▁of ▁Halle ck ' s ▁order ▁and ▁ins isted ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁cour ting ▁dis aster ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁delay ▁his ▁advance ▁until ▁at ▁least ▁August ▁ 1 7 . ▁ ▁Rose cr ans ▁knew ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁difficulty ▁receiving ▁supplies ▁from ▁his ▁base ▁on ▁any ▁advance ▁across ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁and ▁therefore ▁thought ▁it ▁necessary ▁to ▁accum ulate ▁enough ▁supplies ▁and ▁transport ▁w ag ons ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁cross ▁long ▁distances ▁without ▁a ▁reliable ▁line ▁of ▁communic ations . ▁His ▁sub ordinate ▁gener als ▁were ▁support ive ▁of ▁this ▁line ▁of ▁reasoning ▁and ▁coun se led ▁delay , ▁all ▁except ▁for ▁Brig . ▁Gen . ▁James ▁A . ▁Gar field , ▁Rose cr ans ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁staff , ▁a ▁politician ▁who ▁understood ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁being ▁on ▁the ▁record ▁end ors ing ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁administration ' s ▁prior ities . ▁ ▁The ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁Union ▁advance ▁was ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Pl ate au ▁into ▁the ▁valley ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁River , ▁pause ▁briefly ▁to ▁accum ulate ▁some ▁supplies , ▁and ▁then ▁cross ▁the ▁river ▁itself . ▁An ▁opposed ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁wide ▁river ▁was ▁not ▁feas ible , ▁so ▁Rose cr ans ▁de vised ▁a ▁de ception ▁to ▁dist ract ▁B rag g ▁above ▁Ch att ano oga ▁while ▁the ▁army ▁crossed ▁down stream . ▁Then ▁the ▁Army ▁would ▁advance ▁on ▁a ▁wide ▁front ▁through ▁the ▁mountains . ▁The ▁XX I ▁Corps ▁under ▁Maj . ▁Gen . ▁Thomas ▁L . ▁C