Thomas in command of the Army Of The Potomac

[larry_cockerham]

Can any of you fellows cook crow? I juggled my generals when writing earlier about Thomas helping Forrest, though he was cordial. General George H. Thomas died of a stroke at his headquarters Pacific District in 1870. The congressional hearings that 'helped' Forrest were held in 1871 by none other than William Tecumseh Sherman who also had some memory of Forrest's actions in battle. My mistake (surprise). Don, thanks very much for catching that one.

[oneplez]

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

Can any of you fellows cook crow? I juggled my generals when writing earlier about Thomas helping Forrest, though he was cordial. General George H. Thomas died of a stroke at his headquarters Pacific District in 1870. The congressional hearings that 'helped' Forrest were held in 1871 by none other than William Tecumseh Sherman who also had some memory of Forrest's actions in battle. My mistake (surprise). Don, thanks very much for catching that one.

Not a problem! I've done the same thing so many times I'd be on a steady diet of "Crow."


You normally are very accurate with your statements and I enjoy your posts. No crow tonite.


Don

[oneplez]

To return to the original premise of this thread.

As I recall, Garfield left Chattanooga after the Batttle of Chickamauga to fulfill his duties as a representative. He topld Thomas before he left that he was going to push for his (Thomas) appointment as Commander of the AOP. Thomas demurred and as I recall, he said that "They would kill him in that area." He was very reluctant to go east. He had no representation in congress and therefore no support. Lincoln had not shown any acceptance of his generalship and I think he pegged the situation correctly.


Don

[richard]

This may be true but he may have refering to the fact that he was from Virginia. As you well know, his family had nothing to do with him and there may have been others that would have liked to do him great harm for "betraying Virginia".

[larry_cockerham]

I suspect Thomas thought he was helping Virginia by keeping them in the Union and keeping a Union to keep Virginia in. He was that kinda guy. Such would have been the decision faced by far more than just Lee and Thomas. What would you have done? Good question. Regardless of the choice that Thomas made, his actions did nothing but bring him honor. A professional soldier he was, perhaps more.

[oneplez]

On December 17, Thomas wrote to Garfield in Washington “You have disturbed me greatly, with the intimation that the command of the Army of The Potomac may be offered to me. It is a position to which I am the least adapted, and putting my own reputation entirely aside I sincerely hope that I may not be victimized by being placed in a position to which I would be powerless to do good or contribute in the least toward the suppression of the Rebellion. The pressure always brought against the commander of the Army of the Potomac would destroy me in a week without having advanced the cause in the least. Much against my wishes I was placed in command of this Army — I have told you my reasons —now, however, I believe my efforts will be appreciated by the troops and I have reasonable hopes that we may continue to do good service.”

It seems to me that Thomas was aware of the internecine and bruising battles going on in Lincoln's cabinet and congress. Apparently, not a political animal, he wanted no part of the above.

Aside from the political scenario, I think Thomas would have been as successful against Lee as he was against Johnston, Hood and Bragg. Thomas was subordinate to Lee in the cavalry in the old west and I think understood him very well.

While his sisters maintained their distance from GHT, his brother Ben and he carried on a correspondence during and after the war.

Don

[ole]

It seems to me that Thomas was aware of the internecine and bruising battles going on in Lincoln's cabinet and congress. Apparently, not a political animal, he wanted no part of the above.

Seems few of the western generals wanted that post. When Grant was obliged to take command in '64, Sherman begged him to run the armies from the west -- probably for the same reason.

Thanks for the insights.
Ole

[larry_cockerham]

While Sherman was trapsing through Georgia burning and making a general nuisance of himself, Thomas was in Nashville doing Sherman's paperwork and paying attention to business. Thomas was a professional general unlike Sherman who just enjoyed a good fight.

[ole]

...unlike Sherman who just enjoyed a good fight.

Think that over. Given a choice, Sherman nearly always avoided the direct confrontation.

Ole

[larry_cockerham]

Ole, I'll give you two points for that one. Sherman also avoided paperwork, but then the text was probably fuzzy.