New-York tribune., 1882-03-12
CAMPAIGN OF CHATTANOOGA
GARFIELD AND ROsECRANs.

USELESS SLAUGHTER BY ONE WHO WAS THERE.
TO the Editorof The Tribune.
SIR: Nothing IN his disputatious career was ever
more characteristic of General William S. ROsecrans
than his recent card denying the accuracy Of Mr.
Blane's statements about the Army of the Cumbcr
land embodied in the lattcr's magnificent
eulogy of President Garfield "Old Rosy"
is nothing if not critical" His criticisms
are usually of his friends rather than of his foes
and like most persons of the critical tempera ment
he cannot endure ccnsure. Rosecranss orders and
dispatches are full Of criticism, not only of his
subOrd mates but even of his supericTs. Much of
the oppOsi tion and cnmity which IIalleck bore him
was provoked by Rosecranss unfortunate habit of
criticism not only of Hallcck's plans as Commander
n-Chief of all the armies but even of the grammar
Of his orders. do not believe that Rosecrans could
honestly fail to make some sort of objection to
any orders his temperament would not permit him
to keep silent.
The time as well the tone of General ROsecrans's
late rejonder to Mr Blaine unfortunate f; 1t
was worded and published in language and at
time that the distinguished orator might have justly
thought discourteous. Mr. Blame, | believe, has
paid no attention either tolhe card to the CIR
cumstances Of it, untimely publication; but some
body has gwen TO the papers a letter of General
GaIfeld's to Secretary Chase dated July 27. 1853,
which is in itself very appropriate response TO
General Rosecrans, and fully jusiiiics Mr.. Baines
statements that there was jealousy among Rose
cranss officers and that the Battle of Chckamauga
was sad reverse to our troops. Some doubt has
been thrown upon the genuineness of this letter, but
il bears every impress of having been written by
General Garfield, and moreover, il is true and just
But General Rosecrans is not content with cTiti-
csm of what Mr.. Blaine said; he must needs take
him to ask for what he omitted to say | quote
from the card:
a few sentences further on Mr.. Blaine saws:
His military duties closed on the memorable field
of Chickamauga, n field which. however disastrous
to the Union armies, gave TO him the occasion for
winning impcrishablc laurcls.' He might, wlh
justice, have added. as Garfield would have added
and to the key OF the South the objective
point of the campaign, ChattanOoga'"
1t is Of far importance to the truth of history
that this falacy about Chickamaugis having been
a necessary 6ght and successful battle should he
dcstr yed than that Mr.. Blaine should be sustained
in what he asserted or omitted to say. The omission
in this case by Mr. Blame was just as true as what
he said and what he said of Garhclds military
career was fair. Mr.. Blaine was night to omit say
ing, and General Rosecrans is wrong-he has been
for years pcrsistently and wilfully wrong in NAM
tanning the false pOstion-that the Battle of
Chlckamauga gave the stronghold of Chatta-
nOoga, and that it was necessary to fight the
battle in order TO retain the fortress Nothing
could be- further from storcal truth. "'Ts as
false as an official report" The Battle of Chick
amaugI a most useless slaughter of noble
troops. and never recall The scenes Of that day
without cursing the bunders that provoked it. 1t
The most unueces ary battle fought in our great
Civil War. One corps Of our troops was in secure
possession Of Chattanooga for ten days before the
Battle of Chickamauga was fought. Our whole
army of 10 900 men could have been concentrated
there and behind forihcatons week before the
battle was forced by the enemy If R0sccrans h'd
beeu minded. he advised by Garfield
and others and ordered by Hallcck. 1t
could have marched into the position without
the ~lightest danger of interruption from the enemy
while on the march for between the two antagonls-
tic armies Law ridge of mountains ], 400 feet high
which would have protected any movement by us
by the flank for the purpose of concen ration. Rose
crans's army. once i'll Chattanooga, un>hattcrcd by
needless struggle, as at Chickamaugl cOLlt have
held Chattanooga through the siege which followed
and conld have protected its own communications
by simply holding the mountain passes. The army,
shattered 10y a disastrous battle. did this for two
months after It was beaten. but it had eventually to
call fer help to raise the siege aud push the enemy
back TO the point to which he had voluntarily re-
treated before the Bat.l of Chckamauga was
fought. OF all the official lies ever read or heard
the official report of Chickamauya, where almost
everybody but Thomas and Ste edman and Granger
ran away is the biggest.
General Rosecraus bad to be kicked into under
taking the campaign of Chattanooga. He argued
against the advance from MurfreesborO and again
from the Tennessee River, which Garfield begged !
and urged and IIalleck ordered, until the latter in
formed him that the orders for the advance were
peremDtory august . 1863. Still ii was nearly
month after this final aud impatient dispatch of
IIalleck's that Rosecrans crossed the Tennessee.
He could have done it in week. When finally he |
seized the gaps Of Lookout Mountain September |
9 he found that Bragg had evacuate Chattanooga |
and in full retreat as lIo'ecrans believed, into
Georgia That instant Rosecrans lost his head. !
That instant his suail's pace changed "A forced |
march He ord red his three corps on dIverging lines
III general pursuit OF the enemy instead Of call
ing them in on lines cOnveTgng upon the stronghold
which was the objective point of the campaign"
When it discovered on September 10, by
Thomas's advance. under General James 5. Negley, |
that the enemy not running away but was con-
centrard eager and anxious TO strike the Of
the advancing army Rosecrans actually con-
demned Thomas for his delay; he criticized the
cautious and sensible Negley, and unadyisedly |
ordered further advance and further separation of
the three corps. Happily, however, he gave General
Thomas authority to recall the right wing, com
manded by General McCook. then twenty miles
away THIS Thomas. taking advantage of his
authority, at once did, and happily IN time to
save the imperilled corps, even then
week before the Battle of Chickamauga. the
two corps of Tho mas and McCook could have been
safely marched behind Lookout Mountain into
Chattanooga to join Crittendens corps in the town
without risking n ration In the face OF the
reinforced enemy and fight in the open field to
hold lines of retreat on Chattanooga Rosecrans
chose 10 do this and imperil army Of 50 900 men,
rather than admit that his campaign was wrongly
planned.
OF the history of great events like the
campaign of Chattanooga. 1t is per