On Sunday afternoon (2/27), I ordered "The Edge of Glory: A Biography of General William S. Rosecrans" by William Lamers through the Pascal service. I was able to view the majority of the book on Google Books, however, and read the sections on Chickamauga and Rosecrans' military background.
This biography is valuable because the author examines multiple sources to develop a clearer picture of what happened at Chickamauga. He uses everything from official reports to Rosecrans' personal papers.
Lamers is extremely critical of Rosecrans' performance at Chickamauga. He attacks the General's decision to send Garfield to Thomas while he rode to Chattanooga. According to Lamers, Rosecrans should have stayed and fought. Interestingly, Lamers does not criticize Rosecrans for believing that a gap in the Union lines existed, as others have. He attacks him for being cowardly and fleeing the battlefield.
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