Next Meeting - September 17, 2008
Doubting Thomas or Touting Him? Studying the Life and Career of George Henry Thomas Brian Steel Wills
Everything about Union general George Henry Thomas exuded solidity and dependability. As an adult, the rock-jawed Virginian was massive and strong, standing five feet ten inches tall. His military accomplishments mirrored his physical stature, leading Thomas to become one of the best general officers to serve the Union during the American Civil War. Indeed, Ezra Warner, the compiler of two volumes of biographical sketches of Union and Confederate commanders has described Thomas as the “third of the triumvirate who won the war for the Union.” However, the man who bore this designation hailed from Southampton County, Virginia, not from the North.
George Thomas was a man of complexities reflected in the names by which contemporaries, historians and students of the war and the man have come to know him. Yet, even these badges of recognition and familiarity have lent themselves more to questions than answers concerning the sturdy Virginian. Was he the “Rock of Chickamauga,” as he became known in the wake of his stand on Snodgrass Hill in September 1863 or “Old Pap” as some of the soldiers named him? Could he have been the “Sledge of Nashville” after driving John Bell Hood’s Confederate command from the doorsteps of the Tennessee capital in December 1864, despite almost being relieved of his responsibilities when Ulysses Grant determined he had been too slow to act. Were the sobriquets “Old Tom” and “Old Slow Trot” from his days at West Point meant to be affectionate or disdainful? Did the terms “Old Reliable” and “Uncle George” embody admiration or criticism?
Each of these names suggests the variety of ways in which the life and career of George Henry Thomas has come to be understood. Each reveals a nuance of personality that lies beneath the hyperbole of the title itself. In the final analysis, General Thomas was a combination of each of these elements and his career reflected all of them.
