The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-03-15
ARMY OF. THE no..
I z''' !; - ~ e. :. CUMBERLAND.
Ihen. soldiers, in the gallant fight
May God defend and save the right
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sSontlnued from page Id ,
Then. soldiers in the gallant fight
May God defend and save the right.
oh, country. for whose sacred cause
SUCH patriot spirits are to bleed;
Oh, country! for whose blessed laws
All that Is pure and holy plead
Before thee we'll may traitors quail;
Thy cause Is just, and must PREVAIL"
Beginnings Of the Army OF the Cumber-
land.
The grand old Army of the Cumber-
land was thus beginning to take shape.
In point Of time 1t really began in
Camp Dick Robinson on or about Aug.
Is, 1851. when Brig Gen. George H.
Thomas relieved Gen. VIM. Nelson as
commander. and pushed on to
completion the work which Nelson had
begun. Thomas then began the dis
play Of his eminent talents as an Or
ganizer. He was as strict a disciplin-
arian as Nelson, but secured his dis
cipline with incomparably less demon
stration. There was no more profanity
or rough language about headquarters;
officers and men were addressed quiet
ly, without the slightest heat or tenn
per, but In way that did not fail to
Impress them with the fact that the
General was intensely in earnest, that
he meant everything he said, and that
| what he wanted done was unQuestion-
ably the best thing to do. Gen. Thomas
was familiar with every detail Of a SOL
d1er's equipment and organization, was
untirtng and courteous In teaching
whatever had to be learned. but stead
lily insistent that it should be thorough
~ learned. There was never any re-
Taxation In this and the earnestness
OF Gen. Thomas's teaching seemed so
| much q part Of his whole nature, and
was directed so unswervingly to the
great end in view, that his spirit in
fused itself into oil those under his
command. and the wonderful attach
ment felt by everybody in the Army Of
the Cumberland for Pap Thomas"
took root and began it's speedy growth
Gen. Thomas found four regiments
| in an inchoate shape. destitute alike of
Commissary and Quartermaster stores
and OF knowledge as to what to do with
these II they had them. He rapidly
| means or another had them fairly we'll
supplied, and taught how to make use
Of what was given them for their own
I comfort and health in camp.
''The Kentucky Brigade"
So entered the United States service
the Sd and 4th KY. Inf. and the LIST
| Ky. Cav, the first Union troops to be
formed in the State. or the loyal East
Tennesseeans who were fleeing from
the frightful' prosecutions Of Gen.
i
see regimdnts+1st Tenn, Col. Robert
K. Byrd. and I'd Tenn, Col. j. p. T.
Carter. The. Sd KY. was commanded
by Col Thomas T.. Bramlette, bril-
| liant lawyer and man Of fervent 10y
atty. who later became Governor Of
| the State. Il The 4th KY was command
ed by Col. Speed s. Fry. who later
became Brigadier-General. The
| troops formed the Kentucky Brigade,
| for which lis claimed the honor of be-
| Ing the Foundation Of the Army Of the
Cumberland, They We're certainly the
first United States troops to perform
military duty in the State Of Kentucky
| 1t was supposed that the first SER
vice required would be the advance
over the mountains OF eastern Ken
| lucky to drive away Gen. Felix X. FOL
| licOffer who had seized Cumberland
| Gap, then one Of the several "Gibral-
tars OF America with the triple OBJ
| ject of threatening Kentucky, prevent
| ing the escape OF the loyalists OF East
Tennessee and defending the important
Virginia Il Tennessee Railroad against
any movement from Kentucky 10 cut
| it. That road was then the principal
| means OF rail communication between
| Richmond and the States Of the Mis-
| sissippi Valley, so that it's safety was
II paramount Importance.
simultaneously with Buckncr's ad-
vance upon Louisville. Zo,Hcoffer
| moved forward to Cumberland Ford
which was threat To advance upon
Camp Dick Robinson and to scatter
the forces gathering there. 1t was ex-