The National tribune., 1901-07-18
GEN. GEO. H. THOMAS's SWORD.
Gift Prom Neighbors That His IupIacable
Sisters Retained.
Richmond Cva.) Times.

Sisters Retained.
Richmond (va.) Times.
1t is not generally known to Virginian,
that the two sisters OF Gen. George IL
Thomas, the distinguished Union com
mander, are still living at the old family
seat in Southampton County, Va, in tn,
house in which he and they were born
Miss Judith, the elder of the sisters, i:
now nearly 80 years old; her sister, Mis-:
Anne, is probably 10 years her junior
The plantation is worked by tenants, anC
the rentals enable the ladies to live in 9
comfortable manner. Each of the womer
| is fine type of the womanhood Of Viz
| ginia. Those who have visited them il
| the old home come away admiring the
| sweet and stately courtesy OF the ladies'
| but saddened by the pathos OF their lives
| To his sisters Gen. Thomas died on that
| April day when he decided to fight with
the enemies OF his State. He was ap'
| pointed to West Point from Virginia, OF
course, and his bravery and skill in the
war with Mexico had won him splendid
sword, presented by the people of his
county in the Spring of 1861, probably
after Virginia had seeded, he wrote his
sisters of his determination to remain in
| the service of the United States. They
| loyal to their State and their section, were
Mortified ut what they regarded as moth,
ing but blackest treason. A sharp cor
| respondence ensued.
Finally Gen. Thomas asked his sisters
| to return to him the sword which the
| County of Southampton had voted him for
the gallantry which he, as young Lieu
tenant, had displayed in the war with
Mexico. Being unmarried when the
sword was presented to him, he had sent
it home for keeping. The reply which his
sisters sent to him when he wrote for his
sword is said by kinsman familiar with
its contents to have been one of the most
scathing pieces of sarcasm he had ever
read. 10 the reader of today its pathos
must be its feature.
The ladies wrote acknowledging the re-
ceipt of Maj. Thomas's letter, requesting
the sword of their brother. The letter
stated that they once had a brother, but
tEat he had proved himself a traitor and
was then dead that his sword was the
only memento which they had of their
once brave and loyal brother, and they
therefore wished to keep it as token
If his bravery and fidelity in life.
The sisters never received reply to
this letter. They never again commune
Gated with their brother. The neighbOrs
used to marvel at the news which came
telling of the daring and skill of Thomas,
but they soon learned to refrain from
mentioning anything Of Gen. Thomas to
his sisters. The manner in which they
kept up the fiction that their brother had
died when he drew his sword against
the State was pathetic, but absolutely
consistent. Sometimes when his name
was mentioned they inyoluntarily mani
tested anger. Generally when some Wis
itor who did not know the tragedy in
the lives of the two women alluded to
the career of their brother and the fame
he was acquiring as soldier they would
reply that there was some mistake; that
they had no brother; that a brave brother
had died when Virginia seeded from the
Union, on the 18th Day Of April, 1861.
The persisteney with which the sisters
denied that their brother was still in
life was most remarkable. They could
not be trapped even into admitting that
they had brother Immediately after
the war, while Virginia was a military
district, some Union officers stationed at
Petersburg probably, learned that the sis
ters Of Gen. Thomas, living in Southamp-
ton, were in destitute circumstances as a
result of the ravages Of war. The OFF,
GERS, one Of whom at least had known
Thomas at West Point, had an army
wagon loaded with household supplies and
accompanied it to the home of the sisters
The ladies received them with stately
courtesy, but with icy coldness. The off,
GERS, after few words hy way of intro
brother, Gen. Thomas, was a very dear
friend, and they had been at West Point
with him and would be delighted to show
them some kindness as q token of their
friendship.
The reply came without hesitation. The
Indies assured the soldiers that they had
no brother. The officers insisted, but to
no avail. The ladies persisted to the last
that their brother was dead.
hn nHfn tn1I al
ladies they understood they had suffered
greatly by the war, and so had made bold
to bring them some supplies. Now, as a
matter of fact, the larder of the Thomas
household was almost absolutely bare,
like the majority of Virginia pantries at
the close of the war. But the ladies had
no idea of accepting gifts from the ene-
my. They thanked their visitors, but as
sured them they stood in need of moth
ing. So the officers, who had visited the
Misses Thomas with the commendable in,
tention Of relieving the needs of the fam
lily of their fellow soldier, had to return,
bafhed by the sternest want.
Confederate soldier from Southamp-
ton, who surrendered with Johnston in
North Carolina, had the greatest diff
Guilty in reaching home. Somebody gave
him transportation to a town in Tennes-
see. Upon reaching that point the SOL
der found himself unable to proceed fur
ther, except on foot, as he had not "a
cent and could not get the permit for
Tree transportation on the railroads. Just
when he was on the point of starting to
tramp to his far-away Virginia home, he
CHANGED to learn that Gen. Thomas was
stationed in the place. He had known
ten. Thomas before the war, and while
he knew that he had refused to fight ror
his State, and had fought hard against
her, the soldier relied upon the Virgin
ian love of his people and his home, and
determined to ask Gen. Thomas to help
hlm 10 get back to their old Southamp-
ton.
He had some difficulty in gaining an
audience with the commander, but when
word was sent in to Gen. Thomas that
the man who wanted to see him was from
southampton it was but a minute until
the ragged and tired Confederate stood in
the presence of the great General. Gen.
1homas received the soldier most kindly
and expressed great pleasure at being
able to supply him with transportation
back to Southampton.
When the soldier got home he made it
a point to call on the Misses Thomas to
tell them of having seen their brother
and of his kindness. Naturally he thought
they would be glad to hear from him.
But the reverse was true Indeed, the
scene was a stormy one for a few min
utes, the ladies declaring that they had
no brother and that they never wanted
the name OF Gen. Thomas mentioned in
their presence rql.F
Cen Thomas's sword now reposes in
the collection of one of the historical so-