cr ans , ▁" Th omas ▁is ▁standing ▁like ▁a ▁rock ." ▁Gar field ▁met ▁Thomas ▁in ▁Ross ville ▁that ▁night ▁and ▁w ired ▁to ▁Rose cr ans ▁that ▁" our ▁men ▁not ▁only ▁held ▁their ▁ground , ▁but ▁in ▁many ▁points ▁drove ▁the ▁enemy ▁splendid ly . ▁Long street ' s ▁Vir g ini ans ▁have ▁got ▁their ▁bel lies ▁full ." ▁Although ▁the ▁troops ▁were ▁tired ▁and ▁hun gry , ▁and ▁nearly ▁out ▁of ▁am mun ition , ▁he ▁continued , ▁" I ▁believe ▁we ▁can ▁wh ip ▁them ▁tom orrow . ▁I ▁believe ▁we ▁can ▁now ▁crown ▁the ▁whole ▁battle ▁with ▁victory ." ▁He ▁ur ged ▁Rose cr ans ▁to ▁re join ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁lead ▁it , ▁but ▁Rose cr ans , ▁phys ically ▁exha usted ▁and ▁psych olog ically ▁a ▁be aten ▁man , ▁remained ▁in ▁Ch att ano oga . ▁President ▁Lincoln ▁attempted ▁to ▁prop ▁up ▁the ▁mor ale ▁of ▁his ▁general ▁by ▁te legraph ing , ▁" Be ▁of ▁good ▁cheer .... ▁We ▁have ▁un ab ated ▁confidence ▁in ▁you ▁and ▁your ▁soldiers ▁and ▁officers . ▁In ▁the ▁main , ▁you ▁must ▁be ▁the ▁judge ▁as ▁to ▁what ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁done . ▁If ▁I ▁was ▁to ▁suggest , ▁I ▁would ▁say ▁save ▁your ▁army ▁by ▁taking ▁strong ▁positions ▁until ▁Burn side ▁joins ▁you ." ▁Priv ately , ▁Lincoln ▁told ▁John ▁Hay ▁that ▁Rose cr ans ▁seemed ▁" conf used ▁and ▁st unn ed ▁like ▁a ▁du ck ▁hit ▁on ▁the ▁head ." ▁ ▁The ▁Army