A CRITICAL BIOGRAPHY

BY

DONN PIATT

WITH CONCLUDING CHAPTERS

BY

HENRY V. BOYNTON

CINCINNATI

ROBERT CLARKE & CO

1893

973.741
T456p

COPYRIGHT, 1893,

BY ELLA KIRBY PIATT.

CONTENTS.

PREFACE......

THE WAR-INTRODUCTION...

CHAPTER I.

Early life-The Child is Father to the Man-Home Life in Old Vir-

ginia-West Point and what it did not Teach, but what Young

Thomas Learned....

CHAPTER II.

West Point and After-Services Preceding the Mexican War-Its Ori-

gin and Infamy-Sam. Houston-Distinguished Dash at Monterey-

Resolutions and the Sword....

CHAPTER III.

47

63

Thomas Announces His Allegiance to the Government-Loyal from

the First-Difference in Temperament that Made His Course the

Reverse of that of Lee-Question of the Right to Secede.......... 80

CHAPTER IV.

Promoted Through Colonelcy to a Brigadier Generalship-Skirmish at

Falling Waters-"Stonewall" and "Rock"-First Bull Run-Vin-

dication of General Patterson...

.

92

CHAPTER V.

Thomas Proposes to Sever the Main Artery of the Confederacy by

Taking Chattanooga-Andrew Johnson's Potent Influence-Buell

Placed in Command-Battle of Mill Springs.....

CHAPTER VI.

The Proposed Campaign to Chattanooga, as viewed in the Light now

Given Us-Fremont and the Gunboats he Furnished-Capture of

Fort Donelson...

106

129

CHAPTER VII.

Nashville the Political Objective Point-Shameful Surprise and Useless

Slaughter at Shiloh-Reorganization of the Forces at Corinth-

Thomas Given Command of the Right Wing-Asks to be Relieved

and Reassigned to His Old Command-Difficulties in the Route

from Corinth to Chattanooga-McMinnville-Army of Ohio Moved

Back to Louisville-Thomas Appointed to Succeed Buell, but De-

clines-Second in Command-Perryville.....

CHAPTER VIII.

The Buell Court of Inquiry-Thomas Shows that had his Suggestion of

Concentrating the Army at Sparta been acted on Bragg's Advance

would have been Checked.....

CHAPTER IX.

Treason in the Head-quarters at Alexandria-Preparations for the Re-

moval of McClellan-Pope Put in Command of the Forces Defend-

ing Washington-The Shameful Story of the Second Bull Run-

The Fitz John Porter Case-Lee's Invasion of Maryland-McClel-

lan Relieved of Command......

CHAPTER X.

Rosecrans given Command of the Army of the Cumberland-Thomas

Protests against his Junior being placed over Him-Takes Com-

mand of the Center-Advance upon Chattanooga-Battle of Stone

River-Thomas opposes Retreat.

140

177

182

196

CHAPTER XI.

Immediate Effect of the Stone River Victory-Review of the Opera-

tions During the Six Months following the Army of the Potomac-

Burnside takes up McClellan's Cry of "On to Richmond "-Disaster

of Fredericksburg-Hooker Succeeds Burnside-Meade put in Com-

mand-Invasion of Pennsylvania and Battle of Gettysburg....... 214

CHAPTER XII.

The Campaign at the West-Grant and Sherman Prepare for the Descent

Upon Vicksburg-Three Months Lost in Getting Rid of a "Politi-

cal General"-Washburn's Support of Grant-Sherman's Forces

Landed at the Mouth of the Yazoo-Defenses of Chickasaw Bluff.. 230