The National tribune., 1892-09-22

name not to his discredit as q military COM
manter. Were the task to be the fixing of
Rosecranss true place in the history of the war,
his exploits during its earlier days In what is
now West Virginia under Mcclellan would by
no means be overlooked, and one would linger
there long enough to decide how much of the
credit which went to McClellans account be-
longed to Rosecrans. Both Of those early actors
went to larger ields-the former in the East.
the latter in the West. Rosecrans'S operations
| in Kentucky and Tennessee cannot be lightly
| dismissed by saying that he failed at Chicka-
manga, although true it Is his military career
terminated there by his going to the rear as
the deliberate Judgment Of those who stood at
the head of affairs in Washington-a decision
| which was promptly acquiesced in then, but as
to the reasons for which time has probably
| done not little in some respects toward modi-
| flying them. Chickamauga brought new actors
| upon the stage, and Rosecrans was little heard
of after until he reappearad in political life after
the war was over. He still continues in public
| life, holding an important position under an
Administration with which he is not in SYM
pathy.
There can hardly be any doubt that had
Rosecrans won at Chickamauga and done
nothing damaging after he would have figured
largely in the line of Presidential possibili-
ties. As it was he kept precariously near shore
on the sea of politics without being eminent
expiring, and the General not being rich man,
Cleveland gave him an office with salary that
yielded fair support. He has held the place
thus far under Harrison, and no doubt will
continue to do so until his term expires. In
1859 he was placed on the Retired List as Briga-
der General. brief record of the Generals
life cannot fail to interest the reader. He was
born in Kingston, O., Sept. 6, 1919; was edu-
Gated at the United States Military Academy
at West Point, graduating July l, 1912; was
Second Lieutenant, United States Corps of En-
gineers, to April, 1913; was assistant to Col.
De Russy at Fortress Monroe to August, 1913;
was assistant Professor at the Military
Academy 1S44-1S47; was in charge of the
Notifications at Newport, r. l., 1s47-1652;
was in charge of sundry other Government
works until 1853, when he resigned; was
commissioned Chief Engineer of the State of
Ohio, with the rank Of Colonel, June 10, 1861;
also Colonel Of United States Volunteer In
fantry; was Brigadier- General United States
Army 1S61-1S67; was second in command to
Gen. Mcclellan in West Virginia, his brigade
winning tho battle at Rich Mountain, which
established the supremacy of the Union in
West Virginia; was commander OF the De-
partment of the Ohio, embracing the States of
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia,
1861, 1862, during which time West Virginia
was firmly established as State and freed
from guerrilla warfare for which he received
unanimous vote of thanks from the Legislatures
ofOhio and West Virginia; was appointed tosuc-
coed Gen. Pope in command of Union forces In
Mississippi, and won the battle of Iuka, Sept.
10. 1862; was commissioned Major, General of
Volunteers Aug. 16 1862, which commission was
subsequently, antedated March 49, 1862, aud
won the battle of Corinth, Oct g. A, 1862; was
relieved from command Oct. 10 and ordered to
Cincinnati; was placed In command of the
Fourteenth Corps Oct. q, 1862; and also of
the Department of the Cumberland. which he
reorganized. repaired railroads, fortified Nash
vile, fought the battle of Stone River Dec. 30,
1862 and won victory; pushed through to
the Tennessee River, rebuilding railroads and
bridges, crossing tho Cumberland Mountains,
driving the Confederate army before him, un-
til 1t made a stand at Chickamaugs, when the
famous battle by that name was fought Sept.
10, 90 1868; fell back on Chattanooga; on Oct.
10, 1863, was relieved of command and ordered
to Cincinnati to await orders; took command
of the Department of Missouri Jan. 20, 1864;
repeled the invasion of Gen. Price; was re-.
lieved Dec 16, 1864; was mustered out OF the
volunteer service; was put on waiting orders;
resigned his Brigadier- Generals commission In
1867 and went to California; was elected to
the 18th Congress as a Democrat over the Re-
publican candidate.
1t is probable that hardly less than q score of
volumes, great and small, have been written,
campaign of Rosecrans, ending with the battle
of Chickamauga The reader of almost any
one of these will hardly fail to come to the
conclusion that he was at times man Of I'M
steady purpose, with an eye frequently on
aims and ends not always purely military;
that he was not always fortunate Ia selecting
those who would Immediately surround him,
know his plans and methods, and who ought
to have supported them. When Rosecrans, as
the necessary consequence of the battle of
Chickamauga, fell back on Chattanooga the
peril Of his army was imminent and for con-
siderable time it seemed as though further re-
treat over an impossible route or surrender
must be Its fate. That both of these contin-
gencies was seriously canvasscd is we'll attcsted
fact. Rosecrans went; Grant came. Relief was
found by the consummate enterprise and un.
doubted genius displayed Of cutting out Look
out Mountain and taking Browns Ferry, the
credit Of which belongs to Gen. William T.
Smith, though others have claimed share of
1t, followed by the battle Of Missionary RIDGE
the plan of which formed a part Of the Same
display of genius; events that constitute a
passage in the history of the war scarcely
equaiied by others at any other time or place.
In planning for these events, In executing these
plans, Rosecrans had no part. When he rode
away from Chattanooga his army, which In
numbers and appointments had been excelad
only by the Army of the Potomac, was 10 close
siege, Win an extremely doubtful late before
It; siege In which, as Grant testiies not less
than 10000 animals died of starvation and tho
men suffered almost incredible hardshlps. OF
this army 1t Is to be said that at Chickamauga
IL fought battle that Is scarcely matched for
heroism which Is proved by the percentage of
its losses History is just in giving no small
part of the credit of what was done to Gen.
Thomas, who succeeded to tho command when
Rosecrans, by the order of the Government,
rode away from recent scenes OF vaor and dis
aster to await orders at Cincinnati.
He bed failed Such was the meaning of
the order that sent him to the rear. It was the
verdict Of public sentiment, overwhelmingly
so, at the time. How far the Investigations of
later times, with better knowledge perhaps,
of all the facts and fuller appreciation Of
mitigating circumstances industriously Get
forth. have tended to qualify this verdict.
will not attempt to say. Tho action of Con-
gress restoring Rosecrans to his old rank of
Brigadier- General and retiring him for life,
suggests something of this kind, though such
action did not eface from history the dreadful
field of Chickamauga; the gloom that at once
oppressed the whole country; the distressing
uncertainty that Immediately followed; the
siege Of Chattanooga AS the dreadful penalty of
plans that miscarried, and faults that 1t Is USE
less to inquire into al this late day.
Tidings OF the battle of Cbickamauga
created little less than CONSERVATION in the
East. Expectation was on tiptoe for
victory of great magnitude. When over
whelming defeat was foreshadowed by the
earlier reports this feeling went down to zaro.
- - - ..,-t