Year: 1863




WASHINGTON, Nov. %.


1t is understood that the War Depart
ment will before long-probsbly in the
course of the present week-gratify the
public curiosity by the publication of the
reports of Gen. Rosecrans and his corps
commanders, concerning the Georgia
campaign, brought here some three weeks
ago by Gen. Garfield. 1t was first sup
posed that these documents would make
their appearance in print simultaneously
with the annual reports of the Secretary
of War and the General-in-C Chief, in which
the causes of Gen ROsecrans' removal are
expected to be stated in full, but the au-
thOrities seem to have determined on a
different course.


The public will be disappointed if it ex-
poets any enlightenment from the report
of Gen. Rosecrans as to his difficulties
with the government. The report was
finished and on its way to Washington be-
fore his fate was known to him. Hence,
he naturally confined himself to narra-
tive of the events of the campain. The
document, which is rather voluminous,
commences with an account of the time
and labor expended in the repairing of the
Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad to the
Tennessee River, which goes to show that
the Army of the Cumberland could not
well move earlier than it did. A full de-
scription of the topography of the theatre
of the offensive movements then follows,
conveying an idea of the great local obsta-
cles that had to be encountered, and de-
monstrating that the plan of operations
afterwards carried out south of the Ten
nessee was tie only practicable one The
latter was to make a feint direct advance
on Chattanooga with part of the army,
along the north and south bank of the
river, and to execute with the main body
flank movement upon the enemy's right,
by which it was expected either to compel
the enemy to abandon Chattanooga or
to bring the fankine column between
him and his line Of communication and
line of retreat. After the former con-
tingeDcy had occurred, and Chattanooga had
fallen into our hands, pursuing movements
were instituted under the impression that
the enemy was in full retreat towards
Rome and Atlanta, General Crittenden's
corps being directed to pursue ria Dali
ton, Gen. Thomas corps ola Lafayette,
and Gen. McCOok's corps ola Alpine and
Summerville. Upon ascertaining, howev-
er, the enemy to be concentrated near
Lafayette, counter concentration was
ordered in McLemore's Cove. This was
delayed some days by the failure of Nc
Cooks corps to take certain road, which
he had been ordered to follow On the
18th September, it was ascertained that
the enemy was trying to get between our
army and Chattanooga, and a movement
by the left ordered to prevent this This
movement brought on the first collision
on the 10Th Of the battle of the 10Th,
but little account is given The subor-
dinate is censured in connection with it
The author of the report says of it that it
was absolutely necessary to secure our
concentration in front of Chattanooga;
that in its course our army maintained its
ground everywhere, and gained its object,
namely: the control of the roads leading
through Rossville to Chattanooga


In connection with the battle of the
Goth, he says that not only the safety of
our communications, but that of the army
itself. depended upon it. He states that,
in the reformation of the line of battle
during the night and in the course of the
early forenoon, both Generals McCook and
Orittenden repeatedly failed to post and
move their commands as directed, where
by the result of the action was seriously
affected. Gen. Wood he makes responsible
for an unfortunate mistake in the execu-
ton of an order, by which the gap on the
right was created that resulted in the rout
of that part of the line In regard to his
going into Chattanooga before the battle
was over, he says that in the rout of the
right he was entirely cut off from the re-
mainder of the army, and that, after an un-
successful direct attempt to reach the left,
he determined to make another by way OF
Rossville. On arriving near that place, he
was informed that Negley was in fall re-
treat, and believing him to have been on
the extreme left, he concluded that the
whole army had given way, and deter
mined to 60 to Chattanooga to make prep
arations for the defence Of the place and
see to the safety of the pontoon bridges
across the Tennessee. At the conclusion
of the report, he speaks in rather brief
terms of the services of Gen. Thomas, and
bestows rather ambiguous praise upon
~ a ~ \ n "a u