Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-04-30
ghs Rutlaaa g'rala.
THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1868.


mony of Gen. Hooker before the commit
tee on theconduct of the war, Just pub
lished, from the fact that he is now in
command of the army TO whose former OPP
cratlons his evidence relates, and is about
to commence a campaign which it is hoped
will be the last necessary 10 decide the
fate Of the rebellion. We look to Gen.
Hooker's criticisms therefore, not SO much
for light upon Gen. McClellan's ability as
a commander, for the public judgment is
already well enough settled on that point,
as for indications of the military oharac-
ter of Gen. nooker himself, upon whom
so much is now depending. For this rea-
son we devote some space this morning tic
such extracts as we can find room for from
Gen. Hooker's evidence.
Gen. Hooker was examined before this
committee on the 18th of March last. He
attributes the failure Of the peninsulsr
campaign "to the want Of generalship on
the part of our commander" Gen. Nc
Clellan took down with him TO the PENN
sula 10000 men, and Gen. Hooker joined
him with IL 900 more. Gen. Franklin
afterwards joined with hls division. Gen.
Hooker continues:
"At the time that Gen. cClelan land
ed with this large army there were some
where between 5000 and $4,000 at York
town. have heard it estimated as low
as 5000 and as high as $4,000"
In answer to the question what he would
have advised at the the time of landing on
the peninsula, Gen. II. says:
"What subsequently did will, think,
convey an answer to that question. /
ATTACKED aeith my single diviSion, a line Of
@orks OF williamsburg stronger than tie
line across tie peninsula at Yorktown
At Yorktown, long after joined, l never
could understand why | was required to
send one half of my number on duty, day
and night, to dig, so rs to invest that
place. could only conclude that seige
hao been determined upon somewhere in
the programme, before ever having felt to
see soitetber zoe had an enemy in front or
not. And great many others felt so
too. From my examination of the works
at Yorktown, and reaching away beyond
the position that | occupied, | felt that
their lires could he pierced without any
considerable loss by the corps with which
/ was on duty Heintzeman's corps. We
couLl bare gone right through and gone TO
the geoy Of tie enemy. I hey would run
the moment we got 10 their rear, and we
could have picked up the prisoners. Right
there at Yorktown the enemy had expend
ed great deal Of labor. Bat l could
haze marched raght through the Ted0ubtS
which were a part OF the Gordon they had,
and got on the road between Yorktown
and Richmond, and thus compelled the en-
eng to light me on my ground, and not
kG0s fought them on theirs.
@. Suppose General Mcclellan had
thrown his army between Yorktown
and Williamsburg with as much rapidity
as be could, what would have probably
been the effect
A. IL would haze resulted 10 the cap
tire and destruction Of the ensmy's army.
@. DO you kno0 any reason Uhy that
could not hare been done?
A. / do not"
On the retreat of the enemy from York
town, Gen. Hooker was ordered to support
Gen. Stoneman, who had been sent in pur-
suit of the enemy. After RAPID march,
a portion of which took place from dark
to eieven o'clock at night, in the mud, and
was resumed at half past six in the morn
ing, Gen. Hooker came up to the ad-
vanced outpost of the enemy, which was
perhaps half mile from Fort Magru-
der:
q could see from the position where
was three or four redoubts on this line of
the enemy's works. | ordered two regi-
ments to advance as skirmishers on the
work which commanded the Yorktown
road--to skirmish up to the work, and
dispatched two regiments with instructions
to break down any barrier and destroy |
any force that might be between me and
the position that Gen. Stoneman occupied.
As soon as my skirmshers had driven the
enemy into Fort Magruder, | ordered two
batteries forward and opened on the work |
at once. The two regiments that had been
sent TO the Yorktown road passed down
the road, found no enemy on it, found no
barrier, and reported to Gen. Hancock,
who was about mile and quarter from
Fort Magruder, that there was nothing to
prevent the troops there advancing. These
regiments then returned. AS early as 9
o'clock in the day my skIrmishers had adj
vanced so near Fort Magruder, and there
held their position, that they could not
work their artillery If a man showed |
his hand or head above the work, he got
ball in it. When this was done | sent |
word to the commanding officer on the
Yorktown road that there was nothing TO |
prevent his advancing his troops and TAX |
my his position alongside Of mine. The
place to where | sent was about mile