Today is the anniversary of the birth, in 1816, of Gen. George Henry Thomas, knick-named the “Rock of Chickamauga” for his heroic defensive stand in the face of Braxton Bragg’s onslaught that kept the Union loss at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 from turning into an outright rout. Gen. Thomas later commanded the troops who stormed Missionary Ridge at the Battle of Chattanooga, although he himself famously admitted to Grant that he didn’t know who had given the troops the command to charge. He also distinguished himself in the Battle of Nashville in 1864 by destroying the Confederate Army under John Bell Hood.
Just to show you how Your Host’s mind works, thinking just now on the relationship of Thomas and Grant (which was fairly cool), as well as having seen a large number of articles about our own Gen. Petreus in recent days (who reminds me of Grant), I suddenly have the urge to dip into my Bruce Catton again. Perhaps it’s time to go on another Civil War wallow.
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July 31, 2008 at 2:41 pm
GroovyVic
Anytime is a good time to dip into the CW again! Take it from me!
August 1, 2008 at 3:30 am
Jay Stribling
Catton is good but Shelby Foote is better for battles in the west, I think.
August 1, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Your Host
Jay, good point. I was thinking more of Catton’s bio of Grant than a theater-specific focus.
August 5, 2008 at 12:20 am
Mr. Peperium
Yes, Catton’s continuation of Lloyd Lewis’ bio is a joy. True, his prose can run a tad purple at times (especially in his history of the Army of the Potomac). But his tone is always that of the non-professional historian just telling a great story. Pages fly by without you even noticing. Recently Geoffrey Perret went overboard by claiming Grant was the most remarkable man of the 19th Century–in the top 10, but not the hands-down winner–but I’ve always found inspiration in his life. The only book on Grant that’s better that the Lewis/Catton effort is the man’s own autobiography. A book admired by, of all people, Gertrude Stein.
Pap Thomas is one of my quiet heroes. Stayed loyal to the Union and suffered the consequences ever after–mistrusted by the Northern high command for his Southern roots and disowned by his Virginia family for his soldierly loyalty to the government he has sworn to defend.
August 5, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Your Host
I’ve got Grant’s memoirs, too. When I go through my Civil War cycle, I generally read it in close conjunction with the Catton books.