General George Thomas, was considered by many, an unsung Union hero or was the “Rock of Chickamauga,” just too slow, in comparison to Sherman and Grant. General Thomas was a career Army gentleman, not a political appointee and did not gain influence, prestige and promotion through contacts in Washington. Thomas could have leveraged his family’s influence, but chose to fail or succeed on his own merit. As a true officer and a gentleman, he relied on a written and rigid military code of ethics and protocol, dictating respect and personal honor. Several times during his Army tenure, Thomas refused promotion, citing seniority and military dictates. General Thomas’ reputation as a plodding and unresponsive commander has over shadowed his innate genius of calculating, orchestrating and a coordination of logistics, strategy, contingency and manuever.
George Henry Thomas, was born in 1816, a native of Virginia, he grew up on a large plantation and his father owned many slaves. His earliest memories are of hiding in the woods during the Nat Turner slave rebellion. However, it is said that he taught several of his father’s slaves to read, which was strictly forbidden in Virginia. The slave rebellion of 1831, impacted the young Thomas’ mindset, regarding the slavery issue and he felt reviled at the peculiar institution for the rest of his life. George Thomas, accepted an appointment to the Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1840, his roommate being William T. Sherman. His first posting was in Florida, during the 2nd Seminole War and his commanding officer related, “I never knew him to be late or in a hurry. All his movements were deliberate, his self-possession was supreme…” Thomas experienced battle under General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War and performed admirably, breveted captain and then major. After hostilities ceased, Thomas was assigned as the Artillery and Cavalry instructor at West Point, under Superintendent Robert E. Lee. While traveling to New York, George Thomas accidentally fell while boarding a train and severely strained his back, delegating him to an agony that plagued his walking for his remaining years.
As Major Thomas was finishing a tour in the Southwest, combating Native-Americans, he returned home on leave, only to find the nation on the verge of a Civil War. He received many offers of commissions in the Confederate Army, but Thomas’ unswerving loyalty to his country, in spite of his Virginia heritage, created dissention in his family that would linger for years to come. One stellar student, J.E.B. Stuart, a fellow Virginian wrote his wife, “I would like to hang, hang him as a traitor to his native state.” Many questioned Thomas’ loyalty, because of his southern heritage and without political support in Washington, his leadership roles were questioned and ridiculed.
Major Thomas overcame the suspicions of his loyalty to the Union cause and attained rapid promotion in secondary leadership roles. As a Colonel, he commanded tactical roles in the Battles at Mill Springs, Shiloh, Corinth, Perryville, Stones River and prior to the Battle at Chickamauga, Thomas was promoted to Brigadier General. Confederate General Braxton Bragg forced the retreat of Rosecran’s troops to Chattanooga, however Thomas covered the retreat until darkness and a lack of ammunition forced an orderly and strategic withdrawal, earning his nickname, “The Rock of Chickamauga.”
General Grant replaced the reeling General Rosecrans, with Thomas and soon “The Rock’s” troopers stormed Missionary ridge and routed the encircling Confederate forces of General Bragg. With Grant commanding in the East and Sherman in the west, General Thomas commanded the Army of the Cumberland and moved his Army north in order to defend Franklin and Nashville from the Confederate Army of General John B. Hood. General Schofield under Thomas’ command routed Hood at Franklin and the Confederate General concentrated on Nashville.
General George Thomas took his time organizing and supplying his troops at Nashville, guaranteeing their success when they confronted Hood’s forces. General Grant and the powers in Washington, including President Lincoln, were growing impatient with the Nashville General, that Grant was describing as “just too slow.” Major General, John A. Logan was dispatched with a message from Grant to relieve Thomas and the Commanding General himself left City Point to relieve him personally. While these two were in transit, General Thomas attacked Hood’s forces with devastating results, crippling the Confederate Army beyond all repair, gaining Thomas another nom de guerre, “The Sledge of Nashville.”
It has to be remembered that General George Thomas, was an “old school” Army Officer. He didn’t believe in mixing military ambition and politics. Promotion was based on meritorious service, not on a Washington mentor. Thomas had even forsaken his family and heritage in order to honor his oath as a United States Army Officer, to protect and serve his country. Even as he was laid to rest, after a stroke at age 60, no blood relatives attended his funeral. While historians laud Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, as great Civil War leaders, General Thomas should be remembered as an Unsung Union Hero and wasn’t…. Just Too Slow.
Bummer
Regrettably, Grant and Sherman both maligned Thomas with ungracious and badly expressed public comments late in the CW (1864) and later in Grant’s Autobiography regarding how Thomas commanded the Army of the Cumberland in TN. Halleck,and other Washington Desk generals also contributed miss-characterizations of Thomas with their politically motivated comments. As a pre-CW Cavalry instructor at West Point, Thomas displayed tactical mounted maneuvers to the cadets but was assigned an old horse that was then described as more of a “slow trotter” rather than a more appropriate fast galloper! Sherman and Grant (an accomplished horseman) transferred this ‘moniker’ inappropriately and unfairly to him during the late campaigns in the Western Theater of late 1864. Thomas’ ultimate judges of his character, leadership, and performance where the men he personally led in the Army of the Cumberland who thought of him quite differently as an instinctive battle field leader, diligent in battle preparation, resourceful, and considerate of his troops,
Thomas’s family in Virginia scorned him for siding with the North and ‘turned his photograph to the wall in the house parlor’ in spite!
Wondering when you’d get to Thomas, one of the few truly admirable commanders of the Civil War. I don’t mean that as a shot at people like Grant and Sherman but officers like Thomas are necessary to winning a war: caring only about the success of the strategy, not about how to ride a battlefield victory to political glory. I can’t help but contrast his decision of which side to join with that of fellow Virginian Lee – the idea that one’s state comes before his or her country seems as crazy to me as it did to Lincoln.
Louis,
Bummer is forever the student, been taking a hard look at Thomas for a long time, so much to share it was hard to condense it to 800 or so words. Felt “the old guy” could tell so much more of his story. Great real soldier story. He burned his personal papers so no one could capitalize on, or defame any of his brother officers. Great man. God, Country, Honor! Thanks for reading.
Bummer
Thanks for this piece on General Thomas. My great -great grandfather served under Thomas with Indiana’s 17th, even though he was from Minnesota. We always heard that the soldiers loved Thomas. When the Union troops climbed up Missionary Ridge, they yelled “Chickamauga! Chickamauga!” The defeat only emboldened them.
Sad to hear none of his kin folks from Virginia attended his funeral. He was a great man and deserved better. Another thing that distresses me is right here in Chattanooga – at 3rd and Walnut Street, there once was a house where Thomas, Sherman and Rosencranz all lived for awhile- now it is a parking lot with no marker whatsover. Just down the street, Grand resided right in front of the what is now the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge (first constructed by Sherman and his Engineers); even though the house is long gone and replaced with pricey condos, there is at least, a marker that Grant lived there. Grant and the US government paid rent to the owners.
Sandy,
Think that Thomas got short changed by Grant. Consider for a moment, when Grant was relieved by Halleck and his command given to Thomas, after Shiloh, Ulysses perceived Thomas as a threat, should failure again cross his path. Might be Thomas was banished to the land of “the slows” in order to not become a future replacement. Thomas was not moved to command for personal gain, he was a soldier, first, last and always, ready to just follow orders. Thanks for the read.
Bummer