Buchanan County bulletin and guardian., 1867-02-12
RECOILECTIONs OF THE WAR.
BY THE Eplroa.
No. s. cAicamausa and Roserass.

could not escape the Jealousy and hatred OF
/ bis subordinate officers. Among his cener,
| ais were some whose sole ambition seemed
70 be promotion, which they had not secured
As readily as they had desired. As nasur.
al consequence. when the indecisive battle OF
Chicamauga was fought, they seized upon
the occasion to wreak their vengence upon
their commanding General. Hence arose
all those reports which represented the bats
tie as severe defeat, . disgraceful route, a
..upidlv managed slaughter; and that only
the courage and ability Of Thomas saved the
army from utter annihi!ation; that Rose.
Grams himself Was in Chattanooga drunk.
when he should have been at the front d.
rec,ing the movements Of the army; that he
was an opium eater, and in short the most
inefficient humbug that had ever been en-
trusted with the command Of an american
army. These reports broke forth in such
food uron an astonished public, that the
grea. wave Of popularity upon which Rose,
Grams had until then been riding was stayed
in lis course and he sank beneath tie waters
which had borne him up as proudly.
1t is our purpose TO show that the cam
paign of Chicamanga was a success, and
that the battle of Chicamauga only failed 10
result in decisive victory through the inef.
fciency Of Rosecrans' subordinate generals.
Every campaign is conducted with some
definite objec, in view. The accomplish
men, Of that object must necessarily stamp
the campaign with the seal Of success. The
objective Of the Chicamauga campaign was
Chat,anooga-ihe key 10 East Tennessee,
Virginia. North Carolina and Georgia, and
in fact, as events proved, to the overthrow
Of the Confederacy. The possession of Chat
.anooea was attained and resained, fac.
which no disparagemens Of Rosecrans can
possibly gainsay, aud TO that commander
mus; be assigned the credi. Of the achieve
men,. II was his mind that planned and his
hand that directed The movements which &C.
ornplished IT, Had bis success in the battle
of Chicamanga been as complete as in the
campaign, 10 desraction Of his enemies could
have obscurei the glory Of bis achievements
or checked the tide Of his popularity. Had
his directions 30 his subordinate generals
been carried out in the spirit in which they
were designed, there is no reason to suppose
that the battle would have resulted otherwise
than in brl.ian. victory to our arms.
On the morning Ct August 2sth. $50, the
Army Of the Cumberland lay stretched along
the north bank Of the Tennessee river from
; point opposite Chattanooga TO the fosds
below Stevenson, Alaba "a but before night
. grand forvari movement had commenced
at the right, and the campaign Of Chicamau-
ga was opened. The army was now com.
posed Of the Goth corps, under McCook, the
l4iE, under Thomas. and the 2lst, under
Cri,senden. and small reserve corps under
Gordon Granger, the whole numbering npon
that August morning an effective force OF
$4,000. Before the battle, this force was re-
duced by sickness, details, 6c., to $4,000.
Chattanooga lay on the south bank Of the
river at the foot Of valley which opened in.
to the plains Of Georgia. 1t was Rosecrans'
plan to enter this valley far 10 the south o!
Chattanooga and thus flank the enemy out
| Of that stronghold, which was too strong to
be carried By direct assault. To accomplish
this object, q broad river and two high ran
ges Of the Cumberland Mountains must be
crossed. The obstacles to be overcome were
Of a far more complicated and serious nature
than any which had before confronted an
American army. But Rosecrans pushed for
ward with the utmost confidence in the abil.
ity Of his army to overcome not only the nat
ural obstacles in the way, but whatever other
distractions might be interposed By Gen.
Bragg. Criitenden was to approach Chat.
tanooga and occupy Lookout Mountain !;
Thomas to cross Sand Mountain, Lookout
Valley aud Lookout Mountain through Ste
vens' Gap, between twenty and thirty miles
south Of Chattanooga, and McCook to cross
the same ranges still farther 70 the south.
This programme Was carried out to the let
ter, and Bragg, finding bis communications
threatened, evacuated the coveted strong.
hold Of Chattanooga and concentrated bis
forces for the purpose Of attacking the corps
Of Gen. Rosecrans in detail and annihilating
bis whole army. Bragg's army had now been
50 largely augmented as to greatly exceed
that Of Rosecrans, and the arrival Of Long
street soon after gave him force Of over
10000 men. Thomas pushed bis way thro' |
Stevens Gap without difficulty, but The op |
position be Immediately after encountered
developed the fact that Bragg had decided 10
6ght rather than run. lcC ook marched bis
corps across the mountains to Alpine, orer
'iA'F ui!ss south Of castsnzo-za