Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1863-05-22

Gen. Hooker and his Army Operations.
Gen. Hooker, recent military operations.
AZ fredericksburg and CAanoeiiorviiie.-
has crossing and rserOssing % the Kappa
hammock. have ali been mad, tn subject q
criticism in the Pablic P-ess and among the
people The copPerhesds aud their syunpa-
thizers denOance Gen. Hooker asa weak
and inexperienced commander. and his re
treaf shameful defeat Such praise con-
ing from the@ as nothing new They have
IRON The beginning q the rs-.-from the
frst b&ftle Of Bull Fun down to tbs aav.
invariably re3osced n every defeat Of th.
sederai arms AT the recrOssing OF Gener-
A. Hooker's army. back 20 It's old camping
srOasa. they have gone into extacses. And
they 60 OF II once and commence eoapari-
sons between Mcclellan and Hooker. Dad
they keep truth on their SIDE. Hooker
would lose nothing; for when be las been
IN command more than a year and hall.
and bad reduced an army Of more than too
hundred ihOGsand well drilled. vel disci-
pinned. Elective men. down 70 less than
hA4 thai member. and gone back to has Art
starting grOund-then aad not til then.
are his campaigns 20 be compared 20 Ne
Ciellaa's
In Passing jEtgAeu; upon our militar,
commanders. We sboGld not DC hasfv. and
We should. before We condemn. De sure We
have substantial data spOz Which to found
our opinions; otherwise -e are hable 90 do
gross injustice. We have carefully read
the Pzbiished accounts % the las; battle a.
IredericksbGrg aad CkancellorS lie. and ne
cannot agree with those Who denouncc Gen.
Hooker The act Of crossing the Kappa
hannock. with an army OF seventy thousand
men without loss. Is evidence Of genera
ship; and then. no one denies that Ceu.
Hookers plan Of battle vas vel laid. In
al this he exhibited the highest uail..sr,
genius II any fault Is found wish tiis. Il
vas the extension Of has lines over 81 much
territory. But IA examination Of the ooun-
Try in and about The battle ground. all
shov a. once, that with an army Of such
vast ncnbers. with so much uoo1s AID a
surface 80 broken. he could not have arran-
ged bis lines much differently. HIS frst
efforts we're successful. The crossing Of
the 6th corps under Gen SsigWick. and
their Subsequent occupation Of The heights
Of fredericksburg after a gallant and sue
oess.al assault. was az vel executed. Gen.
Hooker a. a distance Of faeen n.sles. AZ
Chanceli0rville. did not and could not IN
dersisnd exactly the position Of things -ien
h. ordered Sedg~ick 90. Join him. The
principal cause Of tie noa success q Hook
er as tbe shameful panic aud resrest Of
the Germsn COPS under Gen. Howard
Had this corps stood their ground Ike men.
Hooker would have gaiaed a splendid NC
tory. The causes q his retreat 49, two
fold. ist. lie feared the destruction 81 i
Pon'oon bridges By the fresbes. whieh
would cut GO BIS supplies. "a "a knew
nothing q the soccess Of Stoucnan's raid
or THAI the enemy's communication With
kichmos1d. from which came his rcinforce-
newt. ~as interrupted or cut OF A. q
god general. ~ cosid not sdvancc. When
there vas even = yrslaisFfy that his wholc
army might hc destroyed. lie scfei from
the hght thea before him. ard removed
froTn ~ sc--e ~ c-,ueict % tn other side
q The river. Gsu. Hooker NAY bsr- u,ade
q mistake. Il hss si~sys been sad D. w.
rasa nan ssd haa b. Engaged IN De-
perate russb-. sri A. result been de-
ieai-the vtoie country wouid have be-.
IN 81 uproar 81 the event. he ttoo,L, y.
oughi ne % run the f-srful -isk-,-i 90.
think whes 81 tie fats arc sprrad b.f,-,
The Psbiic. b. I'll stand soquiued.
Notwithstanding rs retreat. rs cxu~si.
tion acro-s the river vas 80 fsiIu-e lie
SO back in good or,Ier. vish 5ut li,sl. %.
I've has taken o.e more grr Than b. JOS.
In prisou-rs. h. took sbouf 900 in an. s,.s
lost ahout haf thar numbor. o. ere KIDD
woonded and si--inr. his losses did not
s-ouut % Hore than kaH o. two-siirfs a
That Of the enemy. We lost tie gallant
Gen. B~rry.-~hiie the ene-nv lost &C.,
fhxton. asa Stoncual Jackson. T,s en-
federaies lad letter IoS vhols division.
tnan daekson- he has been TIE great 49,
Ger spirit u sh- rebel as1ay ior long serio.
OF aaonths- Ihe rebel ar1ny - sharer,i
s.d demorslized By The sght. our. cane
o1t - Wsl orcaniFed sad in rood
49,