Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-03-16
GEN. GARFIELD AND GEN. ROSE
GRAMS.
An Unpublished Letter from Garfield to Mr..
Chase, Complaining Against Rosecrans.

W. L JEAN WV NEhNOhs nave lOT
long time wanted to write to you,
not only to acknowledge your last
kind letter, but also TO say some
things confidentialIy on the move
ments in this department; but [
have refrained hitherto, iesG | do
Injustice to good man, aud 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 OF me, 10 scquaint you with
the condition of affairs here.
cannot conceal from you the
fact that have beea greatly tried
and dissatisfied with the slow pro-
gress that we have made in this
department since the battle of
Stone River. | will say in the
outset that it would be in the high
eat degree unjust to say that the
162 days which elapsed between
the battle of Stone River and the
next advance of this army were
spent in idleness or trifling. Dur
ing that period was performed the
enormous and highly important Ia
Dor which made the Army Of the
Cumberland what it il, in many
respects by far the best the couB-
try has ever known. But for
many weeks prior to our late move
ment, l could not but feel that
there was not that live and earnest
determination to fling the great
weight of this army into fhe scaie
and make iis power felt ~ crush.
ing the she'll Of the rebellion. {
have no words to tell y0u with
how restive and unsatisfied spirit
l waited and plead for striking "a
sturdy blow. [ eould not Justly
say We were in any proper condi-
tiou 10 advauc till the early days
of May. Al that time the strings
began to draw sharply upon the
rebels, both on the Mississippi aud
in The East. They began to fear
for the safety OF Vicksbutg, and bee
fore the middle of May they began
quietly to draw away forces to aid
Pemberton. 1 plead for an ad-
vance, but not till June began did
Gen. Rosecrans begin seriously 70
mediate an immediate movement.
The army had grown anxious with
the exception of its leading Geper-
ais, who seemed blind To the adj
vantages of the hour. In the first
week of the month council of war
was called, and out of eighteen
Generals whose opinion was asked
seventeen were opposed to an ad-
vance. / was the only one who
urged upon the General the imper.
ative necessity of striking blow
at once. while Bragg was weak
er and We stronger than before. L
wrote u careful review Of the opin-
ions of the Generals, and exhibited
the fact, gathered from ample
data, that we could throw 65 900
bayOnets and sabres against
Bragg's 41,0G0, sllo wing the most
liberal estimates of his force. This
paper was drawn up on the Sth of
June. After its presentation, and
"a full canvassing Of the situation,
an advance was agreed upon; at
it was delayed through days which
seemed months to me, till the oath,
when it was begun and endsd with
what results you know. The VIE
dom of the movement was not on
ly vindicated, but the seventeen
dissenting Generals were compell-
ed to confess that, il the movement
had been made ten days earlier,
while the weather was propitious,
the army OF Bragg would, in ali
human probability, no longer ex-
ist. | shall never cease to regret
the sad delay which lost us 81
great an opportunity to inflict
mortal blow upon the centre OF the
rebellion. The work OF expelling
Bragg from Middle Tennessee &C.
cupied nine days and ended July
3. leaving his troops in u most dis
hearfened and demoralized condi-
ton, while our army, with loss
of less than 1000 men, was, in few
days, fuller of potential fight
than ever before.
On the 18th inst. the bridges
were rebuilt, and the cars were in
full communication from the Cum.
berland to the Tennessee. | have
since then urged with all the earn
estness | possess rapid advance,
while Bragg's army was shattered
and under cover, and before John
stOn and he could effect a junction.
Thus far the General has been sim
gularly disinclined to grasp the
situation with strong hand, and
make the advantage his own. Il
write this with more sorrow than
! can tell you, for | love every
bone in his body, and, next to my
desire to see the rebellion blasted,
is my anxiety to see him blessed.
But even the breadth of my love
is not sufficient to cover this al
most fatal delay. My personal re-
lations with Gen. Rosecrans are
all that could desire. Officially,
| share his counsels and response
bilities even more than / desire,
but | beg you to know that this de.
lay is against my judgment aud
my every wish. Pleasant as are
nay relations here, I would rather
command battalion that would
follow and follow and strike and
strike than to hang back while
such golden moments are passing.
But the General and myself be.
lieve that | can do more service in
my present place than in COM
maDd of division, though am
aware that it is position that
promises better in the way Of pro-
motion or popular credit. But if
this inaction continues long, |
shall ask to be relieved and sent
somewhere where l can be part of
working army.
But | do hope that you will soon
hear that this splendid army is at
least trying to do its part in the
great work.
IL the War Department has not
4 Il.