From the Union CinC perspective:
Daarrrnnnn!
I am coming off in this story as a real pri . . . er, ahem.
Stiff rebukes being dished out willy-nilly, restrictive orders, poor planning, missed opportunities.
I am coming across like a regular Union Commanding General.
(But I still want a re-write, where is J. Jonah Jameson when you need him!).
It is disheartening to read that the CSA was able to discern the Union's first days objective of Rossville so quickly.
But then the geography of the battlefield makes it so.
As to the CSA's query as to why the Union focus on Rossville, once again geography. Once taken it opens up multiple avenues to multiple victory scenarios. Without Rossville the Union's choices are severely limited which allows for an easy concentration of CSA defense. It is bad enough dealing with those ornery Butternuts, but I do not need them to be prepared in force!
I did not intend my rebukes to come across that way, (being a Marine NCO- hello to John F., Don V, and all of the other Jarheads out there -
Ooo-Rah!, I know how to "tear into" a subordinate), I just wanted to get my point across and move on from there.
I just did not want a "meeting engagement" to begin with my lead elements when I suspected that the CSA would be able to bring superior numbers to bear quicker than the Union, especially when I suspected a Reb behind every tree, (and there are a lot of trees out there), and two under every rock, (more rocks than trees to boot).
As a side though, I was extremely happy with how Gen. Thomas/Drott was moving his Corps up. It was very easy to see that he mastered flank security on the march without detracting from the "schwerpunkt", and then rolling into assault positions all the while maintaining tight unit integrity especially in such difficult terrain as he was to march through.
As Gen. Colt would say while listening to the game, "[I]f he was a Major he's a Colonel now!*"
I figured at this stage of the battle the Rebs would be able to gets to any meeting engagement firstest with the mostest having the interior lines of movement. I now see this was faulty at the Refugee House when I requested Gen. Thomas/Drott to do a demonstration before it if the CSA was present instead of just taking it.
(Also why I wasn't keen on Crittenden hitting Chattanooga/Rossville on his own)
But I had to have something more planned than just standing back and demonstrating the CSA into submission, should not I??? Hopefully the next installment will show the oh so very brave Union CinC bravely leading his troops into battle . . . bravely!
The Brave Gen. Rosecrans bravely leading his troops into battle . . . bravely may I add.
Until then I remain respectfully yours.
*another one of my periodic Kelly's Heroes references.
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