How should George Thomas be remembered ?

Too bad he never wrote a memoir, if it followed the sentiment contained in the quote below, it would have been interesting:


[T]he greatest efforts made by the defeated insurgents since the close of the war have been to promulgate the idea that the cause of liberty, justice, humanity, equality, and all the calendar of the virtues of freedom, suffered violence and wrong when the effort for southern independence failed. This is, of course, intended as a species of political cant, whereby the crime of treason might be covered with a counterfeit varnish of patriotism, so that the precipitators of the rebellion might go down in history hand in hand with the defenders of the government, thus wiping out with their own hands their own stains; a species of self-forgiveness amazing in its effrontery, when it is considered that life and property—justly forfeited by the laws of the country, of war, and of nations, through the magnanimity of the government and people—was not exacted from them.

— George Henry Thomas, November 1868.[34]
 
this brings up a good point on another post they ask who are the best generals. I don't know if I picked any but I will now Thomas was by four one of the best northern generals.
 
George Thomas should be remembered as "The Rock", no not Dwayne Johnson.............lol.....George Thomas was "The Rock of Chickamauga"


Respectfully,
William
Rock.jpg
 
this brings up a good point on another post they ask who are the best generals. I don't know if I picked any but I will now Thomas was by four one of the best northern generals.

Indeed, I think most informed people would rate him at the top along with Grant and Sherman and ahead of Sheridan, Ord and Meade. Some rate him higher in the West than Sherman but though a better tactician than Sherman I don't think he had Sherman's strategic vision and restless energy. He was certainly the best of Sherman's army commanders, better than McPherson, Schofield, Howard and Slocum. Which I reckon is why Sherman sent Thomas to deal with Hood.
 
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Indeed, I think most informed people would rate him at the top along with Grant and Sherman and ahead of Sheridan, Ord and Meade. Some rate him higher in the West than Sherman but though a better tactician than Sherman I don't think he had Sherman's strategic vision and restless energy. He was certainly the best of Sherman's army commanders, better than McPherson, Schofield, Howard and Slocum. Which I reckon is why Sherman sent Thomas to deal with Hood.
I like your style and I must say I agree with you 100% on all of the above and thank you.
 
chickamauga.

Thomas was a fine soldier. Like Longstreet, he was respected by all the pros on each side.
I have walked the line on Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga on two occasions. It was
a good defensive position but threatened on every side.

You can visualize the courage it took for Thomas' troops to hold up the entire
Confederate left wing. You can see what immense trouble they would have been
in if Gordon Granger's cavalry had not rode in at the last minute to protect their
rear.

Thomas was a great patriot and should be remembered that way. He did what
he thought he should do----and remembermost Virginians went the other way.
 
Thomas was a fine soldier. Like Longstreet, he was respected by all the pros on each side.
I have walked the line on Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga on two occasions. It was
a good defensive position but threatened on every side.

You can visualize the courage it took for Thomas' troops to hold up the entire
Confederate left wing. You can see what immense trouble they would have been
in if Gordon Granger's cavalry had not rode in at the last minute to protect their
rear.

Thomas was a great patriot and should be remembered that way. He did what
he thought he should do----and remembermost Virginians went the other way.
he was certainly an individual who stood by his convictions. Easier said than done and he was one of the few..
 
For the same reason, there isn't a monument to Benedict Arnold in Washington, DC.
If they had given Arnold a statue after Saratoga (or at least the credit they errantly gave Granny Gates, he might have never turned. But then his closet-Loyalist trophy wife whispers a few things in his ear and boom....)
But I digress. Funny how he is being castigated for staying loyal to his country....even to this day.
 
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