After determining that I am going to focus my episode on Rosecrans' order to General Wood to move his division to the left, creating a hole for Longstreet to exploit, I went back and looked at Rosecrans' official report to see what he said about that order.
About 2/3 of the way through his report (p. 58), Rosecrans notes that before the day's fighting began, he determined that closing off the left portion of the Union lines was of extreme importance. Later in the report, the General says that he received word from an aide of General Thomas informed him "that General Reynolds right was exposed." Therefore, "orders were dispatched to General Wood to close up on Reynolds."
In Rosecrans' view, Wood mistook the orders to "close up" as a command to withdraw from the line and walk behind the line to the left. He also says that the percieved gap in General Brannan's line was merely "en echelon, slightly in rear of Reynolds line." Rosecrans' then says that the order to General Wood and Wood's subsequent movement was an "unfortunate mistake" that allowed the Confederates to break through the Union lines and demolish the Union forces.
Rosecrans notes that "Davis' two brigades, one of Van Cleve's, and Sheridan's entire division were driven from the field."
It is evident, on a re-reading of Rosecrans' report, that he realized the gravity of his error and its consequences on the battle. He does place some blame on Wood for mistaking his order, though one must fault Rosecrans for giving it in the first place.
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