Rosecrans at Chickamauga: In His Own Words

While reviewing the bibliography of Rosecrans' "Edge of Glory" biography by William Lamers, I stumbled upon a fascinating article written by Rosecrans in the Century Illustrated magazine in 1887. The article, "The Campaign for Chattanooga," is a 5-page defense of the Chickamauga campaign 25 years later.

It is valuable because it shows that Rosecrans still thought deeply about Chickamauga, even 25 years later. He was concerned enough with his place in history to write a guest piece for Century Illustrated. (In the 1880's, Century ran a series of highly successful pieces on the Civil War).

He emphasizes the necessity of holding the left flank even more so than in his original report. Additionally, he reprints the exact orders he gave during the battle, attempting to explain his miscues.

I accessed this source on 2/27.