The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-05-22
A Criticism on the Hooker Cam
paign.

One Emil Schalk communicates his idea
to the Philadelphia Press. We copy the nu1
of the matter:
BY what We have said above of the position
OF the rebel army, it will be seen tnat th
crossing at Charlottesville by the main force
was entirely correct but it will be seen, too
that the crossing effected by four corps only
instead OF seven, or at least six, was not cor
rect.
Had the army consisted of the seven corps
and marched on Wednesday morning, il
forced marches towards Fredericksburg, or il
direction some five to six miles south O
Fredericksburg, they would have been, by
Wednesday night, behind the rebel intrench-
ments.
The great decisive battle of the war would
probably have taken place on Thursday, and
would have been fought under very different
circumstances from those of Saturday, Sun.
day and Monday, where our army was beat
en- in detail.
The idea of general, who is on the often
slve, whose avOwed object IS the capture OF
destruction of whole army, making six
miles In thirty-sx hours, just in the most
critical moment of his operations, and finally
after entrenchng himself without being on
the communications of his enemy tells his
soldiers that the enemy has to run away or
attack him on his own ground, where he will
destroy him, has not its parallel in modern
times.
Another quite as objectionable mistake is
the sending away OF the cavalry in moment
when great battle was nearly certain to
happen. 1t was the same silly conduct
which made Melas lose the battle of Maren-
80. Inc cavalry ought to have formed the
utmost right wing in the large wheeling
movement which our army performed, aud
II which the left wing formed the pivot
Gen Hooker's operation is modelled on
the operations OF Wurmser and Alviuci in
Italy; those Of Jourdan, in 1899, at Sthcach,
and, in quite modern times on that of the
royal Neapolilan army, in 1860, at the Vol
turno. On the contrary, Gen Lee took a
good lesson from the action Of Napoleon, the
! Archduke Charles, and Garibaldi, on those
different occasions. Gen Lee has certainly
gained for himself, by this battle, the name
Of one of the ablest generals OF the present
age.
| 1t would be wrong to make Gen Hooker
alone responsible for his defeat. We are
told that this army is to be reinforced by 80
900 men from Washington, and b, 10000 to
10000 from Suffolk. Is it not strange that
those troops did not join Hooker before the
battle? What is the use of 10000 idle men
in Washington? What the use of those
10000 on the Blackwater? Why are some
$4,000 standing sentry in North Carolina ?
What have the 10000 done yet near Charles
ton?
Is there not common sense enough in our
| great generals to understand that 10 keen
thousands aud thousands of men as sentries
to prevent blockade runners from coming in
to southern ports is ridiculous that it s
more reasonable to mass all those troops,
and to crush with this superiority The eue
my's main armies, b. cause then the blockade
runners will soon find no more buyers for
their contraband goods?
But how could such reasonable actions be
expected from general-in cEiet who advanc-
ed against COrlnth with snalllike pace, to
undertake the siege OF teldworks which the
rebels atterW ards, under Van Dorm, did not
hesitate moment TO storm; and who sent
Pope with 10000 men to capture an army
which he, wi h 100000, could not defeat.
Ii is the same general who, in Aug lst
last, gave Gen Burnside the strange order t,
stay quietly at Fredericksburg with his
troops; meanwhile Pope was defeated at
Manassas. The same who ordered Pope to
retreat toward Washington instead of order
ing him to retreat towards Salem and Berlin,
which would have prevented the battle at
Manassas and the invasion OF Maryland. 1t
is the same who gave the fatal order TO Col
Miles to hold Harper's Ferry when the rebels
were already in Maryland, and when, there
by, Harper's Ferry had lost all Importance
Have there not been useless butcherie>
and failures Of operation enough to warran,
finally the adoption Of sound military plans
I'LL this is done, we can only hope that for
tune will once more smile upon the countr,
of freedom.