The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-05-05

gressional Committee on the conduct OF
the War.
WHY THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN FAILED
WAsHlSoroY, March i, 1868
Maj. Gen, Hooker sworn and examin'
ed.
By the Chairman: Question. To
what do you attribute the failure oil the
peninsula campaign!
ANSWER. | do not hesitate to say
that il is to be attributed TO the want of
gensralship on the part of our command
er
Q. Were you consulted upon the sub
ject Of the liae Of the peninsula IN pref
A.. erence to the one direct TO Richmond.
A. never was consulted on the sub
ject.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE AT YORK
TOWN.
0. What was the condition of things
at Yorktown when our troops first landed
on the peninsula, as regards the strength
Of the place and the relative strength OF
The opposing forces
A / did not 90 down for some three
weeks after Gen. Mcclellan went down.
He went with the army from Alexandria,
and the return vessels stopped at BGdd 9
Ferry, where was, and took NY division
down. an Nc Cellan took down about
90, 900 men, and when | joined him
took | ! 900 down to him. | did not see
the returns, hut that Was the understand.
ing there. Franklin afterwards joined
with his division. At the time that Gen.
Mcclellan landed with this large army
there were sonew here between 8, 900 and
$4,000 at yorktown have heard it es-
tlmated a 10 w as s 1000 and ms high as
$4,000.
WHAT HOOKER oULD HAVE DONE
@. What course would you have al.
yised at the time of the landing on the
peninsula under the circumstances?
A. What / subsequently, did will, |
think, convey an answer to that question,
attacked, with my single division, line
of works at Williamsburg stronger than
the line across the peninsula at York
town. A \ yorktown, long after joined
never could understand why was re-
quired to send one half OF nay number on
duty. day and night. to dig, SO as to in
vest that place. could only conclude
that siege Mad been determined upon
somewhere IN the programme before ever
having felt u see whether we had an en-
envy in front or not. And great many
others tclt SO too. From my cxamina-
ton OF the works at Yorktown, and reach
ing away beyond the position that i occu-
pied, | felt that their lines could be
pierced without any considerable loss by
the corps with which | was on duty
Heintzelunau's corps. We could have
gone right through, and gone to the rear
OF the enemy. They would run the mo-
ment we got to their rear, and we could
have picked up the prisoners. Right
there at Yorktown the enemy had expen
ded great deal Of labor But would
have marched right through the redoubts
which were Ia part OF the Gordon they had
and got on the road between Yorktown
and Richmond, and thus compelled the
enemy 10 fight me on my ground, and no
wuAr NJ cLELIAS MIGHT HAVE DONE.
q Suppose that Gen. Mcclellan hac
thrown his army between Yorktown anc
Williamsburg with as much rapidlty al
he could, what would have probabl,
been the effect
A. 1t would haze resulted ia the ca n
ture and destruction of the enemy.
army.
z. Do YOU know any reason VIII,
that could Het have been done.
A. do not.
z. loa Were there when the enem,
relreated from lorktown?
A. l was within mile and a half o
there
@. VIII you state, briefly and sue
clnctly, what took place upon their re
treat?
THE RETREAT FROM YORKTOWN
A. The troops ordered out in the frs
instance lopursuo them were some dra
goons and some light batteries unde
zen. Stoneman. received orders /,
support Gen. Stoneman, and left m,
camp between / and clock in the af
ternoon for that purpose do not know
al what time Gen. Stoneman left. ! fol
lowed 10 his rear. After had proceede,
out about hfe niles met Gov. Sprague
Who informed ne that Gen Stonenan ha,
i4len upon the rear Of the enemy.
rode up to where Geu. Stoneman was
nu ,ound that he was held in check o.
tne orklowu road about mile and hal
,n's of.town) side OF the corden Of re-
I ugup@ running across the peninsula nes
"'''iaalsblrg, rode forward to ascer
n IAN how could put in my infantry
zen stone man. tod me that the enam
was about mile in his front, where the
neia some fedoubts. 1t turned out afte,
wards TO ~ Fort Magruder. We wer
then where the enemy could throw Oh III
over cur heads from the fort.
AARcHIN TIE MUD.
~ alssf SCANNING the ground, | hear
"a' sothni's Division had fled into Il
loiA'oWtl read in advance of mine.
immediately returned aud ioined INV a
vision, anu found that il had been hal,e
In order 10 enable Smith 8 div,s;on
pass. We were detained tbera !. ~
way between , and q hour A. ~,
Al ascerAined this 10 be the case I ~ :