The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-03-18
rm oAWmD I1fF1R.

The publication Of the letter which
the late President wrote to Governor
Chase Conserving General Rosecrans
has created . greater sensation In the
East, than any other event which has
occurred since the assassination Of its h
mentedanthor. 1t has done more. 1t has
oecasioned unmixed grief in the minds
Of the friends Of the dead President
throughout the country. 1t were better
had it been destroyed long ago. That an
officer occupying the confidential posi-
ton of chief of staff should, ut the close
o; q brilliant campaign, in which Cen
eral Rosecrans had by mastery move
n,ent forced the enemy to abandon u
strong position, and surrender all middle
Tenn, seek to undermine the popularity
Of his commanding Genera! is almost
beyond belief. 1t is said army officers
at Washington are united in con.le,nna-
ton Of the letter. The worst enemy Of
Mr.. Garfield could not have struck 4
harder blow ut his memory than the
publication of that letter dealt. It is
stated an old and warm friend OF Mr..
Garfield after reading it said: II would
rather his enemies had resurrected do
zen Credit MoLilier scandals than to
show James a. Garfield guilty Of du-
plicity. 1t has not hurt Rosecrans in
the least, but even I; ii had damned his
reputation forever, there is no excuse for
the letter." The letter was given, among
other letters and papers of the late Chief
Justice, to Mr.. Shuckers, private secrr-
tary Of the late Mr. Chase, by Mrs.
Chase, to aid him in writin. the biO.ra-
ply of her husband. The following is u
true copy:
Confidential.
HEADQUARTERS DEpARTMENT)
OF THE CUMBEHLAND.
NASHVILLE, July -, 1863. }
lIv Dear GOr rnOr:
have for U long time wanted to write
you, not only to acknowledge your last
kind letter, but also to say some things
cOnffdentially on the movements in this
department. But I have rcfr.ined
hitherto, lest do injustice to good
man, and say to YOU things which
were better left unsaid. We have now,
however. reached point upon which
feel it proper and also due to that kind
opinion which believe you have had
" me, to acquaint you with the cOntli-
tioi Of affairs here. I cannot conceal
from you the fact that ] have been
greatly tried and dissatisfied with the
slow progress that We have made in this
department since the battle of Stone
River. will say in the outset that it
would be in the highest degree unjust
to say that the 162 days which apse.l
between the battle of Stone River and
the next advance of the army were
spent in idlencss and trifiing. During
that period was performed the enormous
and highly important labor which made
the army Of the Cumberland what it is.
in many respects by far the best the
country has ever known. But Tor many
weeks prior to our last movement, I
could not but feel that there Was not
that live and earnest determination to
fling the great weight Of this army into
the scale and make its power elt in
crushing the shell OF the rebellion. 1
have no word, to tell you with how
FESTIVE and unsat;stie.i spirit waited
and pleaded for str kin. Il sturdy
blow. could not justly say
we were in any proper condition
to advance till the early Gays Of
May. At that time the strings to draw
sharply UPON t;.e reiels were ,oth on the
Mississippi anal in the East. They began
to lear iOr the safety OF Eicksbury. un..
before the middle of May they began
quietly to draw away force, to aid Penn
tnrlOn. 1 pleaded :or an advance. Eut
not till June began did Grn. EnacIal,s
begin seriously to mediate All in,ine.l;-
ate movement. Tie array hat. .;Gwn
anxious with the exception o: its lea
ing Generals, who scented blind t. the
advantage OF the hour.
IL the first week Oit;,c ,,,unii Il conn
Gil o! war WAS allied, :sn,: OFT uf,iy!ltccn
Geilrr:ls w:Irsc opinions were asked
seventeen were Up N$e,i tOan advance.
| was the only one who urged UPON the
Gent raj the imperative necessity O:stiik-
Ing Il blow ut once, while Bragg Was
weaker aud VIC stronger than ever iW-
fore. | wrOtca careful review oi til"
opinions Of the Generals, AMI exhibited
The fact, gathered from ample data, that
We could throw :5.'xI| h.yoncts, ami
sabres against BraGg's IL ,'nHi, and allow
ing the most liberal estimate OF his inrcc
This ialHr WAS drawn up On the Sth o,;
June. Alter its presentation. and Il lul!
canvass of the situation, an advance was
agreed upon, but it Was delayed through
days. which seemed months to me, till
the 334tl, when it was begun and ended
with what results you know. The wis
dO':; OF the movement WAS not only vim
Dictated, but the seventeen dissenting
Generals were compelled to confess thai.
If the movement had been made ten,
days earlier, while the weather
Was prOpitious. the army ef Bragg:
would. in all human probability, no lon
ger exist. shall never cease IL regret
the sad delay which lost lis 50 ,:re:.t an
opportunity t" iniiict 4 mortal blow
upon the center 0t the 'cb..!:inn. Bra..
from Middle TVnn'>S>e occupied nine
DAYS. ana ended July 3, lya>i ing his
troops in Il most dis!I.:rtvntd and de-
ni"r:.lizr.l condition. while our army,
with Il lass Of less than 1870 men, was
i'll !: few days fuller of potential fight s;
than ever before. On Tic iSth last. ll.c |
hpial.r..s r.,l>,,stf Il!