The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-05-29
The Eject Of Ho0ker,s Defeat I'm
4I,4sf = the North. ,fg85.a
Reports at Washington to Concedztb Disaste,
THE STUPIDITY OF HOOKER.
The Plain Truth Of the Battles.

4 THE STUPIDITY OF HOOKER.
The Plain Truth Of the Battles.
! The New York World has a scratching re.
view of the record of the history of the weeks
i fighting on the Rappahannock. It is severe
i but just, and is at once graphic, comprehen.
sive and accurate. The World says
Unless all the Indications are deceptive. the
administration III again in a panic respecting
/ the safety Of the capital. It's unreasonable
relation and hopeflness have been followed by
an equally uncalled for depression. Tho
proof Of this state Of feeling is to be found in
/ the reassuring kilograms from official sources
which come over the wires, and the statement
over Secretary Stanton's own signature THAT
/ Gen. Hookeris about to resume the offensive
I, from another base. Now it is very clear that
Gen Hooker iSnot going to do any such thing;
unless, indeed, it is his deliberate intention to
hand over his armyto the safe keeping Of the
! Confederate leader Gen. Lee. The Army Of
| the Potomac is composed Of men like all other
armies and it is MOTH human nature to en-
] dure disappointmentof its hopes, defeat, and
suffering, without loss of confidence and heart.
| If Gen. Hooker's name had been their COM
IUIHOcr Ill u ullIuUCI UIjlllduI t1CtOElcS anu
his men had profound faith. in him, a defeat
like that which be has just suffered might
have left the troops ready for another forward
movement--nay. they might even be eager TO
retrieve their lost laurels; but az it is, they
would be more than men if they were fit for
a forward campaign against victorious ene-
my, which they know IRE numerous, daring,
and skilfully handled. Stanton's news is
evidently intended for Lee: but as thas Gene
raj is not exactly q fool, it will not stop his
forward movement. but will rather hasten it
that is if it is any part of his intention to
seriously move against Washington. We en-
terrain no fears for the capital. True, any
thing in the way Of disaster is possible with
our present rulers. but even their inefficiency
| il not equal to the loss Of Washington.
In view Of the pleasing delusions which the
administration is now endeayoring to propa-
gate, it would be we'll perhaps to outline some
Of the leading facts. in this short campaign,
from which the reader can draw his own
moral
!. 1t is not true that Lee was surprised or
deceived by Rockers movement across the
Rappahannock. From the Richmond papers
Of last Saturday it is clear that the Confede-
rate military leaders understood it perfectly,
and deliberately allowed our army to cross.
confident Of their ability to defeat if not de-.
stroy it. Forney, in the Philadelphia Press,
| states that Hooker was induced to cross by
the assurance Of hisspies and scouts that the
only army to oppose him was one Of forty
thousand under jackson, Lee being sick and
his army scattered. The Baltimore seces-
sionists had the same report and believed it.
General Hooker, therefore, at the very start,
was the deceived party. and walked straight
into the trap prepared for him. asg
2. The great cavalry raid. which was an
entire success, did General Hooker ne good,
because it did not precede, instead Of accom-
.pany his movement Lees reinforcements
had all arrived before the destruction If the
railroads and bridges. 70 him this is now
only temporary Inconvenience. Had Hook
er retained his.cpvslry with his ARMY, i
would have been far better for him. He could
have captured several thousand more prison
ers when Fredericksburg was taken. and,
more than all, could have prevented Jackson,s
surprise of his flank and rear. They might
have changed the complexion of the fight.
3. General Hooker's division Of his army
was as disastrous in this instance, as have
been all such inIformer military history. 1t
is known that General Halleck utterly disap-
proved Of this dispersion of the Union forces.
and the result proved that in this case. at
least, he was right. If Lee had furnished
Hooker with plan, it could not have been
more to his liking. He first hurled all his
forces upon Hooker and beat him; this was
on Saturday and Sunday, and then on Mon
day, he repossessed the heights of Fredericks-
l,1,.r ~.