criticised his manage
ment of the Nashville campaign. The closing
words OF his answer were blurred and dis
connected. but the last lines which were legible
gave full credit to Schoneld for his con-
duet in the battle OF Franklin. An autopsy
attributed the cause OF Thomas's death to
apopleIy. but 1t is certain that two arteries
near the heart we're found broken. From the
hour Of his assuming command OF the Second
Cavalry in May. 1851. TO the day OF his death.
at the age OF 81. he had been bounded by
injustice. Since his death a remarkable re-
action has set In. OF which the book before
us Is one OF the most impressive proofs.
Gen. Thomas's devotion to the Union cause
IL attested by the memorable fact that, unlike
many other officers. he never left his post dur
Ing the war. He never crossed the Ohio River
to go northward from September. 1861. Just
before the Battle OF Mil Spring until the win
ter Of 1865. and. during that period he was
constantly with his troops, and IN the pres
ence OF the enemy. lie never laid eyes upon
his wife from August. 1851, until he sent an
aide-de-camp to bring her 10 him at Nashville
In 1884. while he was preparing for the great
conflict at that place. Mrs. Thomas remained
one month with him at Nashville. when he
sent her North again. while he remained to
fight the battle which was TO prove him
second in ability to no General that the
war produced. 1t is fact signih-
cant OF his single-heArted devotion to duty
and OF his Indifference for politicians that
Thomas never saw Abraham Lincoln. for he
never went TO Washington after the war broke
out until year after it had come to sn end.
We are further reminded OF the Interesting
circumstance that when. on Feb. 81. 1868.