, 1863-12-22
HALLEC11'S REPORT.
What he Thinks OF Our Generals
Inh es to Himself all tho credit o,
Success.

HALLECK'S REPORT.
What BE Thinks OF Our Generals.
Inh es to Himself all tho credit q
Success.
General Ha1!eck's official history OF th
military operations Of the paet year occupie
ten columns, and gives comp1ete survey {
the field Beginning with the supe1sedur
Of Mcclellan by Burnside, the report optic
mfzes tho movements Of the different depart
mcnts, from November Of the last to Noyem
ber OF the present year. 1t does not contai,
many facts that are new to the country, BIZ
1t contains some versions Of well know,
events, Which are, to say the least, surpris
ing. It is very belligerent document. ",
reckon not less than eight Generals who ar,
directly or indirectly censured for 1nfscon
duct-al1 of them commanders of dcpart
ments or corps. There is not single tlisas
ter or failure for which the General.in- Chic
seems to consider himself responsible; no
one for which he is not able to account b,
tho dereiction in duty Of some subordinate
commander. On the other hand, It Ii lnadf
10 appear that the operations which wert
successful were conducted strictly in nc
cordance with the orders or suggestions Ia
sued from Washington. He censures Gen
Meade in the following mild terms, for per
mltt1Dg the cecnpo OF Gen. Lee from Penn,
EylvaDia:
Halting d Gay ut Middletown, Gen. Meade
crossed the South Mountain, and on the 1oIf
| (of July found the enemy occupvinfr =
strong position on the heights OF Marsh Run,
IN front Of W1liamsport~ Instead Of attacE'
ing Lee in this position, with the swollen
| waters. of the Potomac in his rear, without
| any means Of crossing his artillery. and
| when defeat must have caused the sarren.
| der Of his entire army, he was nl1owcd time
to construct pontoon bridge with lumber
! collected from canal boats and the ruins ti
wooden houses, and OIL the morning of tho
18th his army had crossed to the south side
I OF The river. 01~~
During Lees invasion of PENNSYLVANIA
orders were given for movement upon
Richmond, but the effort failed for reasons
thus stated by Gen. Halleck:
When the rebel 9rmy Was moving north
sent all Of his available force from Norfolle
and Fortress Monroe up the York River. for
the purpose Of cutting Oft Lees commnnica.
LIONS With Richmond and Of attacking that
place. which was then defended by onlr a
haom4l OF militia- The expedition, how
ever, failed to accomplish single object for
Whieh It had been lifted out, the failure re-
Of one Of the Generals commanding. Gen
DIX therefore ordered lis return, and sent fhc
troops of which 1t WIS composed to reinforce
the army of Cen Meade, north of the Toto.
mac.
Gen. Gilmore is praised in the report for
his operations against Charleston. and a
brief summary is given Of the operations of
Gen. Banks in Louisiana and Texas. The
exploits Of Granps army In the sIero Of
Vicksburs, and the battles which preceded
the capitnlation, are warmly extollcd.
Ono half Of tho report is devoted to q ro-
view OF the Chattanooga campaign:
While Gen Grant was operating before
Stcksburg, information deemed reliable was
received from captured rebel correspondence
that large dctachments were being drawn
from bIagg's army to reinforce johnson in
Mississippi. Reinforcements .crc sent fn
Grant from other armies In the West. hnf
Gen Rosecrans'e WIS left intact, in order that
he might take advantage of Brayrss ilimfnIo1,.
cd numbers and drive him back into Geora;a.
and thus secure loyal East Tennessee inn,
the hands Of the rebels-an object which bic
Government has kept constantly in view
from the beginning Of the war. therefore
urged npon General Rosecrans to take adyan-
fase Of this opportunity to carry ont his 1on.-
projected movement, informing him thai
Gen. Burnside woald .co-operate with his
force, moving from Kentucky to East Ten
uessee. For various reasons be preferred tn
postpone his movement until The terminat;on
OF the siege Of Viclsburg.''
In order to avoid any. misunderstanding of
the orders given to Gen. Rosecrans on fbiz
subject, Gen. Haileck giYes the full cores
pondenco Which passed between them in
June last. On the 11th of that month Gen
Rosccrans wrote as follows:
ArnunEEsnono, Tenn, June II. 1ssa
Your dispatch Of to-day is received. Yon ~. !
member gaye yon, as a necessary condition Of /
elnseesf tl1 - an adequate cavalry force Since that
tame have not 1osta moment lin mounting our |
Gemonnted cavalry az last We cou!d ret ft3rtes
Not more than three hundred men rcualn to be- /
mounted. The 9Th Iowa, ordered 10 from Donef
Se1s Sen hf,se9 r. s,1 19aay 1he ass Wisconsin, viii
ments have nearly all been complctci. and an
preparing to fttike blow that viii tejl. But to
eac nov cons spa i9ng arc swsd
Generals OF cavalry, for answers IN writing to tho
First-F1om your best information do you think
oud-Do you think this amy can aivauce at ti,fs
6ssa #
advance advisable at this lime! 10 tue nrst
eleren answered no; six, yeE-to the extent of ten
thirteen no. To the third moi one res res % seysn.
teen no.
Nc ore thinks an advance advisable until y1cks-
10 have reasonable share OF military sacncItr.
courage end patriotism, yo7 perceive that tacfc
s "a az atrenger M reasons than probably a
therefore counsel caution and patience At 1,e1d
quarters. letter wait little 10 set al We can
NC. perforce Of Providence, observe great nil.
afy naxim-not to risk two great and decisive
battles at the same time.:we might hare cipse to
es AZ AL eScnIs yea see that, to
mat Ehen o ny word vim inspire
,a.s ;onsac.lon ana commence where 10th arc now
waning s91ute R rse to hsye yo9r suggestion.
10 Maj- Gen. II. ". HALLEcK, General-Ia.ChieE
On the 18th Of June General Halleck re-
9iied sharply to this letter, Us follows;
WAeu1SGroS, Dec, II. 1863.
GENERAL: Your Telegram. of yesterday n inst
eeeissa. I do not understand yos5 application Of
It the came time. It will app1y to Single sway
'ut not to Two armies acting independently oi each
sna bagG gre sns On
interest. not ours, tlat they should fight at differ
;9t nmes 90 as to ase the same force asalnst both
ible, while divided. lyon are not strong enoneh
sin not be able to fight him after the affstl at
tieseon1s is oTez, and his troops return to -four
There is another military maxim thst councils
sas 5oa arc no,
o for the responsibility Of 6ghtin; or feiusnr to
1sht IL a. ps|Esglar + t1 Or place must rest upon
haired hy council Of war nor will the aurhoritics
'ere make you fight against yous will. You ask me
9 counsel them 70 caution and patience. i have
looe go yeTy often, but after i've or six months Of
inactivity, With your force all the time diminish.
r., and no hope OF auy immediate Increase. ron |
EFT mi n be thas their patience Is
tsk general battle with Bragg, why can y0u nos
arass him, or make such demonstrations as to pre-
ent his sending more reiniorce1nents to JOHNSON,
do not write this In spirit offault-ln bnt 10
esure you that The prolonged Inactivity Of 20
1rEe an amy in the field Is causing much com
liant arg dissatisfaction, not only in Washing
on, bn1 throughout the country.
'eF5 respectfully ySar q 1 ebedlsnt seFv't.
GerezaLin-C Chief
lator General Roseclans, Murfrecsporo, Ten
nessee.
To this letter General Rosecraus made the
ollowins re|oinder: +.
HEAnqu'Rs DEPARTMENT OF CUMBERLAND,
ACnrREEsrono. June II, 1853
GENERAL: In yonr favor Of the 18th Instant you |
~ you cannot hcc how the maxim Of not tiehtfnr
no great battles At the came time applies to the
1atteT practically, re and our oposing forces IRE
Q widely separated that for Bragg to materially |
1d johnston be mnst abaEdon our front substan-
laans, anu then %e can move to our ultimate work
aP6 less waste q material
gAl come here and then We onght to be near our
ase. The game nla4im that fo.bids, % won take
/ einge army fighting two great battles at the
ame ame-by the way, q very awkward thing to
orces in the great Vest at the time, 20 IS to
care it without eing1e reserve to stem the cur
rnt Of possible disaster. This le think sustair-