Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-05-01
General Joe Hooker.

1Cl1Cl d1 y W 11OOhcI.
If General Hooker shall demonstrate to
the world that he can fight as well as he can
criticise, he will be most fortunate. The
publication of his testimony before the Com
mittec on the Conduct of the War, and par
ticularly that portion of it relating to the
Peninsular Campaign, is Of the M st straish'
forward and direct character He does not
mince the matter al all but makes a plain
and direct statement, which seems, at first.
second and third examination, to be true a.
Holy Writ. His testimony is Of the most
damaging kind to the General then in com
mand Of the Army Of the Potomac; but it
corresponds with the opinion Of the best mil
itary men in the nation, and it also accor1s
with public opinion. The only wonder is
that military man has been found who is
not afraid 70 express an opinion, when that
opinion will not be palatablc to the would
be great military captains, nor creditable to
their generalslip. Gen. Hooker thought the
army could march into Richmond, and he
said 50. lie thought that less digging and
more ish ting would save the lives Of thou
sands of gallant Tn ion soldiers, and would
be the sa Test and quickest way to Richmond,
and he SAID 50. The public honor him for
his independence and outsp)kon bluntness ;
and if he shall demonstrate in the sec jnd or
third attempt te reaehRichmond now impenl
/ ing, that his opinion is valuable, and is back
ed up by briliant victories and rapid march
es, he will be the coming man. We give SO
much of the testimony as we can this week.
Maj, Gen Joseph Hooker sworn aud ex-
amined.
BY the Chairman Question u wha;
do YOU attribute the failure Oi tn, peninsula
ccmpaign?
Answer lido not hesIqte 10 ssg tiaf II
IS 10 Be dltri5nted 10 The rant Of g,aera'shlP
on the part Of or commander.
Q Were You consulted upon the subject
Of the line OF the peninsula in preference t.
to the one direct to Richmond?
\. never was consulted on the subject.
q. What Was the condition of things at
Yorktown when our troops first landed on
the peninsula, as regards the strength Of tn e
plac. and the relative strength Of the OPP
posing forces?
\. did not so ljwn for some three weeks
after Gen, Mcclellan We dJwn. He went
with the army frm Alexandria. and the
return vessels stopped at Budd's Ferry
where WAS, and took my division down. -
+ Gen. Mcclellan took down about 90 900 men
and when | Iincd him | took | !. 900 down
to i'm. did not see the returns, but that
was the understanding there. Franklin af-
terwaid joined with his division, Al tn
tine that Gen. Ne Cieiian landed te.h tbs
large army there tr@-e sometcA>re b.tceen
5000 and $1,000 at Yortlowa. hare
AeGrd II estimated as io,c as 5000 and as
high az Is, 600
z. What course would you have advised
at the time of the landing on the peninsula
under the circumstances
A. What | subsequently did will think
convey an answer 70 that question / a.
tackled, 'rM my single airis,on. iiae of uorks
al Williamsburg stronger ihd. The hne across
The peninsula al Yorktorn At Yorktown.
long after joined, never could understand
why was required t. send one half of my
number on duty, day and night, to dig, So
as - invest that place. | could Only con
clude that a siege had been determined upor
somewhere in the programme bsforc ever
haring fed 10 see ,sheiher rcs had an enemy IN
front or not. And a great many others felt
50 too. From my examination Of the works
at Yorktown, and reaching away beyond the
position that occupied, / iel: that their
lines could be pierced without any consider
able loss by the corps with which was on
uty-ilentzielman corps. We c5uRA qrc
gone light through, and gone 10 the rear of
The enemy. They would run the INC ment We
got to their rear, and we could picked up
the prisoners. Right there at Yorktown tn e
enemy had expended great deal of labor,
but Iooud hare marched ri2ht through Ike
redouJts, which We're II part of Of the cor.
don they had. and got on the road between
Yorktown and Richmond, aud thus compelled
ne enemy to fight me on my ground, and net
hare fought them on theirs
q. Suppose that Gen. Mcclellan had
thrown lis army between Yorktown and
Williamsburg with as much rapiditv as he
effect?
A. II could hare resulted in The capture
and destruction Of The eRemy's army.
., DO you hnoo any reason 'chy thai
coad not haze been done?
A. do NOT.
q. You Were there when the enemy re.
treated from Yorktown?
"A. | was within mile and a half Of
there.
Q. VIII you state, briefly and succinctly
what took place upon their retreat?
a. The troops ordered out in the first in,
stance to pursue them were some dragons
and some light batteries under Gen. Stone.
man. | rppPiNp1 aricra ~