field , ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁known ▁that ▁Bran nan ▁was ▁stay ing ▁in ▁line , ▁was ▁busy ▁writing ▁orders ▁for ▁parts ▁of ▁Sher idan ' s ▁and ▁Van ▁Cle ve ' s ▁divisions ▁to ▁support ▁Thomas . ▁Rose cr ans ' s ▁order ▁was ▁instead ▁written ▁by ▁Frank ▁Bond , ▁his ▁senior ▁a ide - de - camp , ▁generally ▁compet ent ▁but ▁in ex per ien ced ▁at ▁order - writing . ▁As ▁Rose cr ans ▁dict ated , ▁Bond ▁wrote ▁the ▁following ▁order : ▁" The ▁general ▁command ing ▁direct s ▁that ▁you ▁close ▁up ▁on ▁Reyn olds ▁as ▁fast ▁as ▁possible , ▁and ▁support ▁him ." ▁This ▁contradict ory ▁order ▁was ▁not ▁review ed ▁by ▁Rose cr ans , ▁who ▁by ▁this ▁point ▁was ▁increasing ly ▁worn ▁out , ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Wood ▁directly , ▁by pass ing ▁his ▁corps ▁commander ▁C ritt enden . ▁ ▁Wood ▁was ▁per plex ed ▁by ▁Rose cr ans ' s ▁order , ▁which ▁he ▁received ▁around ▁ 1 0 : 5 0   a . m . ▁Since ▁Bran nan ▁was ▁still ▁on ▁his ▁left ▁fl ank , ▁Wood ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁" close ▁up ▁on " ▁( a ▁military ▁term ▁that ▁meant ▁to ▁" move ▁adjacent ▁to ") ▁Reyn olds ▁with ▁Bran nan ' s ▁division ▁in ▁the ▁way . ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁only ▁possibility ▁was ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁line , ▁march ▁around ▁behind ▁Bran nan ▁and ▁form ▁up ▁behind ▁Reyn olds ▁( the ▁military ▁meaning ▁of ▁the