George H Thomas 125 Years -- March 28, 2020

150 years ago today, on 28-March-1870, General George Thomas, USA died. This post is adapted from a 2013 item about General Thomas:
https://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2013/08/nickname-28-august-17-2013.html

I recently read a wonderful essay by Lt Col Robert Bateman: The Meaning of Oaths and a Forgotten Man.  He talks about how Robert E Lee "was a traitor who should have been executed."  This is because Lee and other Regular Army officers who had sworn to protect and defend the United States should be regarded as traitorous opportunists who had violated their oaths and given up their honor.  He points to the example of George Henry Thomas of Virginia, a Regular Army officer who thought long and hard and when Virginia seceded and decided that "my oath of allegiance to the Federal government always came uppermost."

Colonel Bateman points out that Lee is idolized even though he killed tens of thousands of American soldiers, while Thomas, who remained loyal to his country and earned the nicknames "The Rock of Chickamauga" and "The Sledge of Nashville" by being one of the most effective generals on either side, is largely ignored except by historians.

General Thomas and his men stood fast at Chickamauga, preventing a Union defeat from turning into a rout.  Thomas destroyed Confederate General John Bell Hood's army at Nashville.  He continued to serve his country during Reconstruction. General George Henry Thomas died while serving as Commandant of the Presidio of San Francisco. 

Thank You, New Orleans -- April 29, 2017

www.listal.com

The City of New Orleans has begun to remove monuments to treason and white supremacy.  Sadly, the workers had to do it in the middle of the night wearing bulletproof vests because of threats from neo Confederates. The first to go was the so-called Liberty Monument, dedicated to the 1874 Battle of Canal Street, where 5000 members of the White League attacked a much smaller group of men from the integrated police department and militia. 

I am looking forward to the removal of the statues of Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee and PGT Beauregard.  I have mixed feelings about General Beauregard.  He was a native of New Orleans and he probably did as much good for the Union cause as he did for the Confederate. 

Surrender of Lee and His Whole Army -- April 9, 2015

Robert E Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia.  The Civil War was not over, but it was close.  From the 10-April-1865 New York Sun. 

Nickname #28 -- August 17, 2013

I recently read a wonderful essay by Lt Col Robert Bateman: The Meaning of Oaths and a Forgotten Man.  He talks about how Robert E Lee "was a traitor who should have been executed."  This is because Lee and other Regular Army officers who had sworn to protect and defend the United States should be regarded as traitorous opportunists who had violated their oaths and given up their honor.  He points to the example of George Henry Thomas of Virginia, a Regular Army officer who thought long and hard and when Virginia seceded and decided that "my oath of allegiance to the Federal government always came uppermost."

Colonel Bateman points out that Lee is idolized even though he killed tens of thousands of American soldiers, while Thomas, who remained loyal to his country and earned the nicknames "The Rock of Chickamauga" and "The Sledge of Nashville" by being one of the most effective generals on either side, is largely ignored except by historians.

General Thomas and his men stood fast at Chickamauga, preventing a Union defeat from turning into a rout.  Thomas destroyed Confederate General John Bell Hood's army at Nashville.  He continued to serve his country during Reconstruction. General George Henry Thomas died while serving as Commandant of the Presidio of San Francisco. 

Battle of Antietam - September 17, 2012

On 17-September-1862 more Americans died in battle than on any other day in our history.  The Battle of Antietam was the turning point of General Robert E Lee's invasion of Maryland.  About 23,000 men were killed on both sides.  Union General George McClellan wore out his welcome with Abraham Lincoln because of his refusal to commit more troops to the battle and to pursue the retreating Confederates.

Major General Fighting Joe Hooker commanded the Union I Corps and  was wounded.  Several generals on both sides were killed.  Major General Ambrose Burnside displayed some of his famous bad luck and poor planning at Burnside's Bridge.

Historians argue about whether or not this was a Union victory, but I say it was.  The Confederates were driven out of Maryland.  It was enough of a victory that Abraham Lincoln felt he could publish the Emancipation Proclamation. 

The photo of Confederate dead is from the Library of Congress, cwpb.01435.