Master of War?
A Civil War general whose reputation recedes him.
Written by Filed under History
General George H. Thomas.
“Time and history will do me justice,” said Major General George H. Thomas prior to his death in 1870. Unfortunately for Thomas, history hasn’t been kind, at least not to date. While fellow military commanders Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson remain household names, the Union general sometimes derided as “Old Slow Trot” has faded into obscurity, his exploits little known outside the circle of Civil War enthusiasts.
But in the new biography “Master of War” (Simon & Schuster), historian Benson Bobrick aims to elevate Thomas’ reputation and public profile, alternately praising his achievements on the battlefield and explaining away longstanding criticisms. While the book has raised the hackles of Grant-Sherman admirers (who believe that Bobrick not only overstates Thomas’ greatness, but goes out of his way to attack Grant and Sherman), the following Failure interview makes clear that Bobrick is unequivocal. In no uncertain terms, he argues that Thomas should be remembered as “the greatest and most successful general of the Civil War.”
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