the army of the cumberland-第46节

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own　as　〃Moccasin　Point。〃　　Crossing　the　river　at　the　town；　a　road　leads　southwest　across　this　point　on　to　the　other　side；　where　the　river；　as　it　sweeps　north；　is　reached　at　Brown's　Ferry。　　Shortly　after　passing　Brown's　Ferry；　the　river　again　makes　a　sharp　bend　to　the　south；　forming　another　point　of　land　running　northwardly。　　Across　this　point　on　the　east　bank；　as　the　river　passes　south；　is　Kelley's　Ferry。　　At　the　extreme　angle　of　this　bend　the　river　rushes　through　the　mountains；　which　here　crowd　down　closely；　forming　a　narrow　channel　through　which　the　waters　rush　headlong。　This　chasm　is　known　as　the　〃Suck。〃　　The　velocity　of　the　water　is　so　great　that　steamers　in　high　water　cannot　stem　the　current　at　this　point；　which　necessitated　the　landing　of　supplies　at　Kelley's　Ferry；　and　then　hauling　them　over　land　across　the　bridge　at　Brown's　Ferry　to　Chattanooga。

Immediately　after　the　battle；　under　orders　from　the　War　Department；　the　Twentieth　and　Twenty…first　Army　Corps　were　consolidated　and　designated　the　Fourth　Army　Corps　and　Gordon　Granger　was　placed　in　command。　　McCook　and　Crittenden　were　relieved　from　the　command　of　these　corps　and　ordered　North　to　await　a　〃Court　of　Inquiry；〃　〃upon　their　conduct　on　September　19th　and　20th。〃

By　War　Department　order　of　October　16th；　the　Departments　of　the　Ohio；　the　Cumberland；　and　the　Tennessee　were　constituted　〃The　Military　Division　of　the　Mississippi；〃　under　the　command　of　Grant。　　By　the　same　order　Rosecrans　was　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　Department　and　Army　of　the　Cumberland；　and　Thomas　was　assigned　to　that　command。　Halleck；　in　his　report　of　operations　for　the　year　1863；　says　this　change　was　made　on　the　recommendation　of　General　Grant。　　These　orders　were　promulgated　on　the　19th。

On　Rosecrans's　return　from　a　visit　to　Brown's　Ferry　and　Williams's　Island　on　the　19th；　where　he　had　been　with　William　F。　Smith；　his　chief　engineer；　making　his　plans　for　bringing　supplies　to　that　point；　he　found　the　order　awaiting　him　relieving　him　of　his　command。　Quietly　making　his　preparations　for　his　departure　that　night　over　the　mountains　to　Stevenson；　he　wrote　out　his　farewell　order；　to　be　printed　and　issued　the　next　day；　and；　without　even　bidding　his　staff　good…bye；　placed　Thomas　in　command　and　started　for　his　home　in　Cincinnati。　　Rosecrans；　in　the　summer　of　1862；　was　under　Grant　at　Iuka　and　Corinth。　　Here　some　hasty　criticism　made　by　him　brought　him　into　collision　with　Grant；　which　now　bore　fruit。

When　it　was　known　that　Rosecrans　had　been　relieved；　and　that　he　had　left　the　army　for　the　north；　there　was　universal　regret　that　the　troops　that　had　loved　and　trusted　him　should　no　longer　follow　his　skillful　leadership。　　Every　soldier　in　his　army　felt　that　he　had　a　personal　friend　in　〃Old　Rosy。〃　　His　troops　never　for　a　moment　faltered　in　their　devotion　to　him　or　confidence　in　him。　　They　felt　that　he　had　been　made　the　victim　of　a　foolish　interpretation　of　an　order　that　brought　ruin　and　disaster　upon　his　army；　for　which　he　was　not　responsible；　but　for　which　he　was　made　to　suffer。

General　Rosecrans；　to　his　subordinates；　was　one　of　the　most　genial　of　men。　　Kind　and　good…natured；　he　at　times　failed　to　act　as　decisively　as　occasion　required；　deterred　by　the　fact　that；　should　he　do　so；　some　of　his　subordinates　would　suffer。　　His　restless　activity　led　him　to　give　attention　to　details　that　he　should　have　been　entirely　relieved　of　by　his　subordinates。　　But　no　amount　of　work　daunted　him。　　He　lived　almost　without　rest　and　sleep；　and　would　wear　out　two　sets　of　staff　officers　nightly；　and　then；　if　occasion　required　it；　be　up　and　out　before　daylight。　　To　his　superiors　he　unfortunately　allowed　his　high　spirit　to　get　the　better　of　his　judgment；　and　many　times　when　he　was　in　the　right　he　ruined　his　position　by　his　hasty　temper。　　His　fame；　despite　his　enemiesand　no　general　in　the　field　had　stronger　nor　more　unscrupulous　onesas　the　greatest　strategist　of　the　war；　is　permanently　fixed　in　history。　What　it　might　have　been　had　he　not　been　hampered；　annoyed；　and　insulted　as　no　other　commanding　general　was　at　any　time　by　both　the　Secretary　of　War　and　the　General…in…Chief；　is　merely　problematical。　Personally；　he　regarded　all　this　as　mere　〃incidents　of　the　service；〃　and　strove　to　the　best　of　his　ability　to　do　his　whole　duty　to　his　country。　　His　combination　with　ThomasRosecrans　to　plan　brilliant　campaigns；　with　Thomas's　great　abilities　to　aid　him　in　carrying　them　outmade　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　the　great　aggressive　force　moving　on　the　centre；　gaining　territory　after　each　campaign。　　But　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　and　the　service　that　he　was　relieved　when　he　was；　with　the　combination　of　the　armies　under　Grant。　　He　had　faithfully　performed　his　duty　up　to　this　time；　but　now　the　surroundings　were　so　changed　that　both　for　his　sake　and　the　good　of　the　service　the　change　was　a　fitting　one　to　be　made。　　Rosecrans　could　never　again　serve　as　a　subordinate；　and　as　the　change　was　determined　on；　when　Grant　arrived　it　was　as　well　for　Rosecrans　to　retire。

When　Anderson　in　1861　applied　for　George　H。　Thomas　to　be　one　of　the　brigadier…generals　to　accompany　him　to　Kentucky；　to　help　him　in　the　task　he　was　set　to　accomplish　there；　Mr。　Lincoln　told　him　he　was　afraid　to　give　the　order　for　Thomas；　as　he　was　a　Southerner；　and　from　Virginia。　　Anderson　and　Sherman；　who　were　present；　both　responded　in　the　strongest　terms；　vouching　for　Thomas's　earnest　patriotism　and　deep　devotion　to　the　Union；　and　the　order　was　given。　And　now　it　bore　full　fruit。　　The　quiet；　patient　soldier；　who　from　his　first　day's　service　in　Kentucky　had　never　swerved　a　line　from　the　strict　performance　of　his　duty　to　his　Government；　according　to　his　oath；　without　reference　to　self；　had　now　met　his　reward。　　His　fame　had　steadily　grown　and　rounded　from　the　time　he　gained　the　first　Federal　victory　in　the　West；　at　Mill　Springs；　up　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　where　he　saved　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　to　the　nation。　　He　had　always　been　the　main　stay　of　that　army；　holding　the　command　of　the　centreeither　nominally　or　actually　the　second　in　command。　　Upon　his　judgment　and　military　skill　every　commander　of　that　army　depended；　and　no　movement　was　made　without　his　approbation。　Yet　so　modest　was　he　that　his　face　would　color　with　blushes　when　his　troops　cheered　him；　which　they　did　at　every　opportunity；　and　so　diffident；　that；　prior　to　the　battle　of　Chickamauga；　he　doubted　his　ability　to　handle　large　bodies　of　troops　upon　the　battlefield；　and　for　this　reason　refused　to　accept　the　command　of　that　army；　just　prior　to　Perryville；　when　tendered　him。　　His　kind　consideration　for　the　feelings　of　others　was　one　of　his　marked　characteristics。　With　a　pure　mind　and　large　heart；　his　noble　soul　made　him　one　of　the　greatest　of　Nature's　noblemena　true　gentleman。　　The　experience　of　Chickamauga　ripened　his　powers　and　developed　him　to　his　full　height。　　As　the　General　who　won　the　first　victory　in　the　West；　who　saved　an　army　by　his　skill　and　valor；　and　who　was　the　only　General　of　the　war　on　either　side　able　to　crush　an　army　on　the　battlefield；　George　H。　Thomas；　〃the　true　soldier；　the　prudent　and　undaunted　commander；　the　modest　and　incorruptible　patriot；〃　stands　as　the　model　American　soldier；　the　grandest　figure　of　the　War　of　the　Rebellion。

One　of　Grant's　first　acts　on　taking　command　was　to　telegraph　Thomas　to　hold　Chattanooga　at　all　hazards。　　The　commander　who　had　seen　his　troops　on　less　than　half　rations　for　nearly　a　month；　with　steadily　approaching　signs　of　starvation；　hardly　needed　an　intimation　that　what　had　been　gained　by　the　sacrifice　on　Chickamauga's　field　was　not　to　be　yielded　up　without　a　struggle。　　Thomas　replied　〃We　will　hold　the　town　till　we　starve。〃　　On　the　24th；　Grant；　in　company　with　Thomas　and　W。　F。　Smith；　made　a　personal　inspection　across　the　river　of　the　situation；　with　reference　to　carrying　out　the　plan　of　Rosecrans　for　the　opening　of　the　road　by　Brown's　Ferry；　and　approving　of　it；　Thomas　was　directed　to　proceed　to　execute　it。　This　plan　required　the　greatest　secrecy　of　movement；　otherwise　Longstreet's　entire　command　would　resist　the　landing；　and　contemplated　the　co…operation　of　Hooker's　moving　up　from　Bridgeport；　holding　the　road　to　Kelley's　Ferry。　　The　latter　was　to　meet　a　force　sent　from　the　town　down　the　river　in　pontoons　under　cover　of　night；　which　was　to　seize　the　landing　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　driving　back　the　rebel　pickets　and　fortifying　their　position；　and　then　swinging　the　bridge　across　the　river。　　Thomas　says　in　his　official　report　of　the　battle　of　Wauhatchie；　that　〃preliminary　steps　had　already　been　taken　to　execute　this　vitally　important　movement　before　the　command　of　the　Department　devolved　on　me。〃　　Thomas　on　the　23d　ordered　Hooker　to　concentrate　the　Eleventh　Corps；　and　Geary's　division　of　the　Twelfth　Corps　at　Bridgeport　and　sent　him　instructions　as　to　his　movements；　and　directed　him　to　advance　as　soon　as　possible；　co…operating　with　the　force　from　Chattanooga。　　Hooker　was　also　ordered　to　move　into　Lookout　Valley；　and　to　protect　the　bridge　when　laid　from　any　attack　by　Longstreet　in　that　direction。　　Thomas　also　sent　two　brigades　under　Palmer　to　co…operate　with　Hooker。　　Palmer　moved　across　the　river　to　Brown's　Ferry；　and　then　took　the　road　through　Whitesides　to　Rankin's　Ferry；　establishing　hi