� � � Date of birth: July 31, 1816.
� � � Birthplace: Southampton County, Virginia.
� � � U.S. Military Academy: Class of 1840 (12/42) Artillery.
� � � Pre-war experience: Garrison duty, Seminole and Mexican Wars, instructor at West Point, Indian fighting. Brevetted captain and then major for action in Mexican War, was wounded by an arrow on the western frontier fighting alongside Lee, Hardee and Hood.
� � � Rank: Colonel - 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Brig. General, Major General.
� � � Major Battles and Campaigns: Mill Springs, Ky., Shiloh, Corinth (1st Division, Army of the Ohio); Perryville (second in command); Stones River (Centre Division, XIV Corps); Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga (XIV Corps); Chattanooga, Atlanta Campaign, Franklin, Nashville (commanded Army and Department of the Cumberland).
� � � Post-war achievements: Thomas remained in the army until his death and was given the Thanks of Congress.
� � � Date of death: March 28, 1870.
� � � Place of burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, New York.
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1840, Thomas served in the Mexican War (1846-48) and as an
instructor at West Point.
Although a Virginian, when the Civil War began he would remain in the Union army.
In command of an independent force in eastern Kentucky, he attacked the Confederates on Jan. 19, 1862, at Mill Springs and gained the first important Union victory in the west.
Appointed Brigadier General on Aug. 3, 1861, Thomas commanded a division at Shiloh and at the advance on Corinth. He was second in command of the Army of the Ohio at the battle of Perryville.
On April 25, 1862, he was promoted to major general and fought at Stones River and Chickamauga. At Chattanooga his new command, the Army of the Department of the Cumberland, took Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge and eventually joined the Atlanta campaign.
Called "Pap Thomas" by his soldiers, Thomas is known to many as "The Rock of Chickamauga," earned for holding his position against tremendous odds in combat near that stream in northwestern Georgia in September 1863.
Thomas, because of his massive build, gave some the impression of being slow, yet his mind moved with lightning speed and at Nashville in December of 1864 he would deliver the most devastating attack of the entire war, defeating John Bell Hood's forces. Thomas was made a major general and received the thanks of Congress.
After the war Thomas commanded the military departments in
Kentucky and Tennessee until 1869, when he was placed in charge
of the Division of the Pacific with headquarters at San Francisco.
