The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-25
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nOsecrnnA Removal.
Editors iniCllIgeuccr.
Much comment has been elected BY III
now famous Garfield. Chase letter, and pei
hars enough has been said on the subject
But the discussion has strayed for from
the text Of the letter, and the occasion
been used for mallgning the memory o
Garfield by creatures whose knees wonl,
smitc like BelshaEzer's were the dead her,
to rise from his grave and confront them
Garaeld's letter was written July 81, 1863
n month before Chtckamauga, and re
terrcd to the general donothing policy O
k!osecrans, whose chief Of staff he was, bu
the regent arguments seem to refer TO tn
merits Of that battle.
AT HRt the question Of the aathensieis,
OF the letter was raised. This, however
being conceded, the other points followed
AS Chief Of Staff, did Garfield exhibit bat
taith in writing 'Confidentiap' letter t
one, high In authority and persona
friend, concerning whit he regarded as o
vital importance to the Union? We arr
glad he wrote that letter, for it shows clear
~ the comprehensive sagacity Of its author
and his earnest desire for the success o.
our army. We declare rs the senti
ment Of the Army Of tho Cumber
land at the time, that there is not q
single chapter in the history Of that Letter
but clearly proves 1t Cminentiy true and
wise. Stone River was was fought about
New years. Tie army remnine1 inactive
afterwards, summing itself till June 9th
When "the boys" got their breath aitel
Stone river, they wanted at their old foe
again, and from spring on the mir was
quick all through That inyincible army
except 1t seems, ut tho headquarters o.
seventeen Generals, with the inquiry
"Why don't Rosecrans' mover" Grant was
laundering away on our right, and the
Potomac Army on the left was doing gall.
ant battle, while the great centre, the Army
oil the Cumberland, Is, 900 strong, in excel.
lenthealth, good spirits, anxious Tor the fray,
confronted by 4l00O Rebels, and yet,
month alter month, was held back in
most propti0us weather. viii some Of
Garlield's defamers tell us for what? Let
their RoseCrans, who has been declared by
one OF them us 'the great General and
worth a thousand Gartelds," answer
I'VE must wait till hecrops grow. Besides
by remaining quiet in Bragg's presence
We can hold hin fast aud prevent his
forces from reinforcing Pemberton and
raising the setge Of Vicksburg." Now was
not this grand Genenlship? But Rose.
Grams justified himself on the ground that n
council oil war seventeen out OF eighteen Of
his Generals) endorsed his plans. That
one dissenting General was, thank God,
General James A. Garfield, whom the dis.
charge OF u holer ind more exalted duty
than any implied fealty to man land that
man manifest incompetent), wrote II
"condcntiaP letter to one whom he he.
lieved had right to know. This is the
crime for which his memory Is assaulted,
not DETAINED, for it is so enshrined in the
hearts OF his countrymen and the world MS
to be beyond the reach Of the ghouIs who
prowl about his grave.
There is not, We repeat, single sentence
or intimation in that letter that will not
bear the severest test in the crnCiblc OF
time. And 1t Simply reflected the uuiyer.
sui opinion OF the whole army.
Rosecrans' Generalship was to hold
Bragg still, while "the boys" were chat.
ing TO spring upon and destroy him, And
Garfield told the truth when he so wrote
Chase. An old fellow once, on stormy
night leaped from his bed and out into
the cold, putting himself between n neigh.
boris dog and its home, and when remOn.
strated with by his vile, declared his pur.
pose to remain there till he lroze the dog
to death. 1t is supposed Rosecrans got
his strategic cue from this incident. What
was the result? June q, the army turned
its face toward its old antagonist at Tulla-
homa. a fearful rain set in which lasted
some sixteen days. Wagons were wreck
ed and swamped, AMI the roads we're i'm.
pNssable. And yet the pent up esprit de
corps OF the army impelled it with resist.
less power against Bragg, and in ten days
tie was seeking safety beyond the Tenucs.
see. We crept OH after him and toward
Chattanooga, our objective point, which
was reached by the Ith corps, under
Crittenden, on the afternoon. OF Sep.
TENDER 9th. Chattanooga was ours!
Thomas and McCook were to our right.
BIagg was at Rockilsh Springs, south Of
Lee 4 GordOn's mill. about twenty miles
from Chattanooga. The battle of ChickN-
manga, with all its attendant horrors.
SHOULD have been avoided. Why not call
in Thomas and McCook? They were only
few miles south Of us; and il Bragg want.
ed to fight us let him attack us behind
our own chosen works Our position was
lmpregnable and our prowess amply sufIi-
clcnt to have crushed him. September OH,
Harkers brigade was ordered on scout.
ing tour to hunt up Bragg, while every.
body knew Just where he was. We went,
and every dog that barked ut us, every
bird that twittered, every breeze that met
us, told us Bragg was at RoCkhsh. This
was another slice Of the piece Of "the almost
fatal delay" OF which Garfield wrote to
Chase.
We were kept in disjointed condition,
McCook not joining us till September Goth,
till Lougstreet, from Guinness Station, Va.
joined Polk from the west, reinforcing
BraGg, and from that moment he forced
the lighting, till he extorted from Rose
Grams the following dispatch:
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, September 90.
TO D. N. Stanton, Secretary Of Var.
My army has been whipped and routed
w. S. RosEcRANs,
Iongstrect from Virginia, Polk from the
Wcst-All in time TO oyerwhelm ns-anG
and YET il took us from the 9th till the 10th
to meet at d Gentral point, only about
twenty miles distant. Did this not fully
vindicate Garfield in every word he wrote
and stamp his uitennces rs the words Of
truth and wisdom? On that fatal Septem.
Der Goth the writer had q vast hospital in
terest in charge, near CraYfsh Springs
RoseCNns' original headquarters on tina
field, an ominous locality. McCook,s
corps, bcGrimmed with dust, care.worn
and weary, fled past US and went into
action, and every hour the clear indica.
tIona were, as the roar OF battle rcCeded
northwarl toward Chattanooga, that we
were being severely pressed and driven.
Hundreds OF LongStreet's wounded were
with us, and the evergreen grove was n
grand ctiNrnsl house. We felt apprehen.
siye OF he situation and rode harfiedly to