Thomas, George H.
Thomas, George H. (1816–1870), Civil War general.A native of Southampton County, Virginia, Thomas graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1840. Commissioned as an artilleryman, he won brevet promotions as a captain and major at Monterey and Buena Vista in the Mexican War. Transferring to the cavalry in 1855, he served on the Texas plains until 1861. In the secession crisis, Thomas spurned a Virginia state commission and remained loyal to the Union. Promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in August 1861 and ordered to Kentucky, he gained public attention with a minor victory at Mill Springs in January 1862. Thereafter, he commanded a division in the Army of the Ohio at Shiloh and Corinth, rising to major general in April 1862. Offered command of that army in September, he declined and acted as Don Carlos Buell's deputy at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky. Following Buell's relief, Thomas loyally served the...
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