October 17th, 2012 – Our 103rd meeting
The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, October 17th at the Bone & Joint Center, 980 Professional Park Drive, right across the street from Gateway Hospital. This is just off Dunlop Lane and Holiday Drive and only a few minutes east of Governor’s Square mall. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and is always open to the public. Members please bring a friend or two – new recruits are always welcomed.
OUR SPEAKER AND TOPIC:
“DOUBTING THOMAS OR TOUTING HIM? – AN ASSESSMENT OF GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS”
George Henry Thomas’s military accomplishments in the Civil War mirrored his solid physical stature, leading him to emerge as one of the best of the Union’s general officers. Ezra Warner, the compiler of two volumes of biographical sketches of Union and Confederate commanders has described Thomas as the “third of the triumvirate who won the war for the Union.” Widely known as the “Rock of Chickamauga,” for his stand on Snodgrass Hill in September 1863, Thomas was also “Old Pap” to his men and “Old Slow Trot” to critics who found his methodical approach to warfare offsetting. Yet, from Mill Springs in 1862 to Nashville in 1864, where he propelled the Confederate general John Bell Hood and the Army of Tennessee from the outskirts of the city and added “Sledge of Nashville” to his impressive list of nicknames, George Thomas demonstrated success on the battlefield and reliability and dependability in command.
From Mill springs in January 1962 through the critical Battle of Nashville in December 1864, Thomas, despite criticism from some of his superiors, proved his worth for the Union cause. But he was also controversial in some aspects. This month’s speaker, Dr. Brian Steel Wills, noted biographer of Nathan Bedford Forrest, has recently released an acclaimed biography of George Thomas. In addition to telling his story, Dr. Wills will also analyze how Thomas fought his war. Was he better on defense or offense? Was he as slow as he had been criticized or was he the object of the professional jealousy of Grant and Sherman? Was he as good as his career suggested? There is obviously a renewed interest in Thomas with Dr. Wills’ book being the third released over the last dozen years. It seems “Old Pap” is finally getting his just due.
Brian Steel Wills is the Director of the Center for the Study of the Civil War Era and Professor of History at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., after a long tenure at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. He is the author of numerous works relating to the American Civil War. His latest work is George Henry Thomas: As True as Steel (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2012).
Please join us for another informative meeting of the Clarksville Civil War Roundtable.