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road inviting rather than forbidding attack.
Even if they had good defensive works, with the condition as reported above, by a prompt pursuit our army would have gone into Chattanooga with theirs, and thus broken the effect of their fire; and if such would have been the result of good defensive works, what might not the result have been without them, and the enemy panicstricken because of the knowledge that none such existed?
What hindered him from pursuing is not known, but it is known that while pursuit seems to have been invited, he did not pursue, and not pursuing, what did he do on Monday morning? He first sent out detachments to the battle-field to gather up the fruits of victory, in arms, large and small, to be secured and sent to the rear, and caused the captured banners to be collected to be sent to Richmond, and prisoners to be counted and sent to the rear.
He then ordered the troops under arms, and marched them down the Chattanooga road until they came near to Rossville, where Forrest and Pegram were thundering away with their batteries at the retreating enemy, there had them filed to the right, and thrown down the Chickamauga Creek, that they might rest from their fatigues and be in good position to move upon Burnside or flank Rosecrans, as future contingencies might dictate.
There the troops halted from Monday until Wednesday morning; the enemy, in the mean time, working like beavers, and fortifying night and day with all their might.
On Tuesday night an order was issued for the whole army to move upon Chattanooga at six o'clock the next morning, Wednesday, twenty-third September.
The army moved up to and over Mission Ridge, where it was halted, and where it remains halted to this day, the twenty-eighth October!
That the campaign, so far, is a failure, and the battle of Chickamauga, though a victory, is not a success, are propositions too plain for denial.
We have not recovered Chattanooga as yet, much less Tennessee, and it may be well for the country to inquire whether the fault lies with a subordinate officer, or is to be traced to the inefficiency and incompetency of one higher in rank, one who is presumed intellectually to direct the operations of the army of Tennessee.
Historicus.
