Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-05-20
The Herald ON Hooker,s Retreat.

The Herald ON Hooker's Retreat.
The New York Herald has an editorial which
is interesting The following is an extract from it
The news Of Gen. Rockers retroeade move
across the Rappahannock without a general battle
ana with the enemy en- nsasse IN his rear created
throughout this city yesterday a profound sensa
ton OF disappointment and despondency. Conf.
dent hopes OF great victories were changed again ia
painful anxlet'es for the safety Of the army; forthe
news of the morning left our forces crossing the
swollen rivor on two narrow pontoon BRIDGES. in
Or9ad daylight and in full view If the enemy
we experience no small sense of relief in being
ao.e 70 announce to our readers that the army Is
SAFE IN Its old camp at Falmouth That it was per.
mstted to recross the river without determined
.nolt OF the enemy to cut it to pieces satisfies us
.uas oen. Lee was not disposed to risk the expert.
tneIt' ior ne mas shown from the beginning re-
foraa. ''I - Hho"leoge OF every movement of our
,v,'es. ~ is sa'd that Gen. Hooker was in meas.
ure compelled to recross the river because With ,s
aooded condition and the almost impossible roads
between 1t and his depots, he was in danger of be
munition. r'''' """ ~"'-
Ater the events Of the last ten DAYS it is easy to
see tnat Zen: Hooker might have done better. For
instance had ne avoided any signs of an advance
unN. oeoneman had cut the, rebel railway comm
nlcauons with Richmond and'returned to the army
~. ie'hlorcements and supplies to Lee from below
might naYe been cut off until too late to be of anv
service to him. Or had Gen. Hooker retained the
powerful body of Stoneman's cavalry to enard his
nanks' that disastrous rebel flank movement of
frloay ana Saturday could have easily been ore.
vented. We apprehend, however, that Gen, HOOP
CTS greatest mistake an under. estimate of the
OF the rebels, or he surely would have ad
vanced beyond the river to draw them out without
the support OF Stonemans cavalry. From the mo-
thoc - = Al
formidable body of horsemen would have been in
valuable in securing the country, and ir keeping
Zen. Hooker apprised of every movement of the en-.
envy IN season to meet it As the matter stands,
Gen. Mcclellan needs no other defence against the
testimony of Gen. Hooker before the War Commit.
tee Of Congress than his Rappahannock campaign,
as compared with that of the Richmond peninsula
and that of Maryland.
The responsibility. however, for this unfortunate
movement on Richmond as for every other, be
longs to the war Office at Washington. Secret.rv
Stanten and Gen. Halieck are the parties to be ar.
ragned as the contrvers of this deplorabe failure
OF Gen: Hooker, with tho "finest army on the
planet" Had they permitted Gen. Mcclellan last
all TO 60 on with his own plans, and had they SUD.
ported MIN IN his movements, the war in Virginia
would have been over months ago. Or, had they
moved down in season Heintzelman's reserves from
Washinngton or brought up to aid in the great
OIL uSSle uPoh WHICH the lie OF the rebellion de-
pended the available forces of Gen. Peck, from Suf
folk, and Of Gen. Reyes, from Yorktown, General
Hooker might have enveloped the rebel army with
his superior numbers.
But what might or should have been done is now
matter Of small importance compared with the
question, What is to be or should now be doneP |
We think the Army of the Potomac should be i'm
mediately reinforced and that it should be again |
advanced upon the rebel army before it can recover
from its losses or reconstruct its shattered columns
we think that the campaign in this way may vet !
6e made decisive success, and especially should |
Gen. Stoneman be informed Of the late events on |
the Rappahsnnock in season to escape the snares of
the enemy with his splendid corps of cavalry
From the facts in our possession the losses to our
army, exceptfn the veteran soldiers who have tal
len, may be readily repaired. We look to the
President to meet the exigencies Of the day. Time
is precious. The work required to repair damages
and to restore the confidence of the country must
be commenced at once; but that this work demands
the removal of the present incompetent heads of the
war Office must now be manifest to President Lin.
coin. The whole system upon which the war is |
conducted needs reform, and this reform can ONLY
be effected by complete reorganization Of the war
Office"