Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[209] with all the rest of his forces. The Army of the Tennessee, removing southward its base of operations, is to pass the river below Bridgeport and march upon Nashville. Hooker, being isolated, will not be able to resist this army, and the first consequence of this movement will be to bring about the evacuation of Chattanooga. Unfortunately for the Confederates, a succession of abundant rains occurred immediately after the departure of Mr. Davis, and gave Bragg an excellent pretext for abandoning the bold plan which had been enjoined upon him.

But it appears as though his inaction should ensure to him, without effort, all the fruits of a laborious campaign. A feeling of sadness pervades every rank in the Federal army, which only asks to be led against the enemy rather than allow itself to be slowly starved out. It is true that Rosecrans devises several projects to open new channels for the receipt of supplies. General W. F. Smith—who after the battle of Gettysburg left the command of the Pennsylvania militia in order to become Rosecrans' chief engineer officer—prepares all the preliminaries for carrying out the plans of his superior: he increases the fortifications of Chattanooga, constructs a new floating bridge with boats, and repairs a steamer abandoned by the enemy. But the more the moment for action approaches, the more Rosecrans hesitates and appears to doubt the success of the undertaking. His despatches alluding to the possibility of an evacuation produce alarm at the White House, while a high official of the War Department, who happens to be in Chattanooga, represents Rosecrans, perhaps with some exaggeration, as being on the eve of ordering a disastrous retreat.

Meantime, Grant arrives at Cairo. On the following day the Secretary of War, who has come as far as Indianapolis to meet him, hands him the order of the President which invests him with the supreme command of the armies of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee. Sherman will replace Grant as commander of the Army of the Tennessee. He may, if he wishes, retain Rosecrans under his orders, or substitute Thomas, whom public sentiment designates as the hero of Chickamauga. Grant does not want to have Rosecrans for his lieutenant. On the 19th of October he orders him by telegraph to quit the command of the