Talk:George B. Boomer

Boomer was not a brigadier general

Boomer is not listed as a brigadier general, brevet or U.S.V., because he was never commissioned as one. The following sources do not list him as a brigadier general: Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3 (not even listed in the "might have beens" section of officer who were sometimes referred to in a paper or book as a general, but were not, and/or did not complete the process of nomination, confirmation, appointment, commission, including receipt of commission); Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R., Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Olde Soldier Books, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, 1990. ISBN 1-56013-002-4 (not listed as a brevet general, the only type of general that can properly be called an "acting general", rather than simply being a lower grade officer such as a colonel commanding a brigade or higher unit) Sifakis, Stewart, Who Was Who in the Civil War, p. 62. Facts on File Publications, New York, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2 (where Boomer is described only as a brigade commander, which he and many other colonels were on at least a temporary basis; that does not make them generals or even brevet generals without a nomination by the President, confirmation by the Senate, appointment and receipt of commission: See Eicher, p. 31-34 for requirements) and Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Blue. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 1964. ISBN|0-8071-0822-7. Perhaps most importantly United States War Department, The Military Secretary's Office, Memorandum Relative to the General Officers in the Armies of the United States During the Civil War, 1861–1865, (Compiled from Official Records, almost certainly by General Marcus Wright.) 1906. https://archive.org/details/memorandumrelati05unit, does not list Boomer as a general. In the article, the text concerning the monument properly refers to "general" in quotes, because it is incorrect. (I have all of these sources and looked for references to Boomer; there are none.)

The source for him as a general in the article is a book or paper by a former a subordinate and admirer (cited to rootsweb) which does not stand up to all of the historical information, Wright especially. "Acting general" is only a description used by the author. An official "acting general" would be a brevet general, properly nominated, confirmed, appointed and commissioned, which Boomer was not. He was a brigade commander and evidently a good one and a brave man, but sorry, he was not a general. Donner60 (talk) 08:53, 1 June 2023 (UTC)