, 1863-11-12
GEN. ! ROSECRANS.
The CAUSES OF his REMOVAL,
Explanation Of his Apparent Delays
and Alleged Misconduct.


as to make his removal q painful shock. i.
It need scarcely be said that the stories Of
Gen. RoEecrans' Drunkenness, bis opium
eating, his liability to epilepttc fits, hi disa,
: ston,a1e alike utterly wholly, maliclonsly
falee. The War Department has never enter
tanned any such charge, or I,arbored any such
suspicion. It is due to. Gen. Rosecra1s that
this should be eaid in the fullest and most
emphatic manner; Tor, whatever may haye
bsen his errors, this man has, done the nation
such stgnal and distinguished service that all
loIsl men will be tenderly jealous Of hls falr
name * .. :. r.
The irritation and dissatlafaction in the
War Department and at the headquartef3 Of
the Army, which, hive resulted In General
Rosecrans' removal, haYe been Of slow growth,
ana ,eatts thet 9rlen = to be aoughE for many
OCCASION, By no means the sole or chief cause
Let' me attempt. "a too enume1ate tho sources
+. OF this irritation in the order Of time: y
THE DELAY AFTER STONE RIvER-sHAnp COR
':;.%' - REsPuRDKfCE. J -
:. The War Department was Atsi sur!
prtaed, then anxious, and at last openly III.
dignantat the delay after the victory of Stone
Myer, which, In spite Of every represents
tion of the urgent necessity for action,
stretched on tcr month sitter month. from
New Years TIL the last Of June. In general
terms 1t complaiis that, with his army in
good condition, he wasted ut least five months
Doing nothing, while On either side Of him
vance, py relieving them, would hare won
Victories, not only IN his own Department,
but East and West, as we'll. It dWells par.
dcularly On h{s failure, Notwithstanding the
earnest appeals Of the President, the War
Department, the General in Chief, and Gen.
officer was known to Sc materially weaken.
Ing, his army By sendfpg reinforcements
Out Of this failure grew an irritating cor
respondence With tile authorities here, which
yely much increased the Dissatisfaction.
Without 9noting fully the language Of any
one set Of dispatches, scores passed, Of the
tone and temper Of which this Is afaithful re-
production: Secretary Stanton would telo.
graph, II am very much dissatisfied with
3our long delay, md think, unless you move
a. 9nse tes eG9ntty tsys san1et ,a 5asty you5
yery kindly to you, General, and have the
highest respect for the abilities yon have 90
kignal1y displayed; bnt be assured that
neither your reputation nor mine can. with
stand tho effects of this delay, at a; crisis
tirely demand movement" The President
would write, II am very much gTieved By
your, unaccoun!ablo delay. I am bonud to
relieve that you, on the ground, are the best
Judge Of what you can do; but you see how
sitally important movement L. aud you give
for your delny," To all this Gen Rosecrans
would aus1 e., II know what tha country
needs, and know, too, what the army needs;
must have my communications and sup
| plies secure. It has never been my habit to
move into plAce TIL / could stay there, II
| 5ou con remove me; but while remain In
command ! must use my own discretion, and
moyewhcn get ready." Such passages az
frequently.
Sometimes 1t would happen that the Wai
Department, tr1itated at the Generals con
duct, and not fully: understanding the obsta
clet with which: he was contending, woulG
hlhme him severely for matters in which Il
wa9 clear to every one who understood th.
cate that he Eas not blameworthy. No one
Who knows his sensitivenees and impulsfy'
disposition need be told how this injnstic'
always lashed him into fury, and how indis
Greet ana naughty were his replies.
Irritating correspondence that grew out Of 1t
develop the inittal cauee Of the War Depart
ment's dissatisfaction.
h. TIE APOLOGIES FoI TH1s DELAY. -
It Is to be regretted that Gen. Rosecran
did not make The Department thorough
understand what reasons {wnether su4cien
Or nol it is now known he did hare for th
delay.
heaviest, he addressed 4 circular letter to Al
his Corps md Cavalry Gene1als-hfteen
number-akking their opinion On thre
points: I. Whether there had been amy ms
terial Weakening Of Bngg's force. 2 Whether
tight : successful battle, ,,.and 8. Whether he
the GtnerM addressed-Wns in favor Of d
esr1y Or immediate advance, On the fin
point, the opinions we're about equally diFIl
ed; on the second, most inclined to the bs
1lef that We could not bght successful bal
; Tie; and every General answered the third b
opposing an adVance. One OF them-a Corp
: Commander at that-went so far, after an &C
, vance had been finally decided npou, ~ i
eay that 1t would be the fearful and blood
mistake Of Rosec1ans' lifetime. It was n
light thing to attempt movement with ever
prominent General be had thus protestin
, against It.
HOW foATY-F1TE THoEsASD HELD SIXTY TIy
Il THoreAND AT BAT.
Finally. however, on the 18th Of Junt
L nearly i've and q half months after his .grea
victory, Gen. Roeecrana decided to more
! Bnt he stll delayed, as it seemed to the Wa
til the Esd thst the army was put In motion
The Department n0F hag the indiBputabt
evidence, establishing beyond. q possibility Q
doubt, that for weeks, II not months, befor
this movement was made, BrsgP's army ha
% SseR 60 weaksnsa' ;hss ed ny @ sending !Pg troops
thousand men Of all asms remaining, while
exclusive of oHcerB, Rosecrans had aixty-1v
+ thousand This evidence, It chime, VIA
either IN Gen. Rosecrans' possession or ae
c.s.ibls to him before he asked the opinio
Bnt, Thea ps paatly moved, against ii
v,.h Of III biz le4ding 1Gene1als, he; handle
The army 60 supe1b3y; and made SO success
fnlf = 'eampa1gn.: :thAs 1t wab;rupposed th
kdod leasons Ihe Department had for findin
fault with bis rot moving would be forgotte
IN the b1f1liancy Of his operations when b
did msve- Unfortunately, however, be ha
Il dtltyed till the June frekhets were upon hin
Brseg, retreating By turnpike and railroad
escaped, willie Rosecrans Tas telling ore
ilG" dirt roads By which he had to make b
miles Of foitiB cations at she1pyville, AZ
from five miles at Tullahoma. and all Midd!
TernetE1e rcs relieved without battle
! but the War Department would not foT9t
that but for tie delays ot With It co.nplaine
TIE movement would bare escaped the Ju1
ttead Of 6ri7e1. Thus The foundation VI
>. laid fer future engagements and grayer d.
tat!Efagticn, while, an enemy had also hek
made Of the hero Of Vick1buEg. =
:. i'm: DELAY AT TrLL1HoMA-PE2ENpToI
~ III ORDERS TO MOVE. ;
: -. -Pa.e1rg from the delsy at Murfreesbos
1.-the. Department found another ground
~ CT mplAfnt. in the delay at Tu11ahona. It !
!, .iIted thet, trsited Of ha1tIpg there, he ehon
hive Fnfhtd 1'gtt on to CHIT: t:anooga, aud.
| 1tRarded Ills ptoc1netfnatfon from the LIST
!: JulJ TO tie n.iddlc Of August as indctcntibl
3 | ip}u1iout acd criminal. II tho DeMrtme
& Ed bu,nt a1i do b1t1ees, Destroyed tho RI
road, srd fortified h}inlclf nt Ci,attanoox,
thAt Middle Tennessee waa cleared WltAo