Thomas Cruse (December 29, 1857 – June 8, 1943) was a brigadier general in the United States Army who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for valor in action on July 17, 1882, at the Battle of Big Dry Wash, Arizona.

Three others also received the Medal of Honor for this action: Frank West, George H. Morgan, and Charles Taylor.

[5] Lippert and his son Ralph were arrested; they argued that they had not committed fraud, and that Cruse had not been employed by them until after his retirement from the military.

[6] All three argued that Cruse had obtained an opinion from the Army's Judge Advocate General, Enoch Crowder, which indicated that becoming an agent of the Lippert company did not violate the law.

[8] In April 1918, Cruse followed the advice of Henry Pinckney McCain, the Inspector General of the Army, to return to the Lipperts the money they had paid him (about $1,000), which ended his involvement in the matter.

Gallantly charged hostile Indians, and with his carbine compelled a party of them to keep under cover of their breastworks, thus being enabled to recover a severely wounded soldier.