If threatened by land and from the water at the same time the prize would fall easily, or troops would have to be sent to its defence.

Those troops would necessarily come from Bragg.

My judgment was overruled, and the troops under my command were dissipated over other parts of the country where it was thought they could render the most service.
Soon it was discovered in Washington that Rosecrans was in trouble and required assistance.

The emergency was now too immediate to allow us to give this assistance by making an attack in rear of Bragg upon Mobile.
It was therefore necessary to reinforce directly, and troops were sent from every available point.
Rosecrans had very skilfully manoeuvred Bragg south of the Tennessee River, and through and beyond Chattanooga.

If he had stopped and intrenched, and made himself strong there, all would have been right and the mistake of not moving earlier partially compensated.