Pragmatic and skilled leadership: General George H. Thomas at Stones River.

Due to requirements of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism, the United States military must continue to learn as much as possible about the nature of combat leadership. The Civil War battle at Stones River was intense and bloody, and the stakes could not have been higher for Union General George H. Thomas and the other commanders present. The student of military leadership can learn a great deal from this particularly desperate and fierce contest--countering an overwhelming assault, stabilizing a defense under constant enemy pressure, and turning the tide of a situation that…