Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1882 — GARFIELD ON ROSECRANS. [ARTICLE]

GARFIELD ON ROSECRANS.

The Publication of aw 014 Letter from «*• Late President Causes a Sensation. Washington, March 10. Some time daring the last political canvass a paragraph waa published in which it was said that Gen. Garfield had, during the war, preferred charges of a serious character against his old commander, Gen. Bosecrans. Charles A. Dana made the original charge. This brought out a note from Gen. Garfield to Bosecrans, in which he distinctly said that he had never been untrue to his commander in word or thought, “ Dana or any other liar te the contrary.” Mr. Dana, to sustain his original statement, has printed a confidential letter from Gen Garfield addressed to Salmon P. Chase, during the war. Gen. Bosecrans declines at present to say anything about the matter. He is taking steps to ascertain whether or not the letter is genuine. The letter is printed in full below. It is marked “Confidential,” and dated “Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, July 27, 1863 : ”

My Dear Governor : I have for a long tirra wanted to write to yon, not only to acknowledge your last kind letter, but also to say some things confidentially on the movements in this department ; but I have refrained hitherto, lest I do injustice to a good man, and say to you things which were better left unsaid. We have now, however, reached a point upon which I feel it proper, and also due to that kind opinion which 1 believe you have had of me, to acquaint you with tiie condition of affairs here. lean not conceal trom you the fact that I tave been greatly tried and dissatisfied with the slow progress that we have made in this department siDco the battle of Stone Biver. I will say in tho outset that it would be in the highest degree unjust to say that the 162 days which elapsed between toe battle of Stone Biver and the next advance of this armv were spent in idleness or trifling. During that period was performed tho enormous and highly important labor which made the Army of the Cumberland what it is, in many respects by far the best the country has ever known. But for many weeks prior to our late movement I could not but feel that there was not that live and earnest determination to fling the great weight of this army into the scale and maki its power felt in crushing the shell of the Rebellion. I have no words to tell you with how restive and unsatisfied a spirit I waited and pleaded for striking a sturdy blow. I could not justly say we were in any proper condition to advance till the early days of May. At that time the strings began to draw sharply upon the rebels, both on the Mississippi and m the E tst. They began to fear for the safety of Vicksburg, and before the middlo of May they began quietly to draw away forces to aid Pemberton. I plead for an advance, but not till June began did Gen. Bosecrans begin seriously to mednato an immediate movement. The army had grown anxious with the exception of its leading Generals, who seemed blind to the advantages of the hour. In the first week of the month a council of war waa called, and, out of eighteen Generals whoso opinion was asked, seventeen were opposed to an advance. I was the only one who urged upon the General the imperative necessity of striking & blow at once, while. Bragg was weaker and we stronger than ever before. I wrote a careful review of the opinions of the Generals, and exhibited the fact, gathered from ample data, that we could throw 65,000 bayonets and sabers against Bragg’s 41,000, allowing the most liberal estimates of his force. This paper was drawn up on the Bth of June. After its presentation, and a full canvassing of the situation, an advance was agreed upon, but it was delayed, through days which seemed months to me. till the 24th, when it was begun and ended with what results you know. The wisdom of the movement was not only vindicated, but the seventeen dissenting Generals were compelled to confess that, if the movement had been made ten days earlier, whiie the weather was propitious, the army of Bragg would, in all human probability, no longer exist, I shall never cease to regret the sad delay which lost us so great an opportunity to iDflict a mortal blow upon the center of the Rebellion. The work of expelling Bragg from Middle Tennessee occupied nine days and ended July 3, leaving his troops in a most disheartened and demoralized condition, while our army, with a loss of less thau 1,000 men, was, in a few days, fuller of potential fight than ever before. On the 18th inst. the bridges were rebuilt, and the cars were in full communication from the Cumberland to tho Tennessee. I have since then urged with all the earnestness I possess a rapid advance, while Bragg’s army was shattered and under cover, and before Johnston and he could effect a junction. Thus far the General has been singularly disinclined to grasp the situation with a strong hand and make the advantage his own. I write this with more sorrow than I can tell you, for I love every bone in his body, and next to my desire to see the Rebellion blasted is my anxiety to see him blessed. But even the breadth of my love is not sufficient to cover this almost fatal delay. My personal relations with Gen. Bosecrans are all that I could desire. Officially, I share his counsels and responsibilities even more than I desire, but I beg you to know that this delay ig against my judgment and my every wish. Pleasant as are my relations here, I would rather command a battalion that would follow and follow and strike and strike than to hang back while such golden moments are passing. But the General and’mysulf behove that I can do more service in my present place than in command of a division, though I am aware that it is a position that prqmxses better in the way of promotion or popular credit. But, if this inaction continues long, I shall ask to be relieved and sent somewhere where I can be part of a working army. But Ido hope that you will soon hoar that t.hig splendid army is at least trying to do its part in the great work. If the War Department has not always been just, it has certainly been very iudulgent to this army. But I fcol that the time has now come when it should allow no plea to keep this army back from the most-vigorous activity. I do hope that no hopes of peace or submissive terms on the part of the rebels will lead the Government to delay the draft and the vigorous prosecution of the war. Timeo Danaos et dona ferente.% Let the nation, now display the majesty of its power and tbe work will be speedily ended. 1 hope you will pardon this lengthy letter ; but I wanted you to know how the case stands, and I was unwilling to have you think me satisfied with the delays here. With kindest regards I am, as ever, your friend, J. A. Garfield. Bon. S. P. Chase.