outnumbered him two to one, and if this proved true, the disaster
in part could be accounted for. Conferring with Garfield as to
what was the best thing to be done under the circumstances, Garfield
told him that if these reports were true that then his, Rosecrans's,
place was in Chattanooga, where he could receive and reorganize,
if possible, his army on its reaching that place. That he, of all
persons, had more influence with the army, and if it was broken
that his duty was to go to that place and make such disposition of
the troops as might possibly save the army from complete destruction.
That he, Garfield, would ride to the front, try and find Thomas,
if alive, and would report immediately to Rosecrans at Chattanooga
as to the condition of affairs at the front. Unfortunately, this
plan was carried out. The reverse of this should have been done.
Rosecrans should at once have gone to the front, and by his
presence there aided, as he did at Stone's River, more than any
other thing to retrieve the fortunes of the day, and pluck victory
from disaster. Had Rosecrans gone to the front, and discovered
from a personal observation the true condition of affairs, and
the spirit and morale of the troops there, the chances are that he
never would have ordered their retirement to Rossville the night
of the 20th. That was the turning-point, and his hour had arrived.

On reaching Chattanooga, General Rosecrans rode up to Department
Headquarters there, and was helped from his horse into the house.
He had the appearance of one broken in spirit, and as if he were
bearing up as best he could under terrible blow, the full force and
effect of which he himself did not at that time clearly perceive
and only partly felt. This was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
He had been in the saddle all day from before daylight, with nothing
to eat since then. Rarely has mortal man been called on to undergo