While the great railroad movement of Hooker’s troops to reinforce Rosecrans at Chattanooga began, a concerned Abraham Lincoln on Friday, September 25, 1863 lamented that Ambrose Burnside had yet to reinforce Rosecrans.
Writing Burnside by letter, Lincoln noted his desire for Burnside to take immediate action “and you have repeatedly declared you would do it, and yet you steadily move the contrary way.” Burnside denied any desire on his part to delay reinforcing Rosecrans.
Lincoln was also unhappy with the New York Post which revealed to its readers the administration’s plans to transfer troops to Rosecrans. And, as a result of Chickamauga, Union Generals Alexander McCook and Thomas L. Crittenden were relieved of their respective corps commands and ordered to face courts of inquiry into their conduct during the recent battle.