McCook says, in reference to the movement of Sheridan to the aid of
Thomas, which he had just ordered, "Simultaneously with this movement,
and much to my surprise, Wood's division left the position it had
in line of battle on Davis's left, marching by the left flank,
leaving a wide gap in the line." Wood also says in his official
report that when he started to execute the order he met Thomas,
and told him of his order. He says, "I exhibited my order to him,
and asked him whether he would take the responsibility of changing
it. He replied he would, and I then informed him that I would move
my command to the support of General Baird." The first mention
Thomas makes in his official report of seeing Wood is when in riding
"toward the crest of the hill," coming from the left, he met Wood
on the way, and directed him to take position on Brannan's right.
Later, he says, "About the time that Wood took up his position,
General Gordon Granger appeared," etc. This was over three hours
after what General Wood styles "the disastrous event of the right"
occurred. It seems strange, if Wood was properly executing an order
from the Commanding General, that he should try so hard to shield
his action by the authority of these two corps commanders, especially
when he was under the direct command of neither of them.

General Wood was a graduate of West Point, had been in the army all
his life, and knew the full meaning of all technical terms used to
describe military movements. The order bore on its face a direction
to him to make a movement with his front in line of battle, and
at the same time to occupy a position in the rear of the division,
on which he was ordered to join his left in line on the immediate
battle-front. He knew he could not execute the order literally as
given, and from the wording of it must have known that there was