Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-15
Especial Correspondence Of The Chicago Times
" AsptNCroS Nav :

Especial Correspondence of The Chicago Times
W AsHiNGToN. NAV
The forebOdings expressed in NV last three
letters in regard Ia the issue of Joe Hooker'>
fool hardy attempt To reach Richmond. have been
more than realized by the event The gallant
army which had been placed. by the capr &c of
Abraham Lincoln. under the leadership OF n vain
booster. has been led bv him Ia slaughter com
plred Ia which eveI the slaughter ut Fiedericks
burg in December last appe tife. and the
result of which has been "A terrible defeat and
ngorious retreat Yes. after the lapse of ten
dtys the shattered and bleeding remn. uts of the
Army OF the Potomac are back again in their old
camps at dmouth. having accomplished literally
nothing. During that period mnny battles have
been fought. IN all ot which every division and
regiment engaged covered themselves afreSh with
glory. and proved that. in the breasts OF the brave
men comprising them. the old fires that burned
on the Peninsula and at Antietam are not vet ex
tinct But all this was ot no avail The most
heroic Sighting of the was rendered utterly
Usees, AMI ruit!css. solely on account OF the lack
of eeneralship ia Joe Hooker The whole Plan
of fighting Joe" was 80 full of defects that il
proved very easy matter for Gen Lee 10 cir
cumvent IT, The Administration new ~papers are
irving To throw the blame OF the failure upon the
elements and say il WIS the rain storm which
c,used Hooker retreat. But il is e,sv To show
order To- recross was issued on Monday while the
r'n did MOI bpgin till Tuesday afternoon. H"oker
has ALWAYS been un>plring IN his rldrule OF every
thing that Gen Mcclellan did. and particularly
of the long triins of wagons that accompanied the
army IN the Peninsula, carrying the provisions
and ammuni'ion.
H. order u avoid taking wagon trains wi h him
in his march to Richmond. Hooker de- ise and
Organized his string ct pack mules which he in
.f.o
have proved a most ridiculous failure Halt the
mules tell dn~u dead aud were lett sticking in
the mud. Hall the remainder laid down from
exlsnsfun. aud all efforts tailed Ia get Them up
Aud all the rest proved unman geahle in
crossing Siretm> that their loads. both of ammu-
milton and trov>ions became wet aud spoiled
So VIZ shall hear M more at psck mules
Then. ag,iu tie meu became 50 exhausted nv
long m,rche> aud forlng deep streams ~iih
eight day. provision o. their b,cks. that many
al them had ~ throw away their food IN order 10
keen up. AMI the men Who hid kept their rations
hid share With thuse who h,d none The crn
sequence wa. that ~ the end OF four davs, the
eight DAYS rsions were ali soue. and the men
,d 20 resort to the pack mue. But. OF these
the loads OF only quarter OF the whole number
we're found available, that. Nv the Sd inst
Hooker found his army out ot provisions Ii the /
usual wagon train had followed him. even ii the
wagons had been pirkei on Tie hofth side OF the
Rappahannock. - j. customary. he would not 4
have been compelled To retreat In that hi, T
mack mules fresh aud vigorous could have been
p~offaby used in rransp porting light loads OF pro
visions and ammunition from the river 10 the
camp at Chancellorville
The same remarks apply with even greater
force 10 the natter OF ammunition By the 81
INST Hooker found his army well nigh out ofam
munition None had been brought except the
lule thst WAS in the cassons that whichthe men 4
carried. and that which the mules had wettei and
Spoiled tram oi ammunition wagons on the
north side Of the Rapueh'unock would have Kept
him supplied. and have avoided the necessity OF
retreat