The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-03
MR. nLAINE.H ERRnRs
Corrected By a speech by Gen. Garnel,
ON the Battle OF OEChIckamRuEa.

t NAa sSN AAeNhAN 0N
WARRINGTON, March ga speech 0
General Garfield himself In the very hal
where Mr.. Blaine spoke Monday, afford
the most complete answer to one Of th,
two grave errors into which Mr.. Blaine iel
in referring TO the Army Of the Cumber
land and the battle Of Chickamauga. In
regard to the latter point Mr.. Blaine sait
OF General Garfield:
"His military duties on the memorabl,
field Of Chickamanga, q field which, how,
ever disastrous to the Union arms, gave tC
him the occasion OF winning imperishablt
lanrelS. The very rare distinction WIS ac
corded him Of great promotion for M
bravery on n field that was lost"
On the 18th Of February, 1854, while a
member Of the House with Mr.. Blaine in
the Thity.eighth Congress, in discussing
and favoring resolution OF thanks to Gen,
Thomas for the battle OF Chickamaura,
Gen. Garfield moved to include the name
Of Gen. Rosecrans, and said:
This resolution proposes to thank Mai.
Gen. Thomas and the officers and men
under his command for gallant services In
the battle Of Chickamauga, II meets nv
hearty approval for what it contains, but
my protest for what It does not contain, /
should be recreant In my own sense OF ins.
tice did allow this omission to pass with.
out notice. No man here Is ready TO saw.
and II there be such man am ready 10
meet him, that the thanks Of this Congress
are not due to Maj. Gen. W. S. RoseGrans
for the campaign which eliminated in the
battle Of ChiCkamauga. It Is not uncommon
throughout the press Of the country, and
among many people, to speak OF thai battle
rs great disaster to the army Of the
United StatGs,a and to treat OF Il as a defeat.
II that battle was defeat we NAV welcome
a hundred such defeats. should be glad
II zach OF our armies would repeat Chicka-
maugl. Twenty such would DESTROY the
rebel army and the Coniederacy, utterly
and forever. Whit was that battle, ter.
minating, as 1t did, great campaign.
whose object was to drive the the rebel
army beyond the Tennessee. and 10 obtain
toothold on the south bank Of that river,
which should form the basis Of future
operations in the Gulf States? We had
never yet crossed that river, except far be.
low, in the neighborhood Of Corinth.
Chattanooga was the gateway OF the Cum.
berland mountains and until we crossed
the river and held the gateway we could
not commence operations in Georgia. The
army was ordered 10 cross the river to
grasp and hold the key OF the Cumberland
mountains. It did not cross, in the face OF
Of superior numbers; and after two days Of
lighting, more terrible, believe, than any
since this war began, the Army Of
the Cumberland hurried back dis.
comftted and repulsed, the combined
power oil three rebel armies, gained the key
to the Cumberland mountains, gained
Chattanooga, and held it against every as.
sault II there has been more substantial
success against overwhelming odds since
the war began have not heard Of it. We
have had viCtories-GOd be thanked-all
along the line, but in the history OF this
war ! know of no such battles against such
numbers; 10000 against no less by a man
5000. After the disaster to the right wing
In the last bloody afternoon Of September
20, 25,00O men OF the Army OF the Cumber-
land stood and met 10000 hurled apainst
them; and tley stood in their bloody tracks
immovable and victorious when night
threw its mantle around them. They had
repelled the last assault Of the rebel army.
Who commanded the Army OF the Cum
berland? Who organized, disciplined, and
led it? Who planned its campaigns? The
General whose name is omitted in this
resolution, Major General W. S Rosecrans.
No one supposes that Mr. Blaine intend
ed to do any injustice in any direction. He
only accepted as true very prevalent error
in regard to the battle he mentioned.