★ ★  Thomas, George Henry

George Henry Thomas
:us34stars:
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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:
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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
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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
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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
 
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So no army in Shermans front. Good dodge.

What Sherman did worked. He sent a subordinate to take care of Hood, which the subordinate did. Meanwhile he took the rest of his force and raised Hell in Georgia and South Carolina, a good thing. He was in a position to crush Johnston's army and reinforce Meade and Ord with 5 corps at the war's end. Thus was rebellion crushed.
 
He also turned down Lt. General, as he knew it was a political move by Johnson, and that he hadn't earned it.

I think Thomas was his own enemy. He should've taken Buell's job when it was offered. He put his notions of honor first and was subsequently passed over. Had he taken his chance he might have been the big kahuna in the West, rather than Grant and then Sherman. If you turn down a job don't expect to be offered it again later.

And regardless of the motives of his being offered promotion after the war he should have taken it. He was too touchy.
 
What Sherman did worked. He sent a subordinate to take care of Hood, which the subordinate did. Meanwhile he took the rest of his force and raised Hell in Georgia and South Carolina, a good thing. He was in a position to crush Johnston's army and reinforce Meade and Ord with 5 corps at the war's end. Thus was rebellion crushed.
Hardly in a position to reinforce Meade. He would have to crush Johnston's out numbered army, which he never did, then travel overland over 120 miles to reach Meade.
 
Hardly in a position to reinforce Meade. He would have to crush Johnston's out numbered army, which he never did, then travel overland over 120 miles to reach Meade.

Yes, in the event Lee's army was destroyed before Sherman arrived in Virginia and Johnston subsequently surrendered his army to Sherman.
 
I think Thomas was his own enemy. He should've taken Buell's job when it was offered. He put his notions of honor first and was subsequently passed over. Had he taken his chance he might have been the big kahuna in the West, rather than Grant and then Sherman. If you turn down a job don't expect to be offered it again later.

And regardless of the motives of his being offered promotion after the war he should have taken it. He was too touchy.
So, he'd be a Lt general, out there to limit Grant? That sounds like a bad deal.

He also turned down a run at the presidency.
 
His army was actually the largest contingent. Made up more than half of Sherman's force.
Certainly at the beginning of the campaign. The Army of the Tennessee had been reduced to the size of an army corps due to detachments and furloughs. McPherson arrived with only 24,000 men. This would increase over time of course.
 
I think Thomas was his own enemy. He should've taken Buell's job when it was offered. He put his notions of honor first and was subsequently passed over. Had he taken his chance he might have been the big kahuna in the West, rather than Grant and then Sherman. If you turn down a job don't expect to be offered it again later.

And regardless of the motives of his being offered promotion after the war he should have taken it. He was too touchy.
Thomas was a man whose principles determined his actions. So many CW generals had self-promotion as their main goal, and they pushed hard to attain that goal at any cost, even to the side they were supposedly fighting for. Thomas did what he thought was right for the Union and for others, even if it damaged his own interests. That is why I find him one of the most admirable officers of the War.
 
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