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12

MEMOIR

OF

MAJ.-GEN.

GEORGE

H.

THOMAS.

in

order that

they

may

venerate

the

hero who

by

his

courage,

his

ability,

and

his

devotion

to

duty

did

so

much

in

the

great

struggle

to

suppress

the

Rebellion,

and

whose

deeds

of

valor

have exalted

and illustrated the

annals of

war.

George Henry

Thomas was born

in

Southampton County,

Virginia,

on the 31st

day

of

July,

1816.

His

father

was

of

Welsh

and

his

mother

of

French-Huguenot

descent.

They

were

persons

of

education

and

refinement,

and,

having

amassed

a

comfortable

fortune,

lived

in

luxury

and ease

;

yet

their

sons were

taught

to

believe that it

would

be neces

sary

for them

to

rely wholly upon

themselves,

and

from

early

age

they

gave

evidence

of

future

usefulness.

George

was

born

at

the

close of

the

war

of

1812-15,

and

when

he

arrived

at

that

age

when

children

are

so

deeply

interested

in

the stories

told

them

by

their

loving

parents,

he

was

told

of

the

dangers,

trials,

and

hardships

through

which our

brave

soldiers

passed

in that

unequal

contest.

It

is

not

strange

that

he

early

decided

upon

the

life

of a

soldier,

which

he

seems to

have

done

at an

early

age,

and

set

his

face

in

the direction

of

West

Point. These stories

taught

him

lessons

of

patriotism,

which

grew

with

his

growth

and

strengthened

with

his

strength,

and

produced

such

rich

fruit

in

his

after-years.

Born

in

a

slave

State,

where

the

plantations

were

large,

there were

not

enough

white children

convenient

to

any

given

point

for school

purposes,

and

hence

schools

were

scarce

and

of a

low

order,

yet

he

had

all the

educational

advantages

afforded

by

the

country.

From

childhood

he

evinced

a

positive character,

an

indi

viduality

which

adhered

to

him

throughout

his

eventful

life.

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APPOINTMENT TO A

CADETSHIP.

13

He seems

to

have

passed

from childhood

to

manhood

with

out

passing

through

the

intermediate

grade

of

boyhood.

Steady,

thoughtful,

studious,

he was

conscientious in

the dis

charge

of

every

duty,

however

disagreeable

and

unpleasant

it

may

have

been. His

early

teachers

spoke

of him

as

an

apt

scholar,

one of

unusual

sprightliness

and

ability,

and

predicted

for

him

a

distinguished

career.

Truthfulness

and

unswerving integrity

were

early

instilled

in

him

by

his

pa

rents,

and

these he

never

forgot,

but

always

practised

them

in

every

walk

of

life and

under

all

circumstances.

Not

one

of

his

many acquaintances

in

the

army

or

in

civil

life can

truthfully

say

that he

ever

wronged

them

by

word

or deed.

The

beauty

of his character

was,

in

a

great

measure,

due

to

his

parents,

who

laid its foundation

upon

the

broad

and en

during

basis

of truth and

honor;

but

he

showed

himself to

be a

master

builder

by

erecting

thereon a

symmetrical

and

graceful

superstructure.

"With

such

parents,

and

with

such

training,

is it

surprising

that the

boy

should

develop

into

the man

distinguished

alike

for

his

patriotism,

integrity,

and

high

sense

of honor

?

.

So

even

was

his

disposition,

so

amiable

yet

so

firm,

so

positive

in his

convictions,

so

manly,

and so

dignified,

that he

was

known

among

his

youthful

associates

by

the

name

of

George

Washington.

In

the

year

1836

he received

an

appointment

as cadet

at the

United

States

Military

Academy,

whither

he

repaired

in

the

month

of June

and

reported

to the

superintendent.

During

his

plebe

year

he was

subjected

to

the

same

trying

ordeals

through

which

all

of his

predecessors

had

passed,

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