THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY (1816-1870), American general, was born in Southampton county (Va.), on July 31, 1816.
He graduated at West Point in 1840, served as an artillery sub altern in the war against the Seminole Indians in Florida (1841), and in the Mexican War at the battles of Fort Brown, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista, receiving three brevets for distinguished gallantry in action. From 1851 to 1854 he was an instructor at West Point. In 1855 he was appointed by Jeffer son Davis, then secretary of war, a major of the 2nd cavalry. His regimental superiors were A. S. Johnston, R. E. Lee and Hardee. All three resigned at the outbreak of the Civil War. Thomas finally decided to adhere to the United States. He was promoted in rapid succession to be lieutenant colonel, colonel in the regular army, and brigadier general of volunteers.
In command of an independent force in eastern Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, he attacked the Confederate Gen. Zollicoffer at Mill Springs, and gained the first important Union victory in the west. He served under Buell and was offered, but refused, the chief command in the anxious days before the battle of Perry ville. Under Rosecrans he was engaged at Stone River and was in charge of the most important part of the manoeuvring from Decherd to Chattanooga. At the battle of Chickamauga (q.v.) Sept. 19, 1863, he gained the name of "The Rock of Chicka mauga," because of his firmness. He succeeded Rosecrans in
command of the Army of the Cumberland shortly before the great victory of Chattanooga (q.v.), in which Thomas and his army played a most conspicuous part, his divisions under Sheri dan, Wood and Baird carrying Missionary Ridge in superb style. When J. B. Hood broke away from Atlanta in the autumn of 1864, menaced Sherman's long line of communications and en deavoured to force Sherman to follow him, Sherman left to Thomas the difficult task of dealing with Hood. At the battle of Franklin, Nov. 3o, 1864, Thomas's force, under Gen. Schofield, checked Hood long enough to cover the concentration at Nash ville (q.v.). Thomas attacked (Dec. 15-16, 1864) and inflicted on Hood the worst defeat sustained in the open field by any army on either side during the war. For this Thomas was made a major-general in the regular army and received the thanks of Congress. After the Civil War he commanded military de partments in Kentucky and Tennessee until 1869, when he was placed over the division of the Pacific with headquarters at San Francisco. He died there on March 28, 1870.
See George H. Thomas, "Union Portraits," Atlantic Monthly, 1914; Sketch of General G. H. Thomas; R. W. Johnson, Memoir of Major General George H. Thomas; Van Horne, The Life of Major-General George H. Thomas.