..
...
George H. Thomas
1816-70
Commander 20 Oct. 1863 - 27
June 1865
...
Solid as a rock
at Mill Springs, Murfreesboro, Hoover's Gap, Stevens' Gap, McLemore's
Cove, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, 100 days Campaign, Peachtree Creek, and
Nashville
..
Born
in the South, fought for the North. A man of the "angle," he was too
good to get rid of, and a thorn in the side of generals turned
politician. He did his homework, left the road to his soldiers.
Read the 1882 biography Major General
George H. Thomas by Thomas Van Horne,
and the photographic essay Bring Thomas Home.
"Damn the fellow, he is a mere pounder after all."
No,
this isn't Thomas about Grant, but rather Wellington's
assessment of Napoleone Buonaparte during the battle of
Waterloo. If you want to study the antecedents of modern U.S. military
doctrine, forget the campaigns of Grant and turn to Thomas. If you want
to go further, have a look at Wellington who first
beat Ney,
Soult, Masséna, Marmont, Victor and Jourdan, and finally
the Corsican thug himself. It is fair to say that Thomas was
Wellington's direct successor. Of course,
Wellington could well have learned something from George Washington.
BBeware of the pounders who propose to send (not lead)
you to
glory.
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