Okla-homey
7/31/2008, 07:18 AM
"The Rock of Chickamauga" that is.
July 31, 1816: George H. Thomas is born in Virginia
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4176/rock759qx0.jpg
192 years ago today, US Major General George H. Thomas, who deserves a great deal of the credit for the Federal success in the western theater of the Civil War, is born in Southhampton County, Virginia. Thomas exemplified the difficulties that individuals who chose to break with their native states over the issue of secession faced.
After graduating from West Point, Thomas served in the Seminole and Mexican-American Wars. During the 1850s, he served in Texas with the 2nd Cavalry alongside many prominent future Confederates such as Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, Albert S. Johnston, and John Bell Hood.
When Virginia seceded from the Union, Thomas chose to remain loyal to his country. He opposed human slavery on moral grounds and would not unsheath his sword to help preserve the institution. For this decision, Thomas paid dearly. His family disowned him, and he found advancement in the army difficult. He often served under Northern-born men of lesser ability.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3364/rock141325854c3f2eae82zq2.jpg
Major General George H. Thomas
Thomas Circle, 14th and Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC.
Sculptor: John Quincy Adams Ward
Date: 1879
Medium: Bronze
Thomas was given command of Union forces in eastern Kentucky, and he distinguished himself with a key victory over the Confederates at Logan's Cross Roads in January 1862. After the Battle of Shiloh the following spring, Thomas was given command of the Army of the Tennessee when Ulysses S. Grant became the second-in-command in the west to Henry Halleck. This command was given back to Grant during reorganization in 1862.
Thomas commanded a corps at Stones River and became a Northern hero for his actions at Chickamauga in late September 1863. When a gap appeared in the US line at a crucial moment on the second day at Chickamauga and several Confederate divisions under the command of James Longstreet began to pour through it, Thomas led a rally that saved the Federals from disaster.
Thomas' actions permitted the rest of the army, commanded by William Rosecrans, to slip back into Chattanooga.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2628/rock424pxchickamaugaphaci3.png
The penetration on the second day at Chickamauga. Thomas rallied on a hill (now called Snodgrass Hill because a framer named Snodgrass had a cabin up there) to the northwest of the center of the US line where the Rebs poured through
For that act of courage and resolve when all around him was in utter chaos, he earned the sobriquet "The Rock of Chickamauga." Here's how it went down. Thomas was unable to plug the gap because the Federal line simply withered away as frightened Billy's turned-tail and ran when faced with most of a Reb corps a whoopin' and a hollerin' as they poured through the middle of the US line.
Mind you, these particular Rebs had only recently arrived there at the battle site on the border where TN, GA and AL all come together. They had been detached from Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and had ridden trains from the east coast to join the Reb Army of Tennessee the afternoon before kick-off at Chickamauga. Thus, they were relatively fresh, and unlike their brothers in the western Reb army, were not used to getting whooped by Yankees.
Thomas knew the best thing to do at that point was to make a stand so the largest part of the army could retreat in good order back to the town of Chattanooga. There, they could erect hasty defensive positions and repel future CS assaults. Thomas ordered elements of three US divisions he commanded to rally on high ground overlooking the approach to Chattanooga -- Snodgrass Hill.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/3404/snodgrasscabinchickamautf3.jpg
Atop Snodgrass Hill. Farmer Snodgrass's cabin is visible. It's quiet now. If you enjoy Civil War history, you owe it to yourself to visit Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. It is a beautiful battlefield and is extremely well marked. In fact, it was one of the first established and the markers were supervised by actual battle veterans so you know they are reasonably accurate.
From that position, they repelled at least three determined Reb assaults and thus covered the rear of the retreating Yanks. Had Thomas not done that, the battle would have been a complete disaster and the largest Federal army west of the Appalachians would have been crushed and captured.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2447/rockroccochickamaugabo7.jpg
Ohions commanded by Thomas atop the hill beating back repeated Reb assaults, and buying time for their pards who were streaming into Chattanooga and safety
After the battle, William Rosecrans was relieved, and Thomas got the gig as commander of the Army of the Cumberland. They were besieged by the Rebs for several weeks as they hunkered down in Chattanooga, but eventually were reinforced by additional US forces and managed to break-out.
In 1864, Thomas commanded the Army of the Cumberland during William T. Sherman's Atlanta campaign. After the capture of Atlanta, Thomas's army was sent to pursue the remnants of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army back into Tennessee while Sherman marched across Georgia. Thomas scored two huge victories at Franklin and Nashville as Hood desperately flung his army at the Yankees, resulting in the near disintegration of the once great Rebel force. Thomas picked up an additional nickname after the fight at the Tennessee capital city; "The Sledge of Nashville."
The Tennessee legislature even had a medal struck to honor Thomas' herioc defense of their city. See, although technically a CS state because the pro-slavery faction in the legislature prevailed, Tennessee was split between pro-South and pro-Federal allegiances. The folks in western Tennessee who raised cotton were predictably pro-slavery. The folks in eastern and central Tennessee who didn't grow cotton, not so much. After the US captured Nashville early in the war, the Reb politicians naturally had to exit stage left. Thus, the legislature was left in the hands of loyal Tennesseans.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1144/rockghtmedalme0.jpg
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5517/92536054kf4.png
After the war, Thomas remained in the army. He was transferred to the Military Division of the Pacific, and he died of a stroke in 1870 at the age of 54.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6446/rockchicagorockma0.jpg
July 31, 1816: George H. Thomas is born in Virginia
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4176/rock759qx0.jpg
192 years ago today, US Major General George H. Thomas, who deserves a great deal of the credit for the Federal success in the western theater of the Civil War, is born in Southhampton County, Virginia. Thomas exemplified the difficulties that individuals who chose to break with their native states over the issue of secession faced.
After graduating from West Point, Thomas served in the Seminole and Mexican-American Wars. During the 1850s, he served in Texas with the 2nd Cavalry alongside many prominent future Confederates such as Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, Albert S. Johnston, and John Bell Hood.
When Virginia seceded from the Union, Thomas chose to remain loyal to his country. He opposed human slavery on moral grounds and would not unsheath his sword to help preserve the institution. For this decision, Thomas paid dearly. His family disowned him, and he found advancement in the army difficult. He often served under Northern-born men of lesser ability.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3364/rock141325854c3f2eae82zq2.jpg
Major General George H. Thomas
Thomas Circle, 14th and Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC.
Sculptor: John Quincy Adams Ward
Date: 1879
Medium: Bronze
Thomas was given command of Union forces in eastern Kentucky, and he distinguished himself with a key victory over the Confederates at Logan's Cross Roads in January 1862. After the Battle of Shiloh the following spring, Thomas was given command of the Army of the Tennessee when Ulysses S. Grant became the second-in-command in the west to Henry Halleck. This command was given back to Grant during reorganization in 1862.
Thomas commanded a corps at Stones River and became a Northern hero for his actions at Chickamauga in late September 1863. When a gap appeared in the US line at a crucial moment on the second day at Chickamauga and several Confederate divisions under the command of James Longstreet began to pour through it, Thomas led a rally that saved the Federals from disaster.
Thomas' actions permitted the rest of the army, commanded by William Rosecrans, to slip back into Chattanooga.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2628/rock424pxchickamaugaphaci3.png
The penetration on the second day at Chickamauga. Thomas rallied on a hill (now called Snodgrass Hill because a framer named Snodgrass had a cabin up there) to the northwest of the center of the US line where the Rebs poured through
For that act of courage and resolve when all around him was in utter chaos, he earned the sobriquet "The Rock of Chickamauga." Here's how it went down. Thomas was unable to plug the gap because the Federal line simply withered away as frightened Billy's turned-tail and ran when faced with most of a Reb corps a whoopin' and a hollerin' as they poured through the middle of the US line.
Mind you, these particular Rebs had only recently arrived there at the battle site on the border where TN, GA and AL all come together. They had been detached from Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and had ridden trains from the east coast to join the Reb Army of Tennessee the afternoon before kick-off at Chickamauga. Thus, they were relatively fresh, and unlike their brothers in the western Reb army, were not used to getting whooped by Yankees.
Thomas knew the best thing to do at that point was to make a stand so the largest part of the army could retreat in good order back to the town of Chattanooga. There, they could erect hasty defensive positions and repel future CS assaults. Thomas ordered elements of three US divisions he commanded to rally on high ground overlooking the approach to Chattanooga -- Snodgrass Hill.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/3404/snodgrasscabinchickamautf3.jpg
Atop Snodgrass Hill. Farmer Snodgrass's cabin is visible. It's quiet now. If you enjoy Civil War history, you owe it to yourself to visit Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park. It is a beautiful battlefield and is extremely well marked. In fact, it was one of the first established and the markers were supervised by actual battle veterans so you know they are reasonably accurate.
From that position, they repelled at least three determined Reb assaults and thus covered the rear of the retreating Yanks. Had Thomas not done that, the battle would have been a complete disaster and the largest Federal army west of the Appalachians would have been crushed and captured.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2447/rockroccochickamaugabo7.jpg
Ohions commanded by Thomas atop the hill beating back repeated Reb assaults, and buying time for their pards who were streaming into Chattanooga and safety
After the battle, William Rosecrans was relieved, and Thomas got the gig as commander of the Army of the Cumberland. They were besieged by the Rebs for several weeks as they hunkered down in Chattanooga, but eventually were reinforced by additional US forces and managed to break-out.
In 1864, Thomas commanded the Army of the Cumberland during William T. Sherman's Atlanta campaign. After the capture of Atlanta, Thomas's army was sent to pursue the remnants of Confederate General John Bell Hood's army back into Tennessee while Sherman marched across Georgia. Thomas scored two huge victories at Franklin and Nashville as Hood desperately flung his army at the Yankees, resulting in the near disintegration of the once great Rebel force. Thomas picked up an additional nickname after the fight at the Tennessee capital city; "The Sledge of Nashville."
The Tennessee legislature even had a medal struck to honor Thomas' herioc defense of their city. See, although technically a CS state because the pro-slavery faction in the legislature prevailed, Tennessee was split between pro-South and pro-Federal allegiances. The folks in western Tennessee who raised cotton were predictably pro-slavery. The folks in eastern and central Tennessee who didn't grow cotton, not so much. After the US captured Nashville early in the war, the Reb politicians naturally had to exit stage left. Thus, the legislature was left in the hands of loyal Tennesseans.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1144/rockghtmedalme0.jpg
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5517/92536054kf4.png
After the war, Thomas remained in the army. He was transferred to the Military Division of the Pacific, and he died of a stroke in 1870 at the age of 54.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6446/rockchicagorockma0.jpg