The Best General in the Civil War
By Conrad Bibens
Historical Fiction
Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing
Pages: 256
Publication Date: November 6, 2024
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SYNOPSIS
The North might have lost the Civil War if not for the heroics of a Southern-born general. The Best General in the Civil War tells the true story of Union General George Thomas, hated throughout the South for siding with the Union and helping end slavery.
In this powerful autobiographical novel, the Southern-born General George Thomas reveals his journey from a Virginia boyhood to becoming a Union hero in the Civil War. Despite his fierce loyalty to the United States and his opposition to slavery, Thomas faced distrust and delayed promotions from Union leaders like Lincoln and Grant. Disowned by his family and resented in the South, Thomas nonetheless achieved pivotal victories, earning the titles “Rock of Chickamauga” and “Sledge of Nashville.”
Thomas recounts his friendship with Lee, rivalry with Grant and Sherman, and his deep love for his Northern wife, who may have influenced his resolve to honor his oath to the Constitution. After the war, he fought both the Ku Klux Klan and the lingering hostility of President Grant, whose suspicions blocked Thomas from the presidency many believed he deserved as The Best General in the Civil War.
CLICK TO PURCHASE:
Amazon | Stoney Creek Publishing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A very enjoyable read
I’ve always enjoyed historical novels, especially ones connected to the Civil War, mainly because I want to understand what it took to have Americans fighting Americans. The information in this well-written, engaging novel, is a cautionary tale for us today and in the future.
Even though Thomas was a Southerner and his family owned slaves, he makes it clear in this story that he didn’t support the idea of slavery. When at the family home in Virginia, he urged his family to value the slaves for more than just their monetary worth or the work they could do. The ‘rightfulness’ of slavery never sat well with him, and at the start of the war, he makes this observation, “They (the confederates) prattled on about “states rights’, a phrase that is merely the insolent belief that you can allow an outrage in your state that would be a crime within the borders of your more civilized neighbors.”
Still, Thomas never wavered from his loyalty to the Union and the Army in which he served, although he’d sometimes see that glimmer of “why?” Why does brother have to fight against brother at the whims of politicians and other powerful men who call the shots from safety in Washington D.C. and have no clue what it is like on the battlefield.
I admire Thomas’s steadfastness, as well as his deep concern for the men in his command. He also cared for the horses and mules in a way that not all the men did. There was one instance where one of his soldiers took a farmer’s horse, and when the farmer came to camp to ask for it back, Thomas made the solder compensate the farmer, as well as return the horse.
Apparently, the Union Army was not to take food and livestock from the people living in areas of the south that were taken in battle.
There were numerous places that I highlighted in the book, because they were words from a wise man and so many of them resonated with me and my philosophy. In explaining a loyalty to the oath a soldier makes, Thomas said, “One could argue that the only logical action in battle is to flee it with all possible speed. Such flight is merely animal panic. Logic, the human instinct that is one of God’s gifts to us, allows us to use reason to conquer our obstacles. If we stifle that first attack of panic, our logical instincts will guide us even when danger is rushing toward us.”
Using reason and logic as a first response to any challenge is far better than an emotional knee-jerk reaction.
Another from further along in the book is a similar bit of wisdom. “When a man must hurtle an abyss to reach a place of honor on the other side, it is only natural that he pause to gather himself before making the leap.”
This story about a little-known general in the Civil War is well worth the read. I enjoyed it very much, and you don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy it as well. It’s a tale about a man who was often conflicted, but in the end did what his commitment to the military dictated. The narrative is easy to read, with lots of dialogue to support the historical interactions. It’s Thomas’s story and he tells it well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Conrad Bibens, a newspaper journalist for more than 40 years, grew up in St. Joseph, Mo., and is a graduate of the University of Kansas. He lives in the Houston area with his family.
STONEY CREEK PUBLISHING:
WEBSITE ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ X/TWITTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH BLOG PARTICIPATING IN THIS TOUR.
blog tour services provided by
Great review, Mary Ann, and agreed that it’s more timely than ever to reflect upon divisions and why American fights fellow American.
Thanks for stopping by and the affirmation, Kristine. It was fascinating to see how much philosophy in Thomas’s thinking could be applied to today. He was a wise man in addition to being a superb military tactician.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and insightful review! I’m also a fan of historical fiction. Looking forward to checking this one out!
Glad you liked the review, Jill. This is one of the better historicals I’ve read in a while. The story was paramount to the facts, while the facts were there, but the focus of the narrative was always on Thomas and his interactions with others.