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A Civil General

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This novel is less about the Civil War and more about one man who made a difference to the people during that period. That man was Brigadier General George Henry Thomas. General Thomas was born and raised in Virginia, was a close friend to Robert E. Lee, but when the time came to choose sides, Thomas joined the Union army.

That choice severed all ties with his Southern family and brought him under constant suspicion by the Northern military leaders. At the start of the Rebellion, Thomas, who already had a long and impressive military career that had gained him respect and honors for his actions in the Florida and Mexican Wars, was an artillery instructor at West Point.

Thomas served with the Army of the Cumberland and became known as the Rock of Chickamauga even though Chickamauga was his worst defeat. It was in this battle that the true nature of the man and his convictions became apparent to all those who served with him-from officers to the most lowly recruit. Throughout the war years, neither that nature nor those convictions were ever compromised. He continued to train his men at every opportunity, believing that the training would not only make them better fighting men but safer as well. According to the authors, one of the reasons Thomas joined the Union Army was his belief that in that position he could look out for the boys on both sides of the Conflict.

Thomas never curried the favors of those in higher command than he, nor did he become political. He even turned down several offers of advancements and commands. This, of course, fueled the suspicions of some and the jealously of others as Thomas' brilliance as a military leader was proven again and again.

There are many books about the Civil War and occasionally one rises to the top. A Civil General is certainly one of those. Based on the true life of Thomas, the battles and settings. The main people are real with some the characters and their interactions being fictional.

Armchair Interviews says: Anyone who reads about the Civil War will like this one.

George Henry Thomas was once considered the most successful general of the Civil War. However, as years have passed, the names of Sherman, Grant, Lee and Jackson among others that those better known and remembered. Though a Virginian, Thomas chose to fight on the Union side because of his beliefs of human equality and the belief that a divided country would be disaster Hampered by his own values and questioned by higher command about his choices, Thomas was determined to prepare his troops to give their best and to retain his own humanity. After the war he was moved out of any visible arena and subjected to veiled attacks on his war record. Though brief, this book is a look into the cost of war and the politics of fighting.

A Civil General is a fictional account that draws heavily on the remembrances of Steinbeck's ancestor. It is writen in the first person through the words his trusted friend. Davis Stinebeck and Scannel Gill have made good use of family records (Stinebeck's great-grandfather fought under Thomas and kept a diary) and other historic to compose a compelling portrait of a Union commander who was revered by those who served under him.

Called "The Rock of Chickamauga" for holding the center of the Union line in that Civil War battle, and prevention a defeat from dissolving into a disastrous rout, George Henry Thomas was famous in his lifetime, worshipped and respected in equal parts by the officers and men that he commanded. Yet General Thomas is also nearly unknown today, especially in comparison to his contemporaries - on both sides of the Civil War. He never wrote a memoir of his service, destroyed his private papers and refused to become involved in politics.

Perhaps this slight novel, told through the eyes of a young officer serving with him, is as good an introduction to the personality and contradictions of this able professional 19th century soldier, who was as personally reserved as he was accomplished - and somewhat of an anomaly among his fellow Union generals. He was born in Virginia, to a slave-owning family, and married a woman from the North. His closest friend from West Point and during his military career thereafter was Robert. E. Lee... but Thomas chose to remain loyal to the Union. For that he was all but disowned by his remaining family, and initially distrusted by those for whom he fought.

This book is barely a hundred and fifty pages, detailing only the last two years of the Civil War and concluding with an account of General Thomas' funeral. It is beautifully written, very much in period style. If it can be faulted, it would be on the grounds of being limited by that style and structure; it is an account of a man seen from the outside, and at the very peak of his military career. The narrator is sympathetic but exterior, leaving the reader much to wonder about. What kind of events, what personal experiences and relationships formed the man who is presented in this account? How did he come to make the wrenching choices that he did, who really were his close friends and bitter enemies, and why? All these questions are left unanswered; it might be that an imaginative novelist might someday have a go at writing an account that would explore General Thomas' life in more depth. Until then, "A Civil General" will do very well as an introduction to this contradictory and almost unknown hero.

This book was a pleasure! The authors seamlessly wove their individual styles into a real, easy to follow narrative. By utilizing the observer format, the Generals' military behavior and character was meticulously described - one could feel that the General was a personal friend. The closing chapter's subject and presentation brought heartfelt tears.

A Civil General builds on what I feel is the most interesting aspect when debating Thomas's rightful place in history - the overwhelming love and esteem held for Thomas by his Army of the Cumberland and their vain attempt to create his lasting fame, and today's widely held truth about Thomas as perpetuated by Grant and Sherman that has resulted in Thomas's virtual anonymity.

In reading other of Thomas's in depth biographies, it's become quite obvious to me that Thomas had no peer when it came to his overall knowledge of running a 19th century army. There is no area that comes to mind that one can argue he was less than expert. From his experience in the Seminole Wars in Florida and the Mexican-American War, he learned his craft like no other. These areas of expertise included training, equipping, mapping, mobile communications, cavalry, artillery, and battlefield strategy. The North should have thanked its lucky stars this Southerner stayed true to his country, and then utilized his amazing gifts to their fullest. Instead, the Thomas story reads as if for the most part they could never figure him out, and his noteworthy accomplishments occurred in spite of his befuddling treatment.

When one compares Thomsas's continuous military experience with Grant and Sherman's less than stellar pre-Civil War civilian careers, you can begin to understand their later envies and petty sniping when it came time to protecting their own place in history. Thomas cast a giant shadow in which they wanted to escape. I guess I'm just naive, but I found it thoroughly repulsive that personal glory and holding fast to the war of attrition philosophy could override prudent life saving strategies and sound military judgment, that men's lives could be thrown away on a whim to prove a point (Kennesaw Mountain), or intelligent plans that could have shortened the war could be ignored because of jealous spite (Thomsas's original Snake Creek Gap plan, not the failed McPherson debacle). It's clear that Grant and Sherman were looking out for number one and each other - unfortunately, their personal acrimony towards Thomas was detrimental to the Union cause. I have come to view Sherman and Grant as glory hounds who wrote history the way they wanted to portray it, and they were around long enough to make it stick. This has become what most Americans (or at least the ones that are interested) see as truth. Here's hoping that can change.

What I have yearned to read about Thomas most is where A Civil General excels, albeit in novelized form - the feelings invoked toward Thomas from his men and admirers. Why did these people feel the way they did and why was the feeling so universal except for Grant and his supporters? How could that regard be so contrary to the treatment Thomas received from Sherman and Grant? The Army of the Cumberland's officers and men didn't just admire Thomas - they loved him like a father. They trusted him with their lives and fought their tails off for him. The comparisons to George Washington, the thousands of mourners along the railroad tracks, the 10,000 that attended Thomas's funeral, and the thousands that attended the statue unveiling - I can't help but believe Thomas got his due during his lifetime from the people of his day. They knew what he meant to the ultimate Union victory and lauded him greatly. To the degree that such adoration could be squashed and forgotten by the multitudes of today's supposedly educated Americans fascinates me to no end.

The most telling new fact I learned from reading this book is Mrs. Thomas's decision to not accompany the body in the train from San Francisco and to not attend her husband's funeral in New York. Why? Because she couldn't stand to be in the presence of the two-faced men who ultimately caused Thomas's early death. For her to forgo the fond remembrances of the thousands of mourners along the way says much about her stronger feelings of contempt that grew during the years of war correspondence with her husband and the remaining few years together after. What those letters could have revealed! As gentlemanly as General Thomas was in handing out criticism, I doubt they would have read anything like Sherman and Grant's self-promoting fairy tales. The fact that Thomas would rather have her destroy that correspondence rather than sink to their level in a war of words also says much for Thomas's character. He hoped his accomplishments would speak for themselves throughout history. Little did he know.

Discovering George H. Thomas has made me cynical about history and what I have been taught in school. History is written by men, especially by men in power, and that history may be only one perspective that is not necessarily the truth. That's sad, but there's something to be said for finding passion in an alternate history that's even more compelling. I hope others make the same discovery.

'A Civil General' is a fictionalized account of the General George Henry Thomas story. Thomas earned his reputation as one of Civil War's most successful fighting generals in battles like Chickamauga. His story is told through the first person point of view of a friend and subordinate - Colonel William Swain, a regimental commander.

Great pains were taken to make the historical detail in this book as accurate as possible. Although appropriate in historical context, the language the characters us is easy to read and the dialogue is nicely done. The scenes from the section of the book dealing with the Battle of Chattanooga, the campaigning in Tennessee and its aftermath was very interesting and detailed.

The first person telling of the story develops and become more interesting as the pages turn. The second half of the story reads very quickly as the Col. Swain develops a love interest, Neala, and goes to visit her. The romance between them is tender and very well done. He communicates with her by letter and eventually marries her.

With all the sound and fury of the battles through Tennessee coming to a climax in the middle of the book, the death of General Thomas shortly thereafter unfortunately transforms his funeral into the climax of the story. The unfortunate way that several of the Washington elites and senior generals handled themselves before and during the funeral is jaw dropping and embittering. The epilogue notes that Mrs. Thomas never attended a military event. After reading this account of what happened, I can't say I blame her at all.

Most people know the two biggest names from the multitude of Civil War generals, that is Grant and Lee. However, neither one was considered the most successful general in the war. That distinction belongs to Major General George Henry Thomas. A Civil General by David Stinebeck and Scannell Gill attempts to restore this distinguished general's forgotten legacy.

A Civil General focuses on the actions of Major General George Henry Thomas. The story is told through the eyes of William Swain, a young colonel from Indiana. Swain becomes Thomas's confidante during the war. Both men share a dedication to their country and the men under their command. Swain sees the difficult decisions that Thomas has to make in each battle, and he sympathizes with the general's inner conflicts. Swain also begins to learn why General Thomas seems to receive a sort of grudging respect from the other Union generals.

General Thomas's background is one of the most interesting aspects of this book. However, Stinebeck and Gill focus most of the novel on Thomas's leadership on the battlefield. Thomas's background contributes to much of his personal conflict with the other Union generals. Thomas was a Southerner by birth. He was born and reared in Virginia, but stayed in the North after graduating from West Point. Thomas had no qualms about fighting for the Union in the Civil War. While Thomas felt an unwavering loyalty to the Union, his fellow generals did not trust him. Ironically, Thomas finally received their respect at the time of his death. His funeral was attended by 10, 000 mourners including President Grant and his Cabinet. The 1879 dedication of his statue in Washington, D.C. was the largest celebration in Washington's history.

This is a very well-written bit of historical fiction. The accounts of the battles are particularly impressive. Stinebeck and Gill have included precise details that allow the reader to easily envision the battles. Their level of detail is impressive, but not particularly surprising. Stinebeck's great-grandfather fought under Thomas. He kept diaries of his experiences. My guess is that those diaries were very likely the primary source for the authors. That would certainly explain the details and the feeling of being a part of the battle.

One thing seems to be missing from A Civil General - details about George Thomas's life before and after the war. Clearly the focus is on his leadership during the war, but I would have liked to know more about what shaped his leadership. Stinebeck and Gill offer only snippets of information about Thomas's past and very little about his brief life after the war. Including details about his life before the war would enhance the characterization of Thomas.

A Civil General should be a hit among fans of military history. It brings a little-known general to life and presents his actions on the battlefield in great detail. For more casual readers, the battle descriptions may seem a bit long, but the book is definitely action-packed.