CHAPTER XXXIV
Rosecrans Relieved from Command.—1863
AMONG the negative traits of General Rosecrans's
character, not the least was the obstinacy with which he
clung to his own conclusions, in defiance of reason and facts.
His justification of the abandonment of the river route to
the enemy was, of course, the assumption that it would be
practicable to supply the army fully by way of the Sequatchie
and Walden's Ridge. He stuck to it stubbornly
against all the arguments to the contrary of General
Garfield and others, until Wheeler's newest exploits and the
steady decrease instead of increase of the available stores
of food compelled him to consider the problem how to undo
his mistake by re-opening the river line. The conclusion
was indeed forced upon him that without this it would be
equally impracticable to hold Chattanooga or to reach a
condition of readiness for the resumption of the offensive,
inasmuch as the food difficulty would not permit him to
draw the reinforcements under Hooker and Sherman near
enough for the latter purpose. Symptoms of his change
of mind were noticeable before General Garfield's departure. He commenced talking to him on the subject, to
General Smith, the new Chief of Engineers, to other generals,
to Mr. Dana and myself. He began, too, to study the topography
of the surroundings of Chattanooga and to send out
engineer officers for the examination of particular points.
This led to the evolution of an ingenious plan for neutralizing
the obstructive effect of the hostile control of Lookout
Mountain, viz., to seize and hold the south bank from a
point beyond the range of the rebel artillery opposite the
western front of the narrow peninsula formed by the first
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