Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-07
From the New York Evening Post,
FROM THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
REORGANIZATION UNDER GEN. HOOKER
McCIcII0nism in the ARMY.

dliiercnt commanders. Originally, IN COM
mon with the whole country, believer in the
genius Of Gen. Mcclellan, he has seen the
incapacity of that officer demonstrated, not
only in his failures in the field against the en-
envy, but equally by his errors of administra-
ton, which affected in too many ways, the
comfort and efficiency OF the army entrusted
to him.
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY, Feb. 3, 1868.
Gen. Hooker returned from Washington
yesterday morning, with full discretionary
powers as to the necessary reorganization of
the army, and he and Butterfeld are at work.
1t does ones heart good TO see the manner in
which they grapple the task before them.
They are sound. They are going to the bot
tom Of every evil and curse affecting this
army, with the vigor and confidence that as
sure every one that they realize the extent of
the work, and have the ability to perform it.
The remaining devOtees of Mcclellan here,
among the generals, have suddenly become
very silent and humble, and are nervously
waiting results Hooker will not make par
TALLY tor any former commander test, I'M
less that Partially is SO marked as to prevent
an officer from giving an earnest and cordial
support to the present commander. But ODE
dience and vigor in the performance of their
duties he uW hare. They can be read in the
firm set lines of his countenance, and in the
sparkle of his eye. There is no waste mate
rial about Hooker. Every faculty Of his mind
and body is under complete control, and in the
most vigorous use. | believe he loves power;
but he is SO earnest in this work of crushing
the rebellion that he will not fail to use his
power for the benefit of the country. He
comprehends more in one hour than McClel-
Ian did'in day, and more business is already
done with the staff ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
as they are-than has ever been done before
in the same time at headquarters
You may depend upon it that Hooker will
not let any fOrmalites of rank keep him from
putting the fighting generals in their proper
places, and the proverbaly slow men, already
well known, will be well marked hereafter.
Crowds of officers from all parts of the army
throng headquarters day and evening, to pay
their respects to and congratulate the general
and his staff Many are waiting to see more
evidence OF HookerS ability before they ex-
press themselves, while few bgoted men re-
fuse to believe that anybody but Mcclellan
has any military ability The great nIojVritJ,
however can see no reason why Hooker can
not master the detail of this army as well as
the detail of grand divisOn, and for evidence
they point to the pregnant fact that in no po-
sition which he has yet occupied has he failed
to more than equal expectations; and the eX-
arc amply borne out by his past career, and
justified not only by that, but by the complete
knowledge of his own abilities and confidence
in himself, quality which it is eminently
necessary that military leader should have
Base rumor to the contrary, Gen. Hooker's
habits are not such as to cause any alarm. lie
has never been known to be under the mt1u-
ence of liquor. His clean-shaven face, with
his thin white skin, showing the healthy blood
under the surface, gives to his countenance
after riding in the wind, such roseate hue as
perhaps to deceive those who do not know
him.
He is emphaticaly one of the men devel-
oped by this war, and it is by such that this
must be brought to a close. His few or
ders already issued are vigorous in their tone.
The first thing he did was to grasp the ser-
Gus evil of deserton which was increasing
very rapidly. Two hundred and fifty men are
already awaiting trial in the different divisions,
and severe examples will be made Of some of
them. Don't let any sickly sentimentalism
prevent the press and the people from saying
observed" in case some of them are shot.
Tho time has come for it.
Absent officers (without leave) are also at
tended to- Some of them who nave presumed
so much upon their ability to fix things all
right after they get back, will, to use famil-
IdG GApEGSSlOi, uIu lilGlI CANT Ii
they wish to save their positions and reputa-
tions it is necessary for them to report imme-
dately.
1t is now palmer than ever, that the remov-
al OF Mcclellan should have been made long
before it was To him is chargable the fail
ure of Burnside. He permitted a refractory
and mutinous spirit to grow up in the army
he permitted the army to set him up as king,
and swear they would neither worship nor
obey any other idol. He taught them to re-
gard him with greater enthusiasm than the
cause for which they fought. Instead of be-
ing jeted and presented with homesteads, he
should be Stripe OF his rank and sent into
the world like his pet Porter
Had Burnside seized the army with the con-
fdence and spirit manifested by Hooker, he
might have done more with it, but he took
hold with a mistrust of his own ability, which
waslquckly seized upon by the irate McClel-
Ian admirers, as evidSnce that nobody was his
equal, and they most heartily reciprocated
and encouraged the sentiment of the ''want OF
confidence" with c Burnside expressed in re-
gard to himself. The result was subordinate
commanders grew refractory. disputed his
plans, compelled him TO change them at times
and completely disconnected him by appeal
ing to the authorities at Washington against
him.
J1ulIo4dS 10 liOt d great Hnlllary genius, DuL
he is an honest, energetic, patriotic and good
man, who believes in right earnest and hard
fighting rather than strategy. There were
many officers in this army who preferred stra.
tegy of the Mcclellan order to legitimate
fighting, but their number is rapidly decreas-
ing-not that they are leaving the army, but
that they are getting their eyes opened to the
necessity of using every means in our power
to crush this rebellion.
Hooker is man of strong will. He will
not allow himself to be used or brow-beaten
by army politicians He will assume to know,
as the commander of this army, what it needs
and who are the meritOrious ones in it, and
without regard to politics, any man who does
his whole duty will be well considered. But
there will be one rule memorable every Other
feeling and desire must be subordinate to the
desire to crash this atrocious rebellion by any
and every means, and in the shortest possible
time. Any man who sticks at immateria
points, or argues the question at all, may con
slider himself as useless and inefficient, and
may depend upon being thus treated.
The question of moving depends, of course
upon the weather, and not upon the desire o
the commander. But should the weathe
prevent, the country will not suffer. 1t viii