★ ★  Thomas, George Henry

George Henry Thomas
:us34stars:
George.jpg


Born: July 31, 1816

Birthplace: Newsoms, Virginia

Father: John Thomas 1779 – 1829
(Buried: Thomas Family Cemetery, Newsoms, Virginia)​

Mother: Elizabeth Rochelle 1784 – 1844
(Buried: Thomas Family Cemetery, Newsoms, Virginia)​

Wife: Frances Lucretia Kellogg 1821 – 1889
(Buried: Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New York)​
Married: 1852 in Troy, New York
Signature:
500px-George_Henry_Thomas_Signature.svg.png


Education:

1840: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (12th in class)​

Occupation before War:

1840 – 1844: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 3rd Artillery​
1840: Garrison Duty at Fort Columbus, New York​
1841: Served in the capture of 70 Seminole Natives​
1841: Brevetted 1st Lt. for Gallantry in Seminole War​
1842: Garrison Duty at New Orleans, Barracks Louisiana​
1842 – 1843: Garrison Duty at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina​
1843 – 1845: Garrison Duty at Fort McHenry, Maryland​
1844 – 1853: 1st Lt. United States Army, 3rd Artillery​
1845: Recruiter for the United States Army​
1845: Garrison Duty at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina​
1846: Served in the Defenses of Fort Brown, Texas​
1846: Served in the Battle of Monterey, Mexico​
1846: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry, Battle of Monterrey​
1847: Served in the Battle of Buena Vista, Mexico​
1847: Brevetted Major for Gallantry, Battle of Buena Vista​
1848 – 1849: Garrison Duty at mouth of Rio Grande, Texas​
1851 – 1854: Artillery and Cavalry Instructor at West Point​
1853 – 1855: Captain, United States Army, 3rd Artillery​
1855 – 1861: Major, United States Army, 2nd Cavalry Regiment​
1856 – 1857: Frontier Duty at Fort Mason, Texas​
1857: Frontier Duty at San Antonio, Texas
George 2.jpg
1857 – 1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Mason, Texas​
1859 – 1860: Served in Expedition to Red River Country​
1860: Served in the Kiowa Expedition​

Civil War Career:

1861: Lt. Colonel, United States Army, 2nd Cavalry Regiment​
1861: Equipping his regiment at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania​
1861: Colonel, United States Army, 2nd Cavalry Regiment​
1861 – 1863: Colonel, United States Army, 5th Cavalry Regiment​
1861: Served in the Battle of Falling Waters in Western Virginia​
1861: Served in the Skirmish at Martinsburg, Western Virginia​
1861 – 1862: Brigadier General, Union Army Volunteers​
1861: Served in the Skirmish at Bunker Hill​
1861: Served in the Union Army, Department of the Cumberland
George 1.jpg
1861: Organizer of Volunteers in Kentucky and Tennessee​
1861: Served in the advance on Crab Orchard and Lebanon, Kentucky​
1861 – 1862: Division Commander with Union Army of the Ohio​
1862: Union Army Commander at the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky​
1862: Arrived at Battle of Shiloh after the fighting had ceased​
1862 – 1864: Major General, Union Army Volunteers​
1862: Union Army Commander of Corinth, Mississippi​
1862: Guarded Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Tuscumbia, Alabama​
1862: Second in command of the Advance into Kentucky​
1862: Second in command at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky​
1862 – 1863: Served in Battle of Stones River, Tennessee​
1863: In Charge of most important maneuvering at Chattanooga​
1863 – 1865: Union Army Commander of the Army of the Cumberland​
1863 – 1864: Brigadier General United States Army​
1863 – 1864: Reorganizing the Union Army of the Cumberland​
1864: Union Army Commander at the Battle of Peachtree Creek​
1864: Union Army Commander in the Franklin – Nashville Campaign​
1864 – 1870: Major General of United States Army​
1864 – 1865: Organizer of various raid Expeditions​
1865 – 1866: United States Army Commander, Division of Tennessee​
1866: Member of Board for recommendations to Brevets for officers​
1866 – 1867: United States Army Commander, Dept. of Tennessee​
1867: United States Army, Commander of 3rd Military District​
Post War Era:
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Memorial Gravestone of Maj. Gen Thomas
untitled.png by Matt H. Wade, October 2009

1867 – 1869: United States Army, Commander Dept. of Cumberland​
1869: Member of Dyer Court of Inquiry​
1869 – 1870: United States Army, Commander Division of Pacific​

Died: March 28, 1870

Place of Death: His office in San Francisco, California

Cause of Death: Apoplexy

Age at time of Death: 54 years old

Burial Place: Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New YorK
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The huge "army of 100,000 men" that General Sherman set in motion for the Atlanta Campaign consisted of elements of the Army of the Cumberland under Thomas. It also had parts of the Army of the Tennessee under McPherson and some divisions from the Army of the Ohio under Schofield.
His army was actually the largest contingent. Made up more than half of Sherman's force.
 
George Henry Thomas:
:us34stars:
Born: July 31, 1816
Birthplace: Newsoms VirginiaView attachment 367853
Father: John Thomas 1779 – 1829
(Buried: Thomas Family Cemetery Newsoms Virginia)
Mother: Elizabeth Rochelle 1784 – 1844
(Buried: Thomas Family Cemetery Newsoms Virginia)
Wife: Frances Lucretia Kellogg 1821 – 1889
(Buried: Oakwood Cemetery Troy New York)

Education:
1840: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (12th​ in class)

Occupation before War:
1840 – 1844: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army 3rd​ Artillery
1840: Garrison Duty at Fort Columbus New York
1841: Served in the capture of 70 Seminole Natives
1841: Brevetted 1st​ Lt. for Gallantry in Seminole War
1842: Garrison Duty at New Orleans Barracks Louisiana
1842 – 1843: Garrison Duty at Fort Moultrie South Carolina
1843 – 1845: Garrison Duty at Fort McHenry Maryland
1844 – 1853: 1st​ Lt. United States Army 3rd​ Artillery
1845: Recruiter for the United States Army
1845: Garrison Duty at Fort Moultrie South Carolina
1846: Served in the Defenses of Fort Brown Texas
1846: Served in the Battle of Monterey Mexico
1846: Brevetted Captain for Gallantry Battle of Monterrey
1847: Served in the Battle of Buena Vista Mexico
1847: Brevetted Major for Gallantry Battle of Buena Vista
1848 – 1849: Garrison Duty at mouth of Rio Grande Texas
1851 – 1854: Artillery and Cavalry Instructor at West Point
1853 – 1855: Captain United States Army 3rd​ Artillery
1855 – 1861: Major United States Army 2nd​ Cavalry Regiment
1856 – 1857: Frontier Duty at Fort Mason Texas
1857: Frontier Duty at San Antonio TexasView attachment 367854
1857 – 1858: Frontier Duty at Fort Mason Texas
1859 – 1860: Served in Expedition to Red River Country
1860: Served in the Kiowa Expedition

Civil War Career:
1861: Lt. Colonel United States Army 2nd​ Cavalry Regiment
1861: Equipping his regiment at Carlisle Barracks Pennsylvania
1861: Colonel United States Army 2nd​ Cavalry Regiment
1861 – 1863: Colonel United States Army 5th​ Cavalry Regiment
1861: Served in the Battle of Falling Waters in Western Virginia
1861: Served in the Skirmish at Martinsburg Western Virginia
1861 – 1862: Brigadier General Union Army Volunteers
1861: Served in the Skirmish at Bunker Hill
1861: Served in the Union Army Department of the Cumberland
1861: Organizer of Volunteers in Kentucky and Tennessee
1861: Served in the advance on Crab Orchard and Lebanon Kentucky
1861 – 1862: Division Commander with Union Army of the Ohio
1862: Union Army Commander at the Battle of Mill Springs Kentucky
1862: Arrived at Battle of Shiloh after the fighting had ceased
1862 – 1864: Major General Union Army Volunteers
1862: Union Army Commander of Corinth Mississippi
1862: Guarded Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Tuscumbia Ala.
1862: Second in command of the Advance into Kentucky
1862: Second in command at the Battle of Perryville Kentucky
1862 – 1863: Served in Battle of Stones River Tennessee
1863: In Charge of most important maneuvering at Chattanooga
1863 – 1865: Union Army Commander of the Army of the Cumberland
1863 – 1864: Brigadier General United States Army
1863 – 1864: Reorganizing the Union Army of the Cumberland
1864: Union Army Commander at the Battle of Peachtree Creek
1864: Union Army Commander in the Franklin – Nashville Campaign
1864 – 1870: Major General of United States Army
1864 – 1865: Organizer of various raid ExpeditionsView attachment 367855
1865 – 1866: United States Army Commander Division of Tennessee
1866: Member of Board for recommendations to Brevets for officers
1866 – 1867: United States Army Commander Dept. of Tennessee
1867: United States Army Commander of 3rd​ Military District
1867 – 1869: United States Army Commander Dept. of Cumberland
1869: Member of Dyer Court of Inquiry
1869 – 1870: United States Army Commander Division of Pacific



Died:
March 28, 1870
Place of Death: his office in San Francisco California
Cause of Death: Apoplexy
Age at time of Death: 54 years old
Burial Place: Oakwood Cemetery Troy New York
Favorite Union general of the war.
 
Thomas is one of my favorite CW generals, not least because he remained loyal to the Union, and had an understated personality, unlike other prima donnas such as Sheridan. He was methodical, to be sure, and that aroused the ire of Grant and Sherman who thought he was too slow, but Thomas' calculating approach to battle proved itself in the end. He certainly deserves more credit than he gets particularly for operations such as Missionary Ridge and the Georgia campaign when Thomas' command of the AotC was often the bedrock that made those operations successful.
 
Thomas is one of my favorite CW generals, not least because he remained loyal to the Union, and had an understated personality, unlike other prima donnas such as Sheridan. He was methodical, to be sure, and that aroused the ire of Grant and Sherman who thought he was too slow, but Thomas' calculating approach to battle proved itself in the end. He certainly deserves more credit than he gets particularly for operations such as Missionary Ridge and the Georgia campaign when Thomas' command of the AotC was often the bedrock that made those operations successful.
And his near perfect battle plan at Nashville
 
The US could not afford to fight at the pace utilized by General Thomas. The war would have cost too much and lasted too long. The pace of the war had to be accelerated, and the war was going to made more terrible. To gain a period of peace before the northern people lost interest, and were unwilling to pay the bills, the pace after Lincoln's re-election was very greatly increased.
 
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