The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-23

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Lhan this man, went into higher branch
of the service, gained greater distinction,
Won more nFeVets, leq q more SPURIOUS anu
rigid d1sciplinarian and more successful
organizer and / am at least his equal in
deserts and success as a general. If he cap
tuf'ed Fort Henry and Fort Donelson won
the battle of Alill Springs and helped to
save his army afterwards at Shiloh II he
captured Vicksburg l won the battle OF
Chickamauga and saved Chattanooga Far
be Ii from me TO intimate that he ever did
say this to any human being only suggest
that he may have felt it, and If ne did feel
1t who can blame him for it? Who can
blame him if he went even further in his
reflections, and said 10 himself II did not
need this mans supervision / not only
held Chattanooga for him, but with the
army of the Cumberland, / was mainly in
strumental in winning the battle Of Mis-
sionary Ridge" Who can blame him If still
later with heightening indignation, he said
to himself: For that matter did not need
Shermans supervision either. held my own
and did my part throughout the Atlanta
campaign, and afterwards furnished forth
the holiday march to the sea- with the bulk
of my seasoned veterans, and the pick ana
choice of my transportation while l was
sent back to Nashville TO organize an army
partments with which to make head
against the oncomng and valiant host that,
for six months, had ~ithstood the onset of
hundred thousand menu
A MASTER HAND.
Who can blame him If he finally grew
came from the headquarters Of the armies
in the East, while with watchful and in
cessant care, with due elaboration and i'm
perturbable GOODNESS, with the consummate
art of a master he stayed the progress Of
the invader, gathered in his attachments
and, while marching and fighting, welded
them around the Fourth Corps, and the
handful of cavalry which happily they had
feft him, into an invincible army? He knew
the fierce, aggressive temper of his adver-
sary, he knew the necessity of thorough
preparation, and of a coherent force to re-
sist him. He knew that Sherman had
marched out of the real theater Of war and
that the Confederate leaders, awaiting
themselves of this great opportunity, were
making their last desperate adventure tow
ards Nashville; that the army of the Po-
tomac was lying supinely in it's comfort
able camps, that the eyes of the country
were upon him. and above all he knew he
must make no mistake, must suffer no de-
feat, but when the final conflict came, must
win a decisive victory, not only for his own
sake, and for the great interests with which
he was charged but to save those who had
left him behind from everlasting disgrace.
Who can blame him if, in the midst of all
his labors, and after he had, with consum-
mate skill, concentrated his forces at the
great strategic center of his theater of OPP
erations, organized his army, remounted his
cavalry, ana competed MS arrangements
all within an incredibly short time to
strike a fatal blow, and was delayed from
striking it only by the hand of providence
by the rains, the inclement blasts and
frosts, which covered the country with
glare of ice over which it was impossible
10 move with safety or to fight with sue
his corps commanders on the memorable
10th of December. for the first time in all
his honorable life with Indignation which
he would have been base to conceal "Wil-
SON. they treat me as though 1 were boy.
Ihey do not seem to think in Washington
that | know enough TO plan campaign or
to fight battle. Now, If they will let me
alone, I'll show them what we can do You
know that we shall win this battle and
that we shall fight as soon as 1t Is posi-
bic. l shall never forget his flashing eye,
the firm set of his jaw, the grim determine
ton of his countenance or the majestic at
dtude of his person when he uttered those
impressive words Themistocles, the Ath nj
an hero, could not have appeared more
Godike when he declared: II know not
how to play the Lutte, but I know how to
make small state great and powerful"
1t was as though our beloved leader had
Bile or to offer excuses, l know not how to
complainant 1 know how to weld recruits,
hospital men, quarSermaster's employees
and scattered detachments into an army
and to make that army invincibe."
Time will not permit me to enlarge upon
t1e incidents OF tnat extraordlnGary cam
which followed. They have been fully set
forth in history; all the obscure points have
settled and it is but the simple truth to
add that Thomas stands before the world
to-day not only untouched by false claims
and Misrepresentation, by calumny and
detraction, but as the stainless gentleman,
the ideal soldier, the peerless general Of the
great civil war.
While he was habitually as calm, DELHI
crate and impressive as an Indian chieftain
before others, he had his feelings for all
that, and was proud, sensitive, honorable
man who sScorned to plead his own cause.
or crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
that thrift might follow fawning." Moth
ing better illustrates the depth or intensity
of his feelings than the sequel to the pas
sonate outburst | have Just related, which
came on the night of tie 18th of December
after the victory was gained and the enemy
was in full retreat. 1t was dark as Erebus,
so dark, indeed that one could scarcely see
his horses ears The cavalry was thunder
ing upon the heels of the enemy. the clash
ing of sabers, the rattle of musket and pis-
toll shot, the noise of the captains and the
shouting made that night hideous, and in
the midst of it all / heard the ponderouS
gallop of a heavy horseman on the turn
pike close behind and then great shape
doomed up out of the dark alongside of
me. Instinctively l OWNED that it was
Thomas, with whom had parted less than
two hours before ordering Schofield to adj
overwhelmingly 1 guessed who and
what We're coming, and yet all doubt was
instantly dispelled by the exultant voice OF
that you Wilson? Dang it to he'll didn't I
tell you we could lick 'em-didn't tell you
we should lick emf And before l could
it, the big horSeman had turned about and
was galloping back through the darkness
towards Nashville.
HIS VINDICATION.
Never was a great man more splendidly
indicated than was Thomas by the cam
paign and battle of Nashville. by the pur-
suit which followed, and by the great
events for which they prepared the way
Never was the use of cavalry better illus
trated never was the advantage Of COM
plete preparation more fully demonstrated;
never did the professional soldier who
knew his business and would have every
thing right, more signally triumph over i'm
patient and unnecessary supervision And
yet that splendid army was shortly after
wards broken up and it's peerless organizer
left almost without command Withal
they could not belittle him, nor disturb the
faith of his comrades in him. His character
STOOD Iour-Square and mistaken to all the
visitations of fate. Others received the
great rewards OF victory-others received
the nigh commands, others received the
new rank of lieutenant general and of gem
eral. others received political office and
presents OF money, others received dona-
lions OF houses and lots from their CRATE
1ul cOuntrymen. Our great captain was not
without his ambition and 1t is no dispar-
agement of him to say when he saw him
self overslaughed by his interiors his proud
soul was wounded to the quick and yet he
kept silent except to those who were closest
TO him. True it is that the LEGISLATURE of
tennessee gave him a gold medal for his
successful defense of their capital but
when they hesitated later about hanging
his portrait in their gallery of worthless he
back to them, but for the PREPARATION they
made haste to tender him. Still later his