Further Clarification of Rosecrans' Order

On Monday afternoon (2/28) I located another book in the Furman library about Chickamauga, "Chickamauga: Bloody Battle in the West" by Glenn Tucker. Tucker discusses Rosecrans' order to Wood on pages 254-256.

Tucker says that Captain Kellog's (a member of Thomas' staff) report to Rosecrans indicated that "Brannan was out of line and Reynolds' right flank exposed." Tucker then explains that, upon hearing this, as well as another report that there was "a chasm in the center" of the line, Rosecrans panicked and had an aide, Frank S. Bond, write the fateful order.

According to Tucker, Rosecrans' order was merely "excitement at the moment." While the order itself was indeed fateful, the fact that Rosecrans chose Bond to write it, rather than James A. Garfield, at the time Rosecrans' chief of staff, was the chief error.

According to Tucker, Garfield had written a large majority of Rosecrans' orders during the battle but that Rosecrans did not feel the need to consult Garfield on this order, however, since he was engaged in another matter. Tucker attacks Rosecrans for failing to consult Garfield, who knew the exact positions of the units and would have known that a chasm in the line did not exist. "It happened to be the most consequential order issued during the battle, and it was the only order issued that he [Garfield] did not write."

Tucker attributes Rosecrans' failure to consult Garfield to the fact that the General was "feeling the strain of battle." His failure to consult Garfield "gives evidence of the approach of an instability dangerous for the leader of a great army in the presence of resourceful enemies...Rosecrans' [lapse] was due unquestionably to mental strain and physical exhaustion."