Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-10
The 6arleld.Rosecrs,s Letter.

The Garfeld.Rosecrans Letter.
When ex-Secretary Blaine, in his
funeral Grafton before Congress, stated
that Garfield, on assuming his new
duties as chief of staff to Gen. Rosecrans,
6 found various troubles already we'll
developed and seriously affecting the
value and efficiency of the Army Of the
Cumberland, intelligent readers regard
ed the statement not as historically true,
but merely an intended compliment to
Mr.. Garfield's executive capacity. And
when Gen. Rosecrans punctured the
airy bubble and showed that the officers
and men of the Army Of the Cumber-
land were singularly united and free
from disssnsions, the matter was sup
posed to have been satisfactorily ended.
And when subsequently a letter from
Garfield relative to the battle of Chicka-
mauga was printed, wherein the writer
took the ground that that battle, instead
of being disastrous to the Union
arms" as Mr.. Blaine alleged, resulted in
the greatest possible advantages to the
Union cause and was essentially a Union
victory, almost everybody conceded that
Mr.. Blaine had been wholly misinformed
and that in his forensic efforts to do
honor Of Garfield he had overshOt the
mark and made statements having no
foundation in fact.
Mr.. Garfeld's confidential" letter to
Secretary Chase, however, seems TO show
that Mr.. Blaine's unfounded filings ut the
commander of the Army of the Cumber-
land and his great lieutenants were in.
spired by Mr.. Garfield himself and that
that gentleman, while holding the re.
sponsible and confidential position of
chief of staff to Gen. Rosecrans, had
not hesitated to abuse the confidence re-
posed in him, by writing " confiden
tial" letter to Secretary Chase, in which
he charges his chief and seventeen other
general officers. with being blind to the
advantages of the hour while he alone
was "the only one who urged upon the
general the imperative necessity of st rik'
ing Il blow at once, while Bragg was
weaker and we stronger than ever be
fore" And who were these blind
generals Of the Army of the Cumberland
who could not see what the illustrious
Garfield saw so plainly? Gen. Rosecrans
cOmmanderin-chief Gen. Geo. II.
Thomas the hero Of Chattanooga and
Nashville: Gems. Sheridan, Palmer,
McCook, Stanley, Granger, Johnson
Which, Schofield, Rousseau, Neg.
ley, Reynolds, Brannon, Baird. and
others like them, who had fought great
battles and won great victories, while
Garlield's only military achievement was
his command of small brigade and his
skirmish with Humphrey Marshall.
Gen. Rosecrans denounces the con.
fidential' letter as piece of the black.
est ireachery: as compound of un
truths and exaggerations; and its author
as person capable Of falsehood and
double-dealing, and fit subject for q
court-martial. 1t is amazing that Gar.
field should have been shallow and vair
enough to write such a letter. but more
amazing that any true friend Of hi:
should have consented to its publication
And who else than a prOfessed frieni
could have access to the letter, and who
among them all could have a motive t
see it in print except James G.. Blaine
who might use it as his warrant for glor
flying Garfield in his Grafton at the ex-
pense of Rosecrans and his generals
\ singular feature of the letter i:
that it is dated Nashville; July -
1868, while Rosecrans's army had more
than :. month before started from Muir
freesboro in pursuit of Bragg, had
driven him ont of his stronghold at Tul
lahoma, compelled him to cross the
Cumberland mountains and the Tennes
see river. and to seek safety in Chatta
nooga while Rosecrans himself at that
very time had his army concentrated
near the base of the Cumberland noun
tains and was making active prepara
tions for his wonderful campaign over
the mountains and into Northern Geor
gia-a campaign, the conception ard
brilliant execution of which is not sur
passed by any other during the war
Mr.. Garfield was evidently too far to TIN
rear when he wrote to Secretary Chas
to have correct idea of what Rosecran
had done, or intended to do.
By a vote of nearly two to one the Sen
ate yesterday passed the bill to prohibi
the incoming of Chinese labor.
IT is Bell Ringers VS.. Bull Ringers a
the county prison now and the pealing O
the bell browns the believing of the bulls
Some Of the Bull Ringers howl abou
Burkho!ier's bloodhound as if the brute
teeth were already fastened in tho seat
| Of their pantaloons.
| SIR Thomas V. COOPER can figure ou
80 delegates elect for Beaver and only
for Butler But then Cooper has no re
mainder interest in the Butler dele gates
| THE Western association of windo,
glass manufacturers net yesterday
Pittsburgh and unanimously resolved t
advance prices 8 to 5 per cent, accordin
to the quality OF the goods.
THE NeU Era praises Prison Inspecto,
| R;kvor onI Woouov 60, 1,o1r:r~ % o1o-