In the spring of 1863, Lincoln was optimistic about upcoming campaigns to the point of thinking the end of the war could be near if a string of victories could be put together ; these plans included Hooker's attack on Lee north of Richmond, Rosecrans ' on Chattanooga, Grant's on Vicksburg, and a naval assault on Charleston.

In the spring of 1863 Garfield returned to the field as Chief of Staff for William S. Rosecrans, commander of the Army of the Cumberland ; his influence in this position was greater than usual – with duties extending beyond mere communication to actual management of Rosecrans's army.

Rosecrans, a highly energetic man, had a voracious appetite for conversation, which he deployed when he was unable to sleep ; in Garfield he had found " the first well read person in the Army " and thus the ideal candidate for endless discussions through the night.

Garfield conceived a plan to conduct a cavalry raid behind Bragg's line ( similar to that Bragg was employing against Rosecrans ) which Rosecrans approved ; the raid, led by Abel Streight, failed, due in part to poor execution and weather.

Rosecrans concluded that the battle was lost and headed for Chattanooga to establish a defensive line.

Garfield's hunch was correct ; his ride became legendary, while Rosecrans ' error reinforced critical opinions about his leadership.

One of Grant's early decisions upon assuming command of the Union Army was to replace Rosecrans with George H. Thomas.

According to historian Jean Edward Smith, Grant and Garfield had a " guarded relationship ", since Grant put Thomas in charge of the Army of the Cumberland, rather than Garfield, after Rosecrans was dismissed.

Garfield, who shared the opinion of Thaddeus Stevens, was not in favor of this action, because the rank was intended for Grant, who had dismissed Rosecrans.

At the outset, Garfield's relationship with the newly inaugurated President was cool on both sides ; Grant refused a requested post office appointment which Garfield recommended ; Garfield, out of loyalty to his army commander, still harbored some resentment for Grant's dismissal of Rosecrans.

Fellow cadet William Rosecrans would later remember Sherman at West Point as " one of the brightest and most popular fellows " and " a bright-eyed, red-headed fellow, who was always prepared for a lark of any kind ".

He was popular with his classmates, however, and befriended a number of men who would become prominent during the Civil War, including George Henry Thomas, William S. Rosecrans, John Pope, D. H. Hill, Lafayette McLaws, George Pickett, and Ulysses S. Grant of the class of 1843.

In the early spring of 1863, Longstreet suggested to Lee that his corps be detached from the Army of Northern Virginia and sent to reinforce the Army of Tennessee, where Gen. Braxton Bragg was being challenged in Middle Tennessee by Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, Longstreet's roommate at West Point.

Since Bragg's army was under increasing pressure from Rosecrans outside of Chattanooga, Lee and President Davis agreed to the request on September 5.

His subordinate commander, William S. Rosecrans, bitterly complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan had agreed.

After Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans was defeated at the Battle of Chickamauga, Burnside was pursued by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, against whose troops he had battled at Marye's Heights.

Future president James Garfield, a field officer for the Army of the Cumberland, visited Thomas during the battle, carrying orders from Rosecrans to retreat ; when Thomas said he would have to stay behind to ensure the Army's safety, Garfield told Rosecrans that Thomas was " standing like a rock.

Thomas succeeded Rosecrans in command of the Army of the Cumberland shortly before the Battles for Chattanooga ( November 23 – November 25, 1863 ), a stunning Union victory that was highlighted by Thomas's troops storming the Confederate line on Missionary Ridge.

The battle was fought between the Union Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg, and was named for West Chickamauga Creek, which meanders near the battle area in northwest Georgia ( and ultimately flows into the Tennessee River about 3. 5 miles ( 5. 6 km ) northeast of downtown Chattanooga ).

In late morning, Rosecrans was misinformed that he had a gap in his line.

Longstreet argued that a reinforced army under Bragg could defeat Rosecrans and drive toward the Ohio River, which would compel Grant to break his hold on Vicksburg.

The remains of Gen. Rosecrans ’ headquarters is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In moving units to shore up the supposed gap, Rosecrans accidentally created an actual gap, directly in the path of an eight-brigade assault on a narrow front by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet.

Bragg withdrew his forces from advanced positions around Bridgeport, which left Rosecrans free to maneuver on the northern side of the Tennessee River.

He received the thanks of the Confederate Congress on May 1, 1863, for his raids on the supply lines of Union Major General William S. Rosecrans in December and January, most notably his victory at the Battle of Hartsville on December 7.

Richard Garrick died on August 21, 1962 in Los Angeles and is buried as a U. S. veteran at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.

A memorial service for Schirra was held on May 22 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in California.

::* Army of the Mississippi, a briefly existing army operating on the Mississippi River, in two incarnations — under John Pope and William S. Rosecrans in 1862 ; under John A. McClernand in 1863.

There it boarded the Transport Rosecrans and arrived at Nagasaki on 4 December, then continuing on to Manila, arriving on 13 December.

When he failed to pursue Bragg's withdrawal, Buell was relieved of command on October 24, replaced by Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans.

Aware that Rosecrans was receiving reinforcements, Bragg chose to withdraw his army on January 3 to Tullahoma, Tennessee.

While Rosecrans was president of the Preston Coal Oil Company, in 1859, he was burned severely when an experimental " safety " oil lamp exploded, setting the refinery on fire.

These lines were too extensive for Rosecrans's 23, 000 men to defend, so with the approval of Grant, Rosecrans modified the lines to emphasize the defense of the town and the ammunition magazines near the junction of the two railroads.

In early September, Rosecrans launched another offensive which resulted in the capture of Chattanooga, an important Confederate rail center ; however, a few weeks later Bragg, with reinforcements from the Army of Northern Virginia, attacked Rosecrans near the Chickamauga Creek and routed much of the Union army, forcing it to retreat back to Chattanooga.

When McClellan was summoned to Washington after the defeat suffered by Federal forces at the First Battle of Bull Run, General-in-Chief Winfield Scott suggested that McClellan turn over the West Virginia command to Rosecrans.

Just days after Fort Sumter surrendered, Rosecrans offered his services to Ohio Governor William Dennison, who assigned him as a volunteer aide-de-camp to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, the general commanding all Ohio volunteer forces at the beginning of the war.

Promoted to the rank of colonel, Rosecrans briefly commanded the 23rd Ohio Infantry regiment, whose members included Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, both future presidents.

The army fought under the name Army of the Ohio until Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans assumed command of the army and the Department of the Cumberland and changed the name of the combined entity to the Army of the Cumberland.

Rosecrans was transferred to command of the Army of the Ohio and the current army was discontinued in October 1862 and the regiments were dispersed between the XIII Corps and XIV Corps. William Tecumseh Sherman and staff

Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans took command of the Army of the Ohio and the subsequent reorganization ( as the Army of the Cumberland ) left Gilbert without a command.

On the second day of the Battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 1863, Rosecrans was shifting Sheridan's division behind the Union battle line when Bragg launched an attack into a gap in the Union line.

For the second time in the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans defeated a Confederate army, this time one under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn.