And so much of it as referred to the passage of the river was done without halt or fault, just as it had been planned.  Sherman’s entire army, except his rear division that had been cut off by a break in the Brown’s Ferry floating bridge, was brought upon the field just in the way suggested and by the means which had been provided by General Smith.  I assisted in transferring the troops to the South bank of the river at the point of crossing, by the use of the river steamer “Dunbar,” which had been put under my command so as to make certain that a sufficient force should be on the ground in time to cover the construction of the bridge.  The bridge was laid successfully and the army was transferred without delay.  Every stage of the movement pointed to an onward and victorious march against Bragg’s commanding position, and a complete victory was finally achieved, but much to the surprise and disappointment of all, it was not attained at the time nor in the way that had been expected.  The prearranged plan, so far as it concerns Sherman’s army, had no other legitimate purpose than to land it on Bragg’s exposed right flank and double him up or drive him from his regular line of supply and retreat.  And there is nothing more certain than that there was no man in authority on either side who intended the battle to be fought as it was actually fought, nor who seriously expected the victory to be won in the way it finally was won by Thomas’s army, and not by Sherman’s.

It is here worthy of remark that for nearly a quarter of a century both Grant and Sherman believed and contended—­in fact both died in the belief—­that Sherman’s lodgement on the foot-hills at the north end of Missionary Ridge, and his unsuccessful attack from that place, caused Bragg to so weaken his center by withdrawing troops from his center and left, to resist Sherman, that Thomas met with but little resistance when he advanced to the attack about ten hours later, in obedience to Grant’s personal order.  But it has been shown by irrefutable testimony, and is now conceded, that there is not a word of truth in this supposition—­“that nothing of the kind occurred,” and that in face of all statements and suppositions to the contrary, however natural they may have seemed at the time, “not a single regiment, nor a single piece of artillery,” not even “a single Confederate soldier was withdrawn from Thomas’s front to Sherman’s on the final day of the battle.  All the Confederate reports are clear and specific on that point.”

The simple fact is that the plan of operations for Sherman were clear and perfect, and they were carried out in their initial stage without fault or accident, but their execution in the final and vital stage was marred by Sherman himself or by his subordinates, who never reached the point from which they could strike a fatal blow, or from which they could have taken possession of Bragg’s communications with the rear.

That Sherman was entirely satisfied with Smith’s part in carrying out the plan, is shown beyond dispute by his report, which bears