The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-01-29
"Flghtlng Joe. Hooker"

mission OF tnaI superb uouy Vi sOldierS.
General Hooker's reputation as fight
ing officer has been so firmly establish
ed, that his appointment to his present
high position will be accepted by the peo-
Pile as a pledge on the part Of the Presi-
dent that henceforth tire 4--;a4 tha
-r,-.ppouaunocN Is 10 be disturbed, as well
as the quiet in the vicinity of the rebel
capital n~e aa~
The more peculiar traits of General
Hooker's character stand out SO boldly,
that they are easily discovered by the
mass of the people, and are of a kind
well calculated to arouse the enthusiasm
aud win the affection Of great army.
His perceptions are clear, keen and
quick; his conclusions are rapidly form
ed; his will strong aud unyieldngi while
his energy and tenacity of purpose is per-
haps equal, if not superior, to that of any
man in the army. Brave to fault, he is
always careful Of the lives of his men.
With fine typographical eye, he readily
comprehends the strong and weak points
of military positions, and having made
up his mind as TO what ought to be done,
which he does quickly and conclusively,
he plants his blows almost with the en-
ergy of despair itself
Gen. Hooker is outspoken in his OPP n
ions and views-almost to bluntness. If
he thinks brother officer makes a mis-
take. he says so at once, and without
equivocation. Having deliberately made
up his mind, he never appears to con-
ceive it possible that he is wrong, and
acts upon his premises with such faith
and confidence that he loses neither the
respect of himself nor friends, though
the result may prove that his premises
were incorrect.
Gen. Hookers FIRST prominant appear
ance during this war was at Williams
burg. His division constituted the ad-
vance of McClellan's army from York
town. The gallant division pressed for
ward through rain and mud until it vas
i've times its number of rebels under the
leadership of their best commander, Gen.
Joe Johnston. In his official report of
that terrible ald bloody struggle, Gen.
Hooker gives expression to the following
language, which clearly indicates the
quality of his military views He says:
Being in pursuit Of 1etreating
army, deemed it my duty to lose no
time IN making the disposition of nv
forces to attack, regardless of their num-
Der and position, except to accomplish
the result with the least possible sacrifice
OF life. By so doing, my division, if it
did not capture the army before me,
would at least hold them, in order that
some others might" Nh.
All the day long did his gallant divi-
sion struggle with an overwhelming foe,
repulsing the enemy time and again with
terrible slaughter, yet no relief did it re-
ceive from the 100000 men near by,
even within sound of the cannon. In
speaking of this, Hooker says:
History will not be believed when it
is told that the noble officers and men of
my division were permitted to carry on
this unequal struggle from morning until
night unaided, in the presence Of more
than $4,000 of their comrades with arms
In their hands. Nevertheless it is true
Through the terrible battles on The
Chickahominy Hooker passed untouched,
though his division was in the thickest
of them all. 1t was never thrown into
confusion nor beaten, but its ranks were
thinned by disease and battle until not
one-third Of its original numbers re.
When the army was transferred from
the Peninsula to Acquia Creek, Hook
Pope in time to participate in the bloody
second battle of Bull Run, although their
divisions were landed after the divisions
of Franklin and Fitz John Porter, who, it
seems, were unable to reach Pope in time
to render him any assistance
When the army marched from Wash
ington to attack Lee in Maryland, Hook
err had the advance With such energy
did he press after Lee, that the rebels
ware forced to turn at bay. Hooker
with his usual promptness at once felt Of,
and unmasked, the position of the retel
army, finishing his reconnaissance after
dark. He then notified Mcclellan that
he would begin the battle at daybreak.
Very early.next morning, at the time
designated, he began the assault on the
rebel left with such fury that he crushed
and drove it back upon the center, which
in turn was doubled up on the right,
and the whole army was on the point of
being driven, helpless, into the Potomac,
or captured, when Hooker was disabled
and forced to deave the field. Taking
advantage Of his fall and the utter ina
bility of the other Union officers to carry
on the battle as he began it, the rebels
rallied their forces, and in turn assailed
the Union troops with such fsrocity as to