THESSALONIANS THOMAS. 



677 



resistance of both coils is the same. Thus, the tem- 

 perature of the water in the jar is made the same as 

 that of the sea- water at the depth of the lower coil. 

 The thermometer showing the temperature of the 

 water in the jar will, therefore, show the temperature 

 of the water at the depth required. 



For the mutual conversion of the three standard 

 therniouietric scales, Fahrenheit's, Reaumur's, and the 

 Centigrade, the following formulae are convenient : 

 F:C:R:: 180: 100:80=9:5:4. Therefore, F = fC; 

 F = JR ; C = | It. Of course to convert F. degrees 

 into C. or R. degrees 32 must be subtracted before 

 (and in the converse problem added after) either of the 

 first two formuke is applied. (F. O. M.) 



THESSALOMAMS, EPISTLE TO. See ROMANS, 

 EPISTLE TO. 



THISTLE is the common name given to several 

 v i wiit genera of Composite. The thistles 



, M , Vo- "*' th e United States chieflv belong to 

 p. ooo ( p. 3i7 .1 / T. e L * i 



Am. Rep.)! tne g enus Cmiitm, of which we have 

 about 20 species. They are distin- 

 guished by perfect and similar flowers, of tubular 

 form and grouped in many-flowered heads. They 

 have bristly receptacles, corollas of purple or reddish 

 color, oblong smooth aehcuia, and a plumose pappus. 

 Most of the thistles are useless and troublesome 

 weeds, one of our introduced species being among the 

 worst pests of agriculturists. This is the Canada 

 thistle (C. firvcnsf), which has extended throughput 

 the United States and over the agricultural districts 

 o_f Canada. _ It is a low, branching plant, with exten- 

 sively creeping roots ; affects cultivated fields and pas- 

 tures, and is extremely difficult to eradicate. It can 

 be got rid of only by plowing and persistent extraction 

 of the roots. The most common of our thistles, 0. 

 Ifinceolalum, is also an introduction from Europe. It 

 is found in over-abundance on road-sides and in thick 

 pastures, has very prickly stem leaves, and bears 

 numerous handsome purplish flowers. The common 

 yellow swamp-thistle extends from Massachusetts to 

 the South, where there is another yellow thistle, C. 

 Iti'i-riilithim, a tall, rough, disagreeable sea-coast plant, 

 well named the horrid thistle. Of species of other 

 genera may be named OiupefdoH ncmitln'um, the 

 cotton thistle, a tall, showy plant, with large light- 

 purple flowers and ('cnlniiria iimencann, a handsome 

 species of the South-western States, which is cultivated 

 in gardens. Many plants are called thistles which lie- 

 long to quite different families from the typical thistles. 



(c. M.) 



THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY (181G-1876), one of 

 the most illustrious generals of the American civil 

 war, was born in Southampton co. . Va., July 31, 1816. 

 His father's family, originally Welsh, had by long res- 

 idence become English before emigrating to America ; 

 his mother was of Huguenot extraction. When a boy 

 Thomas learned by Hutching workmen to make a sad- 

 dle, boots, and furniture and thus cultivated habits of 

 observation and combination that stood him in good 

 stead in his future career. The first twenty years of 

 his life were spent at home and in attendance at South- 

 ampton Academy. On leaving school he entered the 

 office of his maternal uncle, James Rpchelle, county 

 clerk, but on being offered a cadetship in West Point 

 he gladlv gave up law for anna. He entered the acad- 

 emy in June, 1836, and in 1840 graduated twelfth in a 

 class of 42, and was commissioned second-lieutenant 

 in the Third artillery. His company was ordered to 

 Florida, and there he remained till the termination of 

 the Seminolc war. In 1841 he took part in the cap- 

 ture of TO Seminole Indians, and was brevetted first- 

 lieutenant " for gallantry and good conduct in the 

 war." In 1S44 he was promoted to first-lieutenant 

 and joined his company at Fort Moultrie. His next 

 service was in Mexico under Gen. Taylor, where he 

 was brevetted captain "for gallant and meritorious 

 conduct" in the battles about Monterey, and major | 

 for his conduct in the battle of Bueoa Vista. In I 



1847 the citizens of his native county, 'proud of his 

 achievements, presented him with a sword. In 1851 

 he was assigned as instructor of artillery and cavalry at 

 'West Point, and while there married, in 1852, Miss 

 Frances S. Kellogg. Troy, N. Y. ; receiving his promo- 

 tion to a captaincy September, 1853. In 1855 he was 

 appointed major of the Second cavalry and, in the fol- 

 lowing year, went with his new regiment to Texas where 

 he remained till 1800. During this time he accompanied 

 an expedition to the Canadian and Red Rivers, and an- 

 other to the Conchas River. Mexico, where he received 

 his only wound from a band of predatory Indians. An 

 arrow which had transfixed his chin and penetrated 

 his breast he drew out with his own hand. In 18f>0 

 while he was on his way home on leave of absence his 

 spine was injured in a railroad accident, and to this 

 has been attributed his slow riding and deliberate 

 movements so much commented on during the war. 

 In 1861 he applied for the position of instructor of 

 cadets in Lexington Military Institute, Va., and this 

 application, though unsuccessful, roused a suspicion of 

 his loyalty that tended afterwards to impede his well- 

 merited promotion. When the Legislature of his na- 

 tive State in April, 1861, voted for secession, Major 

 Thomas remained faithful to the Union, and his first 

 service in the civil war was, on April 21, to aid in quel- 

 ling a secession uiob in Maryland. 



Vacancies occurring rapidly through resignation, on 

 April 25 he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy, 

 and on May 5 to the colonelcy of his regiment, now 

 known as the Fifth cavalry. The first service rendered 

 by the new colonel was under Gen. Patterson against 

 '" Stonewall " Jackson at Falling Waters. When Pat- 

 terson's failure to hold Gen. Jos. E. Johnston sub- 

 jected him to obloquy, Col. Thomas spoke out loyally 

 in his behalf. In August, 1861, he was appointed 

 j brigadier-general of volunteers and was assigned to the 

 command of Fort Dick Robinson, Ky. , where he 

 found 6000 raw troops. While in Washington, 

 Thomas had suggested the occupation of Tennessee and 

 the seizure of the railroad connecting Richmond with 

 the South-west, and was mortified to learn, while in- 

 creasing and organizing his force with this view, that 

 his pl:ui had been accepted but its execution given to 

 Gen. 0. M. Mitchel. His own immediate duty was to 

 resist the advance of the Confederates, who under 

 General Zollicoffer had invaded Kentucky by way of 

 Cumberland Gap (q. .). A force sent out by Thomaa 

 drove the enemy back into the Gap, immediately on 

 which he began preparations for invading East Ten- 

 nessee, when an order from Gen. D. C. Buell, now 

 commanding the department, required him to move 

 his whole command to Lebanon, Ky. Here Thomas 

 organized the first division of the Army of the Cum- 

 berland, whence he threw out reinforcements to Gen. 

 A. Schoepf to aid him in preventing Zollicoffer cross- 

 ing the Cumberland. In spite of opposition Zol- 

 licoffer with 8000 men crossed the river, and in- 

 trenched himself opposite Mill Spring. Thomas's 

 whole force took the field on the last day of the year, 

 and, after a laborious march of 1 9 days, reached Lo- 

 gan Cross-Roads, 10 miles south of Mill Spring, 

 where he halted for the arrival of Schoepf with whom 

 he was to make a conjoint attack on the enemy's po- 

 sition. He was, however, forestalled by Zollicoffer, 

 who, anticipating an easy victory, left his lines and on 

 Jan. 19 made an attack on Thomas' camp, driving in 

 his pickets. Thomas rapidly formed his line and by a 

 brilliant charge forced the enemy back to their in- 

 trenchments. Being joined by Schoepf, preparations 

 were made for an assault on the intrenchments on the 

 20th, but during the night Zollicoffer crossed the river 

 and escaped, leaving his artillery and supplies to the 

 victor. By this action the first Union victory in 

 Tennessee 10.000 men were eliminated from the op- 

 erations that followed. 



The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson compelled 

 the evacuation by the Confederates under Gen. A, 



