The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-01
. II II E
BATTLE OF CHARLOTTESVILLE.

BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSvILLE.
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Gen. Hooker's testimony before the
committee on the conduct of the war,
upon the battle of Charlottesville, and
the succeeding campaign until he was
displaced by Gen. Meade, is very inte-
resting reading. Its criticisms have that
independence and fearlessness charac-
teristic Of the man. He does not hest
tate to berate Gen. Halleck very severe
beginning his remarks by thus speak
ing of him:
He wrote and spoke freely of the army
he had commanded at the expense of one
he had never seen. His disparaging
comparisons and reflections had been
communicated to the army, and neither
it nor its commander expected justice at
its hands.
Before concluding with Halleck Hook
er makes the following charge, which
shows the strong feeling he entertained
against the General-in. Chief at that
| time:
1 may add as my conviction, that if
the General-in-Ch had been in the
rebel interest, it would have been i'm
| possible for him, restrained as he was,
| by the influence of His Excellency the
President, and that of the Honorable
the Secretary Of War, to have added to
the embarrassment he caused me from
the moment 1 took command of the
Army of the Potomac to the time sur
rendered it. r.. ...-.. .-g
General Ho oker thus describes the Pc
tomac Army when he assumed COM
mand of it:
With this prospect before it, taken in
connection with the gloom and despon-
dency which followed the disaster of
Fredericksburg, the army was in for
lorn, deplOrable condition. Reference
to the letters from the army at this pc
Rod, public and private, affords album
dant evidence of its decentralization, and
these in their turn had their effect on
the friends and relatives of the soldiers
at home. AT the time the army was
turned over to me, assertions were at
the rate of about 200 day. So anxious
were parents, wives, brothers and sis
ters to relieve their kindred, that they
filled the express trains to the army
with packages Of citizen clothing to as
sist them in escaping from service. At
tiiop pSiitulto Ol lIlO Oh
ficers, especially those high in rank.
were hostile to the policy of the govern
ment in the conduct of the war. The
Emancipation Proclamation had been
published a short time before, and q
large element of the army had taken
sides antagonistic to it, declaring that
they never would have embarked in the
war had they anticipated this action of
the Government. When rest came to
the army the disaffected, from what
ever cause, began to show themselves,
and make their influence felt, in and
out of the camps.
may also state that at the moment I
was placed in command, L caused re-
turn to be made of the absentees of the
army, and found the number to be 1922
commissioned officers, and 81, 1854 nom
commissioned officers and privates.
These were scattered all over the coun-
try, and the majority were absent from
causes unknown.
From these and other causes of less
importance, l entered upon my duties
with many misgivings and apprehen-
sions. When it was announced to me
that had been plared in command of
the army of the Potomac, doubted and
so expressed myself, lift could be saved
to the country. / make this statement
to vindicate myself from the aspersion
that 1 made use of improper influences to
obtain the command. No being lives
who can say that ever expressed de-
sire for the position. 1t was confe rred
on me for my sword, and not for any act
or word of mine indicative of q desire
for it.
After the army had reached reason
able degree of efficiency, and the roads
permitted, Hooker determined to attack
the enemy. This attack was delayed
longer than wasanticipated by the state
of the Rappahannock. His plan finally
was:
AS modified, the problem was to throw
sufficient infantry force to cross at |
Kelly's Ford, descend the Rappahan-
mock, and knock away the enemy's |
forces, holding the United States and |
Banks Fords by attacking them in rear,
and as soon as these fords were opened,
to reinforce the marching column suf-
ficiently for them to continue the march
upon the flank of the rebel army until
his whole force was routed, and, if sue
cessful, his retreat intercepted. Stimuli
taneously with this movement on the
right, the left were to cross the Kappa
hammock below Fredericksburg, and
threaten the enemy in that quarter, in
Guiding his depot Of supplies, to prevent
his dispatching an overwhelming force
to his left.
1.-THE instructions To Gen'l. Stoneman
were for great cavalry raid" the
primary object being the "cuttingof the
enemy's communication with Richmond
by the Fredericksburg route, checking
his retreat over those lines" The fol-
lowing is paragraph of those instruc-
tions "If you cannot cut off from his
1.-THE enemy's) column large slices, the
General desires that you will take small
ones. Let your watchwoyd be fight,
FIGHT, FIGHT, bearing In mind that
time is as valuable to the General as
rebel carcasses." -