biography
| name: |
Thomas, George H(enry)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1816–70)
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| biography:
| US soldier, born in Southampton Co, Virginia, USA. He trained at West Point (1840), and fought in the Seminole War, on the W frontier, and in the Mexican War. After teaching at West Point (1851–5) he joined a new cavalry division. Although a Virginian, he stayed with the Union and commanded units at several major campaigns and battles. His greatest moment came at Chickamauga (1863), where his stubborn defence earned him the sobriquet Rock of Chickamauga. Forces under Thomas's command stormed Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga (1863), and his Army of the Cumberland decisively defeated a Confederate army under Hood at Franklin and Nashville, TN (Nov–Dec 1864), for which he was one of 15 officers voted ‘Thanks of Congress’. He stayed in the army after the war, and died in San Francisco while in command of the Military Division of the Pacific. |
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