The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
"REMINISCENCES
OF Men and Events
OF THE CIVIL WAR.
By CHARLES A. DANA,
Assls,snt Secretary Of War fran 1859 to 1865.
I'm COUNCIL AND IN BATTLE WITH
RosECRANS AND THoMAS-A YIs-
III 4 BURNSIDE ATKNOxVILLE.

IN COUNCIL AND IN BATTLE WITH
RosECRANS AND THoMLs-A YIS-
TITO BURNSIDE ATKNOxVILLE.
From vicksburg / went carly in July to Wash
iurton to report TO the Secretary OF War. 1
was the first man to reach tho capital from
vicksburg, and everybody wanted to hear tho
story and to ask questions. 1 was anxious to
get homo and see my family, however. and left
for New York nsssoon as 1 could get away.
A few days after I arrived in Now York l re-
ceiyed an invitation to go into business there
with Mr.. Ketchum, a banker. and with George
Opdyke. the merchant. wrote Mr.. Stanton of
the opening, but he urged me to remain In the
War Department as one OF his assistants, which
Iconsented to do"
The first commission with which Mr.. Stanton
charged me after my appointment as his assist
ant was one similar to that which l had just
fnished-to go to Tennessee to observe and re-
port the movements of Rosecrans against Bragg.
MY orders were to report directly to Rosecrans's
headquarters. I carried tho following letter Of
introduction to that general:
WAR DEPARTMENT.
So WARRINGTON CITY. Aug. 80. 1888. J
lEujor Gen. Rosecrans. Commanding. DC.
GENERAL: This will introduce to you Charles A.
Dana, Esq, one of my assistants. who visits your
command for the purpose OF comforting with you
upon any subject which you may desire to have
brought to the notice OF the department. Mr.. DAM is
q gentleman of distinguished character. patriotism
and ability. and possesses the entire confidence of
the department. You will please anord to him the
courtesy and consideration which he merits, md ex.
plain to him fully any matters which you may desire.
through him. to bring to tho notice OF the department.
Yours truly. EDWIN NJ. STANTON.
Al soon as my papers arrived. I left for my
post, going by Cincinnati and Louisville to
5000 n>N u
ger in command. As he and Gov. johnson
were going to the front in a day or two, I wait
cd to 60 with them. The morning after my ar.
rival at Nashville I went to call on johnson.
/ had never met him before. He was o short
aud stocky man, of dark complexion, smooth
face. dark hair, and dark eyes. and Of great de-
termination of appearance. When I went to
see him in his office the first thing he said was:
xviii you have a drink"
"Yes, I WILL" I answered. So he brought
out q jug Of whiskey, and poured out as much
as he wanted in a tumbler, and then made 1t
about half and half water. The theoretical,
philosophical drinker pours out a little whiskey
and puts in almost TO water at all-drinks it
pretty nearly pure; but when a man gets to
taking a good deal of water in his whiskey, It
shows he 10 in the habit Of drinking a good deal.
] noticed that the Governor took moro whiskey
than most gentlemen would have done, and I
concluded that he took it pretty often.
had o prolonged conversation that morn.
ing with Gov. johnson, who expressed himself
IN cheering terms in regard to the general condi-
ton Of Tennessee. He regarded the occupation
of Knoxville by Burnside as completing the per-
manentiexpulsion of Confederate power, and said
he should order a general election for the first
week in October. He declared that slavery was
destroyed.in fact, but must be abolished legally.
johnson WAS thoroughly in favor of immediate
emancipation, both as a matter OF moral right
and as an indispensable condition Of the largo
immigration OF industrious freemen which he
thought necessary to repeople and regenerate
the State.
On the 10th of September we started for the
front, going by rail to Bridgeport, on the Ten
nessee River. On reaching the town, we heard
that Chattanooga had been occupied by Crit
tenden's Corps of Rosecrans's army the day be-
fore. Sept. o; so the next day, Sept. IL. ! pushed
on there by horseback. past Shellmound and
wauhatchie. The country through which I
passed is a magnificent region of rocks and val.
leys, and ] don't believe there is anywhere a
finer view than that 1 had from Lookout Noun
tain as l approached Chattanooga.
AT CHATTANOOGA WITH ~RosEoRANs.
When I reached Chattanooga / at once went
to Gen. Rosecrans's headquarters and presented
my letter. Ho read 1t and then burst out in
angry abuse of the Government at Washing
ton. He had not been sustained, he said. His
requests had been ignored, his plans thwarted.
Both Stanton and Halleck had done all they
could, he declared. to prevent his success.
'Gen. Rosecrans,' / said. 81 have no authori-
ty to listen to complaints against the Govern.
ment. ] was sent here for tho purpose Of find
ing out what the Government could do to aid
you and have no right to confer with you on
other matters"
He at once quieted"down and explained his
situation to me. Ho had reached Chattanooga,
he said, on tho 10th, with tho last of Crittcn-
denis 1.-THE Twenty-first) corps, the town hay
ing been evacuated the day before by the Con-
federates. AS all the reports brought In
seemed to Indicate that the Confederates un-
der Bragg were in full retreat toward Rome,
Ga, Crittenden had Immediately started in
pursuit, and had'gone as far as Rlnggold. On
the night before, Sept. IL, 1t had seemed evil
dent that Bragg had abandoned his retreat on
Rome, and behind the curtain Of the woods and
hills had returned.
This was q serious matter for Rosccrans, II
true, for q. that moment his army was scat
tered over a line about fifty miles long. extend.
ing from Chattanooga on the north to Alpine
on the south. This wide separation of the
corps had boon necessary, Rosccrans told me,
because Of tho character of the country, there
being no way for an army to set through but
by the gaps in the. mountains, and these were
far apart. He pointed out to me the positions
on the map. Crittenden, with the 'rwenty-firS
Corps. was in tho valley of tho West Chicka.
manga, near'a place known as Lee and Gordon's
Mills; Thomas. who commanded the Four,
teenth Corps. was perhaps twenty-five miles
south Of Chattanooga, at Stevons's Gap, hay
ing crossed his troops over Lookout Mountain,
while McCook, with the Twentieth Corps. was
at Alpine. fully thirty-hve miles south of Crit.
tendon. The reserve, under Gordon Granger,
was still north OF the Tennessee. but rapidly
coming up.
AT GEN. THOMAS HEADQUARTERS.
The next day, tho 18th. / loft Chattanooga
with Rosecrans and his staff for Thomas's
headquarters, at Stevens's Gap. We found every
thing progressing favorabiy there. The move
monts for the concentration of tho throc corps
were going forward with energy. Scouts were
IL L. 81 ----N-l IT. l.