Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-11-20

official giving out, which l. entitled
by its authority As we'll as its abili-
Is TO n respectful consideration. 1t
is too long for our columns. and is
yet so compact that We find ii ii fl
cult to reproduce its statements in
a less space without making them
as much weaker as we make them
shorter.
lie begins by rejecting entirely
all the silly lies with which the
eager nattererS OF authority sought
to justify its conduct in advance of
popular complaint. He says the
"opium-eating,n drunkenness
Gifts, religious depression" and
other stories at first SO proiuSelv
provided for the justification of the
removal are all utterly false and
foolish, and that the Government
never for n oment entertained
them or colored its action by them.
The first reascn he assigns is that
after the battle of Murlreesboro
Rosecrans DELAYED any further al
vance for five months when Grants
situation made it important, it not
imperative, and activity in Tennes-
see was al es>entia el"meM at the
general system OF movement con-
tempIated BY the Government. To
repeated requests, rising into renon-
strances, that he should move, the
General replied sometimes with no
Little feeling, probably because he
ielt himself indirectly accused,
when his sccuSers could not know
his situation, and irritation on the
one side begot 1t on the other. IN
activity which seemed inexplIca-
BILE was not extenuated much ~ an
irritabi.Ity which seemed imperti-
nent. Thus from bad to worse the
ieeII G between the Department
and the General vent, greatly in
iensitied BY the complaints of all
kinds. civil anu military, official
and informal, which during these
four months vert up to Washing
ton against the army police system
which the General maintained I'M
der the direction OF Colonel
Truesdail. No doubt the General
was sometimes censured for what
was either right or inevitable, AID
oil course such censures only made
him less likely to bear more reason
able ones with patience. 1t is urg-
ed in defence oil this long delay that
it was continued in consequence Of
the unanimous advice ofhis officers.
AT n time when he vas strongly
urged to move to relieve Grant, ne
addressed a circular TO all his corps
and cavalry Generals asking their
opinion. CD Whether there has been
any material weakening OF Bragg's
force, (2) whether u there has been
it was sufficient for us to fight a
successful battle, and (3) whether
he (the General addressed) was in
favor OF an immediate or early adj.
vance. On the first point, the opin-
ions were abou, equally divided ;
on the second, most inclined to the
belief that we could not fight sue
cess!ul battle and every General
answered by opposing an advance.
One OF them--a Corps commander
at that--went so far. after an adj
vance had been finally decided upon
As to say that il would be the fear
lul and bloody mistake Of Rose
Grams lifetime. Against this, it is
, asserted that the Government was
in possession Of conclusive evi.
, dence, which Rosecraps could and
should nave obtained too, that
Bragg's army had been so reduced
by deta,hments SEPT to Mississippi
that it numbered less than 40 900
men, OF all arms, against our force
OF 1000. FINALLY, when he did
move, in June, he moved with such
vigor, and with such judicious ar
rangements as would probably have
erased all the bad impressIon s made
BY his previous deltl. IT, unlue klly,
he had not teen caught in series
at rain storms. WHICH ruined the
roads. raised the rivers, and ena-
bled Bragg to e., ape annh la'iou.
Again. alter he reached Tulla-
homa lie halted from the lst OF July
to the middle of August. THIS
was deemed unnecessary and mis-
chievous. Ii is not probable that
he knew better what he was about
than anybody else. but his delay
was disliked, and finally broken hy
a peremptory order to 90 on. This
order took him across the Tennessee
river and to the battle field OF
Chickamauga. Out of this battle
grew additional causes OF disSatIs-
faction With the General.
Again, the maintenance of the
army pole system. or the retention
in its direction OF Col. Truesdail,
is assigned as an effective cause of
the removal. TruesdaIl was &C
cused continually of misconduct,
corruption, and oppression, and the
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