The National tribune., 1892-09-22

| to the future. Reinforcements from the Army
of the Potomac and other directions were com
ing in, with little for the troops and animals
already there to subsist on. News had com,
| that Grant was pushing forward and would b.
there in few days / sought Gen. Rosecrans
| the earliest moment to report" and deliver
my letters. / found him alone. He was as
serene as though nothing unusual had happened
| Although / was the latest conner from the out.
side world, and by route too. of the greatest
interest to the beaten and dispirtcd army be.
| cause 1t was the route over which lay the
line Of the retreat that was already talked Of
the General seemed to feel no interest In me
or the route by which had made my way to
Chattanooga; no mean feat, as others said. He
seemed not to wish to know what I knew OF
how l felt-the fact being. / was more dead
than alive from the hardships of the journey.
l had been caught in the disastrous rebel raid
of Wheeler in Sequatchie Valley and had
suffered from many exposures saying nothing
Of lack of food on Sand Mountain. Still. had
that would be useful, and was regarded
so by Gen. Thomas. Mr.. Dana, Assistant
Secretary of War, who was In constant
communication with the Government in
Washington, and many others also who at
once sought me for the information l was
able to give. Gen. Rosecrans asked me no ques-
tion about these things. He only wanted to
know what I had brought through that was
good to read, and was greatly pleased when
produced from q capacious pocket the latest
number of Harper's Magazine. and commenced
reading from its pages devoted to humor. He
laughed heartily over tho Jokes and told some
of his own. When / left the Generals quar-
ters after half an hour thus spent, would not
have supposed that anything unusual had
lately happened In that part of the world from
anything he had said.
I "a bn,.n n,p 20 oh IN ~
Stanton, sent about the same date had my first
interview with Rosccransi
Nothing can prevent tho retreat Of the army
from this place within a fortnight, and with a
vast loss of public property and possibly of life.
but the opening of this river" In
the midst ofall these difficulties Gen. Rosecrans
seems to be insensible to the impending danger,
and dawdles with trifes in manner which
can scarcely be imagined" with
plenty of jealous and energetic officers ready
to do whatever can be done, all this precious
time is lost because our dazed and may COM
mander cannot perceive the catastrophe that Is
cloae upon u.s. nor FIX his mind on the means
of preventing it. never saw anything which
seemed so lamentable and hopeless"
On retiring from the Generals room I was
the next moment with Mr.. Dana, under rapid
fire OF questions as to when / came, what I
knew-questions which soon after were put to
ME by Gen. Thomas and at least half dozen
officers whom had known In the East. from
all of whom learned that Rosecrnns was en-
gagged In studying maps and reports, meantime
keeping his spirits up for the work in such
ways as be found most seryiccable and conven-
icnt. A few days after no was relieved. 1t
was sad ending of campaigns that fill large
space in the history of the rebellion. and have
produced any amount Of discussion among mill
tary meu-a discussion which is still going on
among diminishing few. 1t is to be specially
observed that no one has disputed the grand
spirit and material of Rosecrans's army, tho
splendor of It's exploits at Chickamauga. and
the place to which that battle Is entitled not
only among the great battles Of tho rebellion
bat iu modern warfare throughout the world.
Years have softened the feeling which at the
time Of which I write existed toward Con.
Rcsecrans. and 1t is not unlikely that In some
respects the popular record of that day has also
been somewhat modified. On the General
himself 1t is probable influences of a like
character have not been wholly lost. He
lives quiet lifa in Washington, and draws
with equal regularity his two saIaries-one as
Register OF the Treasury, the other as a retired
Brigadier- Of the United States Army.