Garfield felt that the "political leaders were not unwilling to see evil befall Rosecrans." The story of Greeley's emissary sounding out Rosecrans about the presidency is not disputed by historians. Because I think you are new to this discussion I will repost the letter from JK Herbert to Bejamin Butler that I have posted elsewhere on this site. I'd like to point out that almost all my statements are supported by documentation by people who were at the events. After the war Fisher became a scholar of government and an educator. I for one would be reluctant to dismiss the veracity of what he wrote. You can learn more about him from these links
http://www.masshist.org/online/civilwar/index.php?entry_id=712 AND
https://books.google.com/books?id=OyhYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA236&dq=horace+newton+fisher+obituary&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0i9L_h8PJAhUJ2D4KHXuQDxYQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=horace newton fisher obituary&f=fal
From J. K. Herbert to General Butler Sherman House, Chicago, July 27th, 1863
Dear Sir: On looking about among the politicians here I find that there is more activity here than elsewhere in reference to prospective politics. Hon. E. B. Washburne is making a business already of committing men to Grant for the Presidency. He is wealthy, shrewd, in earnest, determined that Grant shall be the man. I hear good men say he will go into a nominating convention stronger than Lincoln went. They are trying to get Grant in command of Rosecrans' army & his own too, with perhaps additional reinforcements —send him across to the Atlantic and eastward on Richmond — hoping thereby to make him irresistible in a Nominating Convention. If the administration see the joke, they will see to it that he does not get an opportunity. But if Grant & his western friends can do this thing they will — I am not misinformed — they are bending every energy for the enterprise. The P. O. keeps the Tribune almost if not altogether for Lincoln's renomination. Judge Drummond, Judge Higgins, & some other good men of former days are for Lincoln, I learn. Judge Higgins came to my room last night and stayed till midnight. I learned the Lincoln policy here by heart. I mean the notions of men who would renominate & who they are. Dr. D. Brainerd, a former strong Democratic politician, will be one of the Com. men here. He is all right. But he tells me men here are for Grant or Lincoln generally, and "cannot be tied to" as we want them. Men who work and are of much account are apt to talk some Western man. Well, I don't fear the result in any case except Grant's, nor that one much; but it spoils the good Committee timber considerably. Brainerd is a Butler man, & one of the best in the state. He thinks we can get a good Com. by looking it up. I had a talk with the Tribune folks about Mo. They wanted you there instead of Schofield. I told them to talk it up, and the east would take up the cry I'd warrant, & I see in the Tribune yesterday morning a little article on the subject. I send you a paper & one to a friend in Boston to have the Boston papers take it up. I tell you Grant is going to be in the way in the West, & especially if he takes any more Vicksburgs, — such for example as Mobile or Savannah, or Richmond, & because they are crowding him, other men ought to be at work. I am getting the run of the thing in my Diary pretty closely. The League is large in Illinois. About 800 councils & 100,000 members now. All the strong men of the state are in them. There are fears entertained that Trumbull & other leading politicians will not take a bold stand since Burnside's row with the Times. They all backed down, you know. I think I shall have an instructive diary when I get around. Your most obt. servt.,J. K. Herbert
Source:
https://books.google.com/books?pg=PA99&dq=herbert+washburne+butler+rosecrans&id=6ywOAAAAIAAJ#v=onepage&q=herbert washburne butler rosecrans&f=false
Bringing the