The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-11-20
Gen. ROsecrans and the War Office.
Another String of Accusations.

A Washington writer to the New York
Tribune, who has evidently been posted
up at the War Office, produces numerous
catalogue of specifications for the removal
of Gen. RosEcRANs from his late command.
We will briefly state them:
In the first place, it appears that 1.-the War
Department was at first surprised, then anx-
ious, and at last openly indignant, at the delay
after the victory of Stone River" Murfrees-
bOr1. Against numerous appeals he had failed
to move against Bragg in support of Grant at
Vicksburg, and ''out of this failure grew an
irritating correspondence. Secretary Stanton,
we are informed, would telegraph, 81 am very
much dissatisfied with your long delay, and
think, unless you move at once, the country
cannot justify your course" General Hal!eck
would write II feel very kindly to you, Gen.
eral, and have the highest respect for the abil-
tiles you have so signally displayed; but be as
sured that neither your reputation nor mine
can withstand the effects of this delay at cri
peratively demand movement" The President
would write: Il am very much grieved by
your unaccountable delay. 1 am bound to
believe that you, on the ground, are the best
judge of what you can do; but you see how
vitality important movement is, and you
give me no reasons that seem to me salts
factory for your delay" To all this, it is
said, Gen ROsecrans would answer" know
what the country needs, and l know. too, what
the army needs. must have my communica-
lions and supplies secure. 1t has never been
my habit to move into place till could stay
there. If am not competent to command the
army you can remove me; but while l remain
in command l must use my own discretion"
We are further told that "such passages as this
~, and that this sharp correspondence WAS
the initial cause of the War Departments dis
satisfaction.
In the next place. when General Rosecrans,
after over five months delay, with an army of
sixty-fve thousand men, against Bragg's army
of forty.fve thousand men, did advance to
TullahOma he was impeded by the June fresh.
cts, which secured the escape of Bragg. Next,
the delay of our army at Tullahoma, including
a visit of General Rosecrans to Nashville where
he stayed two weeks, SO increased the displea-
sure of the government that "Orders began to
be sent instead of eXpOstulations." Next, it
appears that General ROsecrans was compelled
to fight the battle of Chickamauga in order to
get into Chattanooga with the main body of his
army; and then follow the accusations that in
the midst of that battle he fled to the rear when
he should have advanced to the 'front.' and that
he unwisely abandoned Lookout Mountain.
His relations with Trucsdule, too, whom he had
made ehiet OF the army police, were very OBJ
noxious; and, finally, a bad feeling had been
created between Rosecrans and Grant, in regard
to the failure of the one to move in support of
the other.
These, with some palliating circum-
stances and pleadings thrown in, by way
of charity, are the reasons assigned by this
Tribune correspondent for the removal of
Gen. Rosecrans.