Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-27
RATTLE OF
General R-Osecrnns Points Ont
Where the Error Occurred
which Opened the Fatal Gap--
False Statements Corrected.
SAN Francisco, CAL, !
October 4, 1881.

AAAa M y = aIA. "a &AAH
Garfield, and Of his copies Of all
orders and military papers by which
he was able ITO show from a manifold
book the only order of General Rose
Grams during the battle of Chicka-
manga, which he (Garfeld) did not
write as Chief Of Staff, was the one
which, from the indefniteness Of its
wording, opened the fatal gap in the
Union Lines THAT was written by
Rosecraas, and was sent off without
being shown to him"
The above statements in quotation
marks are another ~outcropping of the
historic lies about Chickamauga which
began in a gigantic conspiracy
through the press to cover up the
crime against our country which was
perpetrated 10 sending the army OF
the Cumberland alone and unaided
over an almost barren wilderness,
across the Cumberland mountains, the
Tennessee river, the Sand mountains
and the Lookout range into the
mountains Of Northwestern Georgia,
one hundred and fifty miles from its
nearest base Of supplies, to encounter
the concentrated hosts OF the Conted-
erscy, Justly confident of victory, while
Grant, with the whole army OF Tenn
essee, was lying ~quieseent since Vicks-
burg. Burnside, with 1900 effeo-
tiyes, was sent two hundred miles
away into East Tennessee, where he
could not weigh a feather in the CON
test; the Gulf department, by its
expedition under Heron into Texas,
was wholly incapable of making any
diversion on the Cult coast which
would detain a single mai from our
front, and the army Of the Potomac
was so inactive as to permit Lee to
send Lsngstreets whole corps to join
in crushing US.
How utterly the quoted statement
perverts history will appear from the
following facts incOntrovertably at
tested by documentary evidence and
hosts Of living witnesses, viz:
l Il is we'll known to all members
Of my personal staff that it was always
my custom personally to write or die
tate all important orders for move
ments of troops, and no one, from the
chief Of staff down, was ever known
to write such ordrrs for my approval.
2. At Chickamauga this was SC
thoroughly the case that soon after
the battle General Garfield, engaged
with me in my Office, said: General
have you any idea how many order.
you dictated during the battle2"
replied: mo, 7 have not Said he.
well, have just been counting those
l wrote at your dictation, and there
are fifty" Major Bond, senior aid
was then asked how many | dictated
to him, and be counted fifteen. Be
sides these Captains Droullard and
Thomas had written several each, and
| think Colonel Simmons, Chief Com.
missary, and Colonel Ducat, Inspector
General, had also written some, but ]
have forgotten how many. Ny verba.
orders we're of course far more numer-
Gus. Hence the statement that Gen.
Garfield wrote all the orders buI
one" is in letter and spirit an unmiti
gated fslsehood, BY whomsoever mad
or circulated.
3. Rosecrans did not write thai
one which has been falsely represented
as indefinitely Worded," but it wai
written at my dietation, with Garfield
at my side hearing everything. WheI
Thomas sent to ask that Brannan'
division should be sent to his assist
ance, l directed his aide to tell Gen
eral Thomas that "Negley's division
was already on its way to him; tina
Brannan's should follow; to hold hi
ground at all hazards, aud il ~necessarI
/ would support him with the remain
der Of the army" Then, directing hi
aide to go to General BranDan, who's
division had only one brigade on thu
line between Reynolds division anC
Woods, and tell him TO obey Genera
Thomas orders, | told Major Bond t
order Wood TO close on Reynolds anC
support him" This was the orde.
said to have been SO ''indefnitel,
worded" as to have opened the iata
gap IN our lines.
A few more words as to the seque
Of these simultaneous orders will
show whence arose the pretense 0
ambiguity .in Woods order which
was Matched into life by the War De
partment as one of the many calumni
ties which it foisted into history, ant
how the fatal gap was opened 10 th.
Union lines, in lieu of that which
Woods division was to have close,
had Brannan Withdrawn his brigad.
from the line between Wood an,
Reynolds. When Brannsn receive,
his orders to withdraw, finding tn.
enemy opening the attack on his front
he sent to report this fact to Genera
Thomas asking, if. under these cir
cumstanees, be should still Withdraw
and was answered by no means.
When Wood received his order tn.
enemy's attack was also opening OF
his front; but, instead Of sending t
me, in plain view, not 600 yards of, L
report this fact or to General Bran
nan to inquire why his troops still bel,
the ground which Woods was TO clos
over and touch Reynolds, he with
drew his entire division from the line
marching around behind Brannan's t
the rear Of Reynolds, and out o
action, and thus opened the "fata
gap in the Union lines" which Gen
JEFF. G. Davis with soldier instinct
having but two brigades, attempted t
close, but was too light for his work
and his brave men were Obliged Il
recede before the impetuous tide 0
Confederates which poured through
striking the tail Of Van Cleye's col
umn, which, under orders, was movinI
toward Thomas, and isolating Sheri
dan, or our extreme right, from tn,
main body Of our army.
A.. 1t was not my custom 10 submit
my orders 10 the supervision Of IN.
chief Of staff, nor did General CARTEL,
ever occupy or suppose he occupied
the position Of inspirer or reviser 0
plans or orders, as the statement i'm
plies, although, probably, no chief o
staff ever enjoyed more intimate per
sonAl relations with his commander
/ have not read any OF the campaigl
lives Of General Garfield, but havI
seen extracts therefrom giving who'll,