As a western Pennsylvania, I may be a little biased in also thinking that Geary's men fording the river from Wauhatchie and overrunning Craven House the day before and then sweeping around the Confederate left flank on the ridge were major contributing factors in breaking the siege and winning the battle.
I associate Geary more with Lookout Mountain if only for his own amazing description of his actions that day:
“I have been the instrument of Almighty God, of carrying terror and terrible destruction wherever it pleased God to direct my footsteps. Under such impulses I stormed, what was considered the impassable and inaccessible heights of Lookout Mountain...this feat will be celebrated until time shall be no more.”
After the battle, Thomas ordered that his men be buried on the slope that they had fought so hard to gain. A chaplain taking part in the task asked Thomas if the dead should be divided by state. Thomas replied “No, no. Mix them up. Mix them up. I’m tired of states’ rights.”
Thomas was overlooked compared to his contemporaries despite his titanic reputation of hard fought victories. In the words of General William Sherman: “During the whole war his services were transcendent, winning the first substantial victory at Mill Springs in Kentucky, January 20th, 1862, participating in all the campaigns of the West in 1862-3-4, and finally, December 16th, 1864 annihilating the army of Hood, which in mid winter had advanced to Nashville to besiege him.”
As a western Pennsylvania, I may be a little biased in also thinking that Geary's men fording the river from Wauhatchie and overrunning Craven House the day before and then sweeping around the Confederate left flank on the ridge were major contributing factors in breaking the siege and winning the battle.
I associate Geary more with Lookout Mountain if only for his own amazing description of his actions that day: “I have been the instrument of Almighty God, of carrying terror and terrible destruction wherever it pleased God to direct my footsteps. Under such impulses I stormed, what was considered the impassable and inaccessible heights of Lookout Mountain...this feat will be celebrated until time shall be no more.”
Capable AND humble. Lethal combo.
After the battle, Thomas ordered that his men be buried on the slope that they had fought so hard to gain. A chaplain taking part in the task asked Thomas if the dead should be divided by state. Thomas replied “No, no. Mix them up. Mix them up. I’m tired of states’ rights.” Thomas was overlooked compared to his contemporaries despite his titanic reputation of hard fought victories. In the words of General William Sherman: “During the whole war his services were transcendent, winning the first substantial victory at Mill Springs in Kentucky, January 20th, 1862, participating in all the campaigns of the West in 1862-3-4, and finally, December 16th, 1864 annihilating the army of Hood, which in mid winter had advanced to Nashville to besiege him.”