Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-03-13
Monday Morning, March 10. 1882.
GARFIELD AND RosECRANs.

The reference in Senator Blaine's eulogy
to some incidents in General Garfields mill
tary career has started new and unpleasant
controversy General Rosecrans made haste
to deny some of the assertions of Mr.. Blaine
in regard to discords in the Army of the
Cumberland at the time when General Gar
field became his chief of staff and also the
statement that the battle of Chickamauga was
a defeat of that army. Then what was said
to be q confidential letter from General Gar
field to Salmon P Chase, written in July,
1868, was published. In this letter General
Garfield charged Rosecrans with slowness
and indecision, and claimed that delay of
ten days in the campaign had rendered it less
successful than it might have been. But he
also expressed the strongest respect and af-
lection for his commander, in such words as
these: 81 write this with more sorrow than
I can tell you, for love every bone in his
body, and next to my desire to see the re-
bellion blasted is my anxiety to see him
blessed" General Rosecrans is aturally
much stirred up over this letter. He denies
that General Garfield urged expedition or
found fault with delay. He thinks the let
ter was ''the blacklist treachery," and says if
he had thought Garfield guilty of writing
such "untruths and Misrepresentation" he
would have court martialed him. He intends
to ascertain for certain that General Garfield
wrote the letter in question, and then to
make reply to it, if genuine.
The existence of the letter from Garfield
to Chase has been limited at before. About
two years ago the New York Sun said some
thing which disturbed General Rosecrans,
who wrote to Garfield concerning the matter.
In reply he received a letter dated January
10, 1880, which contained the following;
I can only say, in absence of the article
itself, that any charge, whether it comes from
Dana or any other liar, to the effect that l
was in any sense untrue to you or unfaithful
to our friendship has no particle of truth in
1t. On my way from your army to Washing
ton L met Mr.. Stanton at Louisville, and
when he denounced you in vigorous language
I rebuked him, and earnestly defended you
against his assaults. | did the same, as you
remember, in the House of Representatives
very soon after entered that body. If you
will send me Dana's article, or if can find
a copy of it, will, if you think best, write
and publish reply. 1t is true that [ was an
occasional correspondent of Secretary Chase.
Several times while was your chief of staff
he wrote me in regard to the progress of the
war and asked my opinion various ques-
tons connected with it, but fearlessly chal-
lenge oil the rascals in the world to publish
any such letters written by me, They are
welcome to all the capital they can make out
of them.
The defence of General Rosecrans in the
House OF. Representatives which is alluded to
in this letter contains nothing that seems
like "the klackest treachery." A resolution
thanking General Thomas and the officers and
men under his command for gallant service
in the battle of Chickamauga was before the
House. General Garfield spoke as follows:
1t meets my hearty approval for what it
contains, but my protest for what it does not
contain. I should be recreant to my own
sense of Justice did l allow this omission to
pass without notice. No man here is ready
to say and if there be such q man, l am
ready to meet him, that the thanks of this
Congress are not due to Major General W. S.
Rosecrans for the campaign which eliminated
in the battle Of Chickamauga. 1t is not
uncommon throughout the press of the
country and among many people to speak of
that battle as disaster to the United States,
and to treat of it as defeat. If that battle
was "a defeat we may welcome a hundred
such defeats. We have had victories God
be thanked all along the line, but in the his
tory of this war l know of no such battle
against such numbers, 40, 900 against an army
of not less by man than 10 600. After the
disaster to the right wing on that bloody af-
ternoon of September 20, $4,000 men of the
army of the Cumberland stood and met TO-
900 hurled against them, and they stood in
their bloody tracks immovable and victorious.
When night threw its mantle around them
they had repealed the last assault of the rebel
army. .xWho commanded the army of the
Cumberland? Who organized, disciplined
and led it? Who planned its campaigns?
The general whose name is omitted in this
resolution, Maj-G W. S. Rosecrans.
These are the main facts in the controversy
which have thus far come to light. General
Garfield certainly acted. the part of a true
friend to General Rosecrans in his speech in
the House. And if he wrote the letter to
Mr.. Chase which is now published few be-
sides General Rosecrans would find 1.-THE
blacklist treachery" in it.