The Common Soldier on George H. Thomas

ECW welcomes guest author Arie De Young.

During the American Civil War, it was common practice for the leading officers of the conflict to have nicknames bestowed upon them. Of the various monikers attached to Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas over the course of his career, the most favored among his soldiers was the familial “Pap.”^[1] Symbolic of the warm affection felt by the soldiers toward their commanding officer, looking into the writings of the common soldiers provides further insight into their attachment.

From his first assignment of the war, cavalry command in the Eastern Theater, Thomas struck a positive impression on his troopers. Samuel J. Randall, a private in First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry who rose to be Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, noted that his fellow horsemen soon respected Thomas as a capable commander. The sense of confidence that Thomas engendered among them led to a “renewed vigor and courage” for service.^[2]

As Thomas’s reputation grew, so did his soldiers’ admiration for him. Thomas was sent to the Western Theater, where he distinguished himself in battles such as Mill Spring and Stones River. It appears that it was sometime during this service that “Pap” was bestowed upon him. In a sign of his growing renown, James A. Black of the 49th Illinois Infantry would note in his diary how he had purchased a photograph of the general to send to his family.^[3]

The moment that truly cemented the ascension of Thomas in the eyes of his men was the battle of Chickamauga. John M. King of the 92nd Illinois Infantry noted in his diary, “The headquarters of General Thomas had no house, no tent, no pomp, no show, no anything, nothing but a man, a good man, a noble man, standing erect by the side of a few smoldering embers. All about him lay his sleeping men, stretched upon the ground, completely worn out and exhausted with their long and continued hardships. With great powers of endurance, the general held up when all others were worn out. There stood the man who had so watched, directed, and guarded his lines of battle that they received those tremendous charges of the rebels, slaughtered and beat them all back.”^[4] Standing firm in the moment of the greatest crisis of the Army of the Cumberland, Thomas had earned a permanent reverence and devotion from his men.

This was demonstrated by the soldiers’ reaction to the removal of the still broadly popular William S. Rosecrans as commander of the army and his replacement by Thomas. Although scattered voices disapproved of at the change, the broad response was largely positive. John Shank of the 125th Illinois Infantry noted, “I feel sorry for Rosecrans, and I think the country will generally be disappointed. Thomas, I believe, however to be his superior[,] and in reality no injury will result from the change.”^[5] Charles E. Cort of the 92nd Illinois Infantry echoed the sentiment, writing, “Thomas is a man that I have all confidence in and will fill his place well”.^[6] The high esteem in which Thomas was held among the Army of the Cumberland ensured a smooth transition in command from Rosecrans.

With Thomas in this new command, the soldiers of the Army of the Cumberland continued to adore him. Tom Taylor of the 47th Ohio Infantry described how “his countenance indicates a hopeful disposition and a love of sport. Eyes are almost laughing and a pleasant expression hovers over his face all the time, voice mild; is easily approached and speaks earnestly and, I would swear, is a good liver and enjoys a ‘punch’ as greatly as any man.”^[7]

James A. Connolly recalled an encounter with the general in his memoirs, writing, “Thomas stood there like a noble old Roman, calm, soldierly, dignified; no trace of excitement about that grand old soldier who had ruled the storm at Chickamauga.”^[8]

Perhaps the best summation of how the common soldier viewed Thomas, however, can be found in the memoirs of John McElroy of the 16th Illinois Cavalry. Describing the experiences of his fellow soldiers in the Atlanta Campaign, he noted, “we knew that Sherman couldn’t get us into any scrap that Pap Thomas couldn’t get us out of, and so it was all right.”^[9]

To many in the time since the closing of the American Civil War, Thomas has come to be known by his flashier nicknames: “The Rock of Chickamauga” and “The Sledge of Nashville” bring to mind his greatest military feats. The soldiers who served under him, however, remembered him simply as “Pap;” the strong, determined father-figure who would always make sure things turned out “all right.”

Arie De Young has long been fascinated with the American Civil War, whether it is exploring battlefields, reading books, or attending roundtables. Currently attending Anderson University to achieve his bachelor’s degree, he plans to enter a doctorate program and academia. He has twice been a featured speaker at local Civil War roundtable events.

Endnotes:

^[1] Francis F. McKinney, Education in Violence: The Life of George H. Thomas and the History of the Army of the Cumberland (Chicago: Americana House, 1991), 209

^[2] McKinney, Education in Violence: The Life of George H. Thomas and the History of the Army of the Cumberland, 102

^[3] James A. Black, A Civil War Diary, ed. Benita K. Moore (Bloomington: Author House, 2008), 173

^[4] John M. King, Three Years with the 92d Illinois: The Civil War Diary of John M. King, ed. Claire E. Swedberg (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1999), 129-130

^[5] Larry J. Daniel, Days of Glory: The Army of the Cumberland, 1861-1865 (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004), 356

^[6] Charles E. Cort, “Dear Friends”: The Civil War Letters and Diary of Charles Edwin Cort, ed. Helyn W. Tomlinson (Helyn W. Tomlinson, 1962), 113

^[7] Albert Castel, Tom Taylor’s Civil War (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000), 102

^[8] James A. Connolly, Three Years in the Army of the Cumberland, ed. Paul M. Angle (Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1959), 234

^[9] John McElroy, Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons (Toledo: D.R. Locke, 1879), 440