John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[297] in the formation of the plans which had proven so successful, also took an active part in the conferences in reference to the plans for the winter campaign. Rawlins and others gave their views, so that Dana, while carrying Grant's final decisions, was fully advised as to the opinions of all who might be supposed to have any influence in regard to their determination. The war was clearly over for the winter in east Tennessee and northern Georgia. The Confederate forces, notwithstanding their concentration and partial victory at Chickamauga, had been overwhelmingly defeated at Missionary Ridge and thwarted at Knoxville. Longstreet had begun his toilsome march back to Virginia. Dana, as has been seen, had exerted a tremendous influence upon the reorganization of the Army of the Cumberland, the establishment of the Military Division of the Mississippi, the assignment of Grant to the supreme command, and the concentration of an overwhelming force at Chattanooga. He had expressed himself freely in reference to the consolidation of corps and the assignment of generals to command. He had written frankly whenever necessary in regard to the personal behavior and habits of the leading officers, and while it may be said that his language in some cases seems severe, I can state, on my own knowledge, that in every instance what he said was fully warranted, and had a most beneficial effect not only upon the service, but upon the fortunes of the war. It resulted in the elimination of several conspicuous but inefficient or unfortunate major-generals, and in the reformation of another, of whose habits Thomas had complained, but who was really a first-class soldier, and finally became one of the most useful and distinguished division and corps commanders in the Western army.