Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-28
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
THE LATE CAMPAIGN OF GEN HOOKER

we staNQ Ia our paper VI 'he -
ter having given brief retrospect OF 'he op,
tons of Gen Hooker which had then resui'eu -
his unexpected retreat across the naPPAn@uh'
that AZ tbst date il seemed TO us too early 10 In
dulge in any criticisms on the campaign "ni0N
had ended so suddenly almost before IL was peSun'
W. added at the same time that we should re-
sarge further observations on the recent abortlVe
movemept until we were placed in the possession
of facts then imperfectly known to US and to the
country.
Since that time the Army of the Potomac has
remained motionless, and such is the "quietude
that has reigned undisturbed on the banks OF the
Rappahannock that even those enterprislng per-
sons known as q the correspondents have ceased
to fnd in the actual or projected operations OF
Gen Hooker any stimulus to their own curiosity
or any qualification to the curiosity OF the country.
The military "dead lock" into which the army
was precipitated by Gen. Burnside, after ne had
succeeded in placing it, in the mouth OF November
last, where Gen. Halleok desired it should be
placed in the month of August last, remains IN
broken, having been rendered only the more stiln-
gent by the spasmodic attempts made from time
to time to extrica,e it from the vice IN which, b.
cause Of The disadvantage of its position it is held
BY an ipfricr force of the enemy
1t will be remembered that Gen. Halleck, in his
order of the 9th Of August last, directed Gen.
Mcclellan to withdraw from the james River to
some point where he might effect junction with
the frees of Gen Pope, and he designated Frede-
ricksburg as such point. He said;
"A new base on the Rappshunnock, at Fredericksburg,
brings within about sixty miles of kchm md, and
cures iuurcement of forty or ty thu sand fresh and
disciplined troops he change with such advantages VIII
ihitk properly repre- nfed to your army encourage
rahr than d-noraz troops More over you your
sell euggt at tlai JUNCTION might DO effected at Iork-
town. but tht nk march the Pc nlnsua would
be hazardous than t. retire to Fort Monroe lou
will remember that Yorktown is two or three miles FUR
Their from Richmond than F. ed cksbug Ia besides, the
latter is br ta ecu Richmond and Washington and covers
Washington from any attack by the enemy
When, for reasons which Gen. Halleck had not
foreseen, his plan of eff, citing at fredericksburg
junction Of the divided forces of the Army of the
Potomac was SONS what disturbed by the invasion Of
Maryland, caused, as it was said, by the "immo-
bii,y" of Gen. Mcclellan, the desiderated base of
operations was eventually reached on the 18th Of
last November under the lead Of Gen. Burnside.
The army was at last where Gen. Halleck wanted it
to be" within sixty miles Of Richmond" and
covering Washington from any attack by the
enemy"
lie fruits of the "new base" and of the new COM
msnders are now before the country, In the shape
Of repeated military disasters, leaving army al
the very point where Gen. haleck sought to plac.
it | st midsummer, and where he finally succeeded
in placing it more than six months ago. The
misadventures which befell him in getting the
army TO Fredericksburg have been exceeded only
by bis mi.adventures in trying to get the army be-
yond that point 1t is found that something be-
sides "new base" and something besides zen.
eIgetic" commanders is needed to give to the
Army Of the Potomac that mobility which it tor
NOR lacked because Of {" McClellan's vis inertis
TIE recent failure Of Gen. Hooker is the most
signal which has yet overtaken this brave but I'M
forur ate army, and it would now be appropriate
for us to present to our readers analysis of the
late brief campaign. We sbstsined from doing SO
for time because cur information on certain
points was not sufficiently definite to justify the
announcement Of deliberate conclusions to the
causes which brought such sudden confusion on
the plans Of the General commanding and on the
highly raised hopes Of the country, We have
since obtained authentic intelligence respecting
the late operations Of Gen. Hooker, but as the
Government has not thought proper to spread be-
fore the people any official information the sub
ject, and has thus done nothing to guide the po-
pular judgment intelligent appreciation of the
late campaign, we infer that it does not desire to
encourage any discussions which should have for
their effect to bring the operations Of Gen Hooker
to the scrutiny of popular review military crit
cism In Difference, therefore, to the conceived
wishes of the Government, we shall withhold the
observations we had proposed to offer under this
hoad, and for the preparation of which we bav,
gathered valuable materials derived from sources
the most enlightened and Trustworthy. The con
alterations Of military prudence which make il
proper to practise this temporary reticence in
favor Of the present. commander Of the Army Of
the Potomac, SO long as he seems by his retention
In command to possess the confidence of the Ad-
ministration, are not likely to exist always. For
the day must soon come when it wi | be as proper
to review the failures Of Gen. Hooker as those of
Gen Mcclellan or Gen. Burnside, lis predecessors
in misfortune, and this whether in his next essay
he shall succeed in retrieving his reputation, or
whether still greater disasters destined to be
L. nF NE Re-