, 1863-05-18
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE;
The Sttuntfon-Tlc Rclattvc ros.,
Efedcrlckebur rX- Condition tf ft1n
Two -1rMics-19ooAcr Receiving Hc-
AAlofccmcuts-Ecn Hooker.

Editorial Correspondence Of the Chicago T,ihun.
WASHINGTON, May Is, 1861
THE SITUATION"
Inc statement published In the New Yor1
1'nes o1 Monday, and repeated In eerera
otnel papers, that Hookcr's army was acair
crossing the Rappahannock, las no f,nnd,
ton, In tact. Nothing larger than small hod;e.
ot cavalry, sent across to reconnotter: has
crossed since the battles, except details sen,
over 10 bury the dead and remove t1e
wounded, under flag Of truce, The lonp
cifcumstantial account Of the movements nj
army corps, md the rccrossing of tho
Rappahannock, described In the Wasb;ngtop
letter to the Philadelphia Press, and widely
copied, is purely imaginary. There is not 4
word OF truth in 1t. Hooker's army occupies
lis old eantonments along the east side of the
river, with Its headquarters Mt Falmouth
"hen an advance will be made, is not known
outside Of Hooker himself The best opinion
mere is, that weeks may first elapsc That it
Will not be tomorrow, or next day, may be
safely predicted.
TIE RELATIVE LOSSES.
Now, that the smoke has cleared away that
covered up the carnage Of the weeks strus-
gle, an estimate approximating the truth may
be made of the respective losses in killed,
wounded and prisoners. From all can learn
by collecting facts, circumstances and reports.
the result will not vary far from the following
figures: Federal loss-killed, 1850; wound
cd. .6,5o; prisoners, 5,000-but at least 5nn !.
OF the latter were wounded that fell into thc
bands OF the enemy; total loss of Hoo,,cr,.
army, 1880 men. Rebel 1oss-3,2O0 killed
o'oo wounded, $500 prisoners; total rebe1
'ob5' l''oo men, and StonescaN Jackson, Who
vas worth 10000 men to the Confederate
cause. The rebels claim to hare taken q nm
10 lo'oVo prisoners; but they always oyerr,te
Lhelr achievements in this respect, ana under
Fa1e tEelr losses, us the test of the cartel IF |
exchange invariably proves. If their nre,en-
slons we're true, they would hold IN excess If |
II n least 81, ,OUo prisoners to-day; when, in fact
Inc feoerals can exhaust every man of ours
.he5 have, and will still haye in their nosses.
sion Elx to ten thousand rebels, left oyer
CONDITION OF TIE TWO ARMIES.
Neither army is in condition to renew tte
.oIltest. 1t will take some time to recune-
sale, reorgnnize and get ready to re-corn.
nence the struggle. Hooker is losing GOOD
LAY nleH " INC expiration Of the term Of
service Of Line months conscripts and t,Sn
Iears volunteers. Some ten or twelve rc";.
nenls nave already gone home, each number.
ng, perhaps, 500 nen. As 1uanymnrc viii ha
mustered out during this month. But on thc
'lner hand Ae Is receiving large reinforce.
ascnts, , eonslderaply more than enough to
make good these losses; indeed, euouSh to
upply his losses by the recent batrles anJ ~,
more, too. The troops''sent 10 his assistance
re :, Estimated at not less than 10000 men
i nerc are two whole army corps under Grns
'!S ;! ana feck, that are marching up towards
'lch1nond from the rear, or ought 10 bc a
OTIS CONSISTS OF abont twenty. seven reei.
:e1ts, *. H. ogssaes artillery and cavalry. So you
et that hooker LAS Incn enough to ns,,1ma
&C =. offensive again whenever he feels re,dv
us army does not regard themselves whin.
"a, by any means. It is admitted tI,t tlre
:oels 1s won 1he last ''knock down." int it
~ takG several more rounds before the F.ds
Ais MIL CONSIDER the contest dubious.
GEN. HOOKER.
me confidence Of the soldiers In General
ooker Las not abated Il particle. They saw
W. eNtllcate Inc army when all seetacd in l
INFUSION and the battle lost, and by ncrsona, :
.rlng, quick movements and skillfll haniIin~
troops, check the rebel rush, roll back their
vance, ana pile them into winrows of ira,i !
en. Bnt The army came very near losing its ,
loved leader. While leaning against 5,s1 I
TUG Chanesllorsville House, q round Ehot
rnck 1t, The shock knocked Gen. HooEer
the ground, where be Law scns,Icss b
tue space Of 20 minutes. When he hecamc .
nscious, be was still highty md stupitieJ r. r
Is Is more than two hours before 1,t e,,f1icis +
ny recovered to be able to issue commands Y
lrl1'g this time Gen. Couch was. in com. t.
and OF the army, and issued orders tn Il Il
le extent Of the injury received by Cen 6
poker was concealed from the so1d,rrs II
tcf NC mad recovered little from his stnn,.,
non he lay down on q blanket in a t.nt q
al by, and remained there tor ten or fittcea Z
mites Feeling little better be aross md c'
I'ped outside Of the tent short distance e.
y pegan conycrsing with his aids in rcsncct r. o.
na1t!e then raging around him, When q ~
mon ball tore along the ground, plow;nr r. n, ~
exactly where he Ind lain few min,ics r
;v1ousiy. 1t swept away tho blanket on Al
ich he lay. That is what nav i,c cai,ca Al
row escape.
lockers men ttlink lie exposes himse,ftoo
ca, ana scold about if. They saw tbcv CT
! want to have him killed, at least nnnec. tl
ar1iy; but lie says that officers mnst show W
II soldiers that they arc not afrnid to dic al
Inc Union, and not afraid to 90 wrerc III
I ask the ne pr1vatcs to 60. This IS eight il,
Suc 0l4 over. EuIc eli