The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-18
GENERAL GRANT In LOUISVILLE.
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His Snow Journey Across the
Country.
>~~->S~~~~>~~>o~>~~~~~~
Dangerous Travel Through
Cumberland Gap.
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The Reason Why the General Chose
Difficult Route.
General Rosecrans and the Battle
Of Chickamauga,
Ass. &ess H.
mr.. w. +. G. shanks' Despatch.

mr. w. y. q. Shanks' Despatch.
LouIsvuLx, KY. Jan. II, 1864
General u g. Grant arrived here this afternoon from
Knoxville having just completed SIX days campaign
against JACK Frost He and his star LETT Knoxville
the 9Th inst and crossed the country by way or Cumber
land Gap, Barboursville Big Hill, Richmond and Lexins
ton 70 this city, having the coolest weather
and deepest snow known there for thirty years. The
"trip terrible oicers having TO walk
great part Of the way driving their nearly frozen animals
before them The descent Of the Gap and Of Big Hill is
represented 10 have been not only difficult but dangerous
and had army been compelled at this time to cross
those mountains the task would have been much
terrible than MacDonald's passage Of Che Speigen.
General Grant had q much easier and shorter route
90 Nashville by way OK Chattanooga, and chose
CHS dificuit and dangerous solely from a
desire for himself the capabilities OF country
and route for supplying Genera. Fosters army 1t
chs personal attention important details and his ag
gressiye style warfare which lie the secret Of General
Grants great success. This difficult journey, undertaken
At this tme Is Indicative OF the indomitabe energy
che man
At Lexington. Kentucky, General Grant met with
spontaneous reception from the citizens The was
crowded with the country VISITORS nothing would
satify them but speech The General however,
himself ~ih making his appearance The people 10.
sisted ON his getting upon chair he might seen
TO better advantage and half pushed by General Leslie
COMBS, General Grant mounted the mprovised rostrum
General Coombs then introduced him in neat little
speech, Ia which he said that 'Genera Grant had told
him in conhdence-and he would repeat it-that he
never mad made speech, knew nothing about speech
making and had disposition learn" Aiter satisfy.
ing the curiosity Of the people, but without having
chair and retired, amid the cheers OF the people
His arrival at the Gait House generally known
and few who had not looked Attic books suspected that
uifh h0au rad
whiskcrs aud keen, bright eyes that the hero OF the
Swo rcbel Gbritars OF vcksbug and Chattanooga
before them And this people have been usei to and
eurfeited with brilliantly dressed and clearly shaver
stan occ with every pretence star double that
mas lifted across this horzon that they dreamed
Of recogni ling IN the blue overccated figured in
the scone with him tho admirable and hard working
stan officers who have aided in little degree General
Grants success. GcEeral Grant was accompanied by
General wilson, Colonel Duff, Colonel T. s. Bowers aud
train for Nashville where General Grant established ms
headquarters for the present.
notice that in editorial In your issue Of the 9th
you referring General Rosecrans report OF the
battle Of Chicknmauga, that the greatest delinquent OF
all was General Wood, who, beng ordered 10 or
extend his line so that IL should with smother
division his lett far misunderstood this order to
withdraw completely from the line OF battle" General
Wood has written to the War Department reply this
which is, think. complete refutaton OF the charge
contained General report. Let the battle
be told 10 ~ true light Of the worst managed battle Of
the war, snd, when place tho mistakes where they
bo0ng, Generals Crittcnden and McCook and Wood are
not tho orly ones who will be found guilty Official re.
ports are BY no means undoubtedly true ana certainly
General Eosecrnns cannot export that after commencing
ana compimcnting AcCook and Crttenden, who, by his
own showing, have each made three several
condemnation u Gen. Wood wtAave much effect, particu
larry e 20 INC reerganizng Of the army Cen Rosecrans
retained God In command To the exclusion OF Negey
johnson ard others, whom he does not commend. The
truth u that General Rosccrans felt and after
battle was that his unfortunate retirement Chat
tanooga had left him utterly deleuceess He feared TO
condemn any Gao, Tried be friends with ALL One
OF G0uOrul lsOsecrans mistakes the Sunday Of the
batsie was In not knowing his line or battle He sup.
posed that gap existed between Wood and Reynolds,
nodS request sent two brgades TO I'LL up that gap.
Vixen the order 10 close up and support Reynolds
WaGgvc3 such General Roeecrsns' idea Of the line
OF eesic Wood oeoyed litcraliyhe ought, perhaps TO
army 40 General Rosecrans says, tho consequence
1enseA N.gey who had IN the beginning or the day
held the position that Wood did, had an order 70
vacae tbs petition aud 20 TO tho left He took tho re.
scented tho consequences General r.. and remained
A. IN urgent request from General Thomas no sent
his reserve TO the loft and on second demand
from General Thomas nc sent another brigade,
end when relieved ty wood started with the other ~
delay occyiug the order Negley postponed the
breakiag of tie centric lew hours Wood obeyed the
order. which positive one, and the disaster oc
cured cbc faul General Rosccrans in not knowing
che nc 81 battle Nsgley, seeing the consequence Of
obcytug tho order did immediately obey IT, and was
esiievc Ia consequence without having been condemned
By Rosccrsus Wood, who did obey It, and Was con
demnec II, not relieved, but assigned to new
command Upon the reorganization OF the army General
Rosccrans twcnty-four hours after the battle did mot
logs ard rs AMI n the OF Assistant secretary
OF War lana, General Garfield and General Wagner de-
nisd that such the case, having stated 70
be q fact in . despatch sent TO you. That General
Who The asht o. that part q the field preeods 70