The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-08

BATTLE Of cHAncELLoasvllle. |
Letter from General Brooks : toi
General Hooker. =.
THE LAMENTED SEDGWrCK
a vINDHCATEn. us1
al 3ai f9 ~ Apeusr 10. 1865.
Major General Hooker: s 80
5 T have seen in the public prints EXTRACTS of /
what purports TO be your testimony heforA |
the War Committee in regard to Chancelors-
vile. " =. -. ~
conduct Of the Eleventh Corps, .s ana Sen.
nothing of the interference OF Gen. Halleck,I
whose orders. according to the letter OF the
President, you were nevertheless expected to
obey % Aai8 81
I II is for Gen. Halleck to defend himself and
Gen. Howard to defend, the Eleventh corps
against your charges; my desire u 70 meet
your accusations against the late MAJOR Gen-
eral Sedgwick, whose memory, though cruely
assailed by you, will be cherished as warmly
as any mans that has given his life for his
country. ~ .-srs,.s t,s.,--,.
You say: General Sedgwick did not obey
the spirit of my order, and made no sufficient
effort to obey it. His movement was delayed
SO long that the enemy discovered his inten-
sarily DELAYED in the further execution of the
order. Truly most Yigilant enemy.
The last part of your statement, though un-
willingly, most clearly refntes the accusation
in the tore part. General Sedgwick's COM
mand was enveloped by the enemys pickets
he began the crossing of the Rappahannock.
He could not make any movement without be-
ing discovered by the enemy. nE5
The facts in the case are that General Sedg-
wick did obey, and most faithfully, too, the
spirit of your order; he failed to fulfil the let
ter of your order-the movement was COM
menced; but ~ you have said it was necessari-
" delayed, not only BY. the enemy, but by the
difficulties attending night marches over an
unknown country, to say nothing Of the natu-
raj and artificial obstacles to be overcome in
the immediate vicinity Of Fredericksburg.
I You viii remember. General. when you
claimed merit for that most bloody blunder
Of the war, without exception-I refer to your
attempts against Williamsburg on ourway up
the peninsula In 1S62-you based q claim for
promotion on the testimony derived from the
enemy-the testimony Of General Joe johnson
or one OF his staff. nt - '9-$1+ef
Please allow General sedgwicks memory the
advantage of the same kind of testimony.
General Early, in printed report, in vindica-
tion of aspersions cast ON his military reputa-
ton, said he had only seven brigades with
which to resist Sedgwicks advance on Frede-
ricksburg, Sedgwick had nine brigades, with
which TO advance On those seven, posted behind
strong entrenchments-them movement to com.
meLce, which it did at nightfall Undoubt-
eddy he was necessarily delayed |" but not
without q vigorous effort 70 overcome the diff
ficulties IN the way; Bat why was Gen. Sedg-
wick ordered to make this movement? 1t has
since come to light that your order for it was
given after the bad conduct Of the Eleventh
corps had cost me Jou) the key to my your
position" Did you expect 6edgwick to find
the key for you? After bloody assault the
enemys strong works at fredericksburg were
carried, when Sedgwick pushed on to join Yum
envy in strong and entrenched position near
Salem Church, on which q gallant but most
fruitless attack was made; for Gen. Lee, find
ing you quieted down, had leisure to send q
strong force to intercept Sedgwick. You had
promised Sedgwick to create q diversion In
our favor, yet how was It you remained idle,
with four army corps at hand that had scarce
fired q gun on this campaign, when you heard
that sharp engagement going on; when, too,
it is understood three Of their commanding
Generals urged an advance, to say nothing Of
Gen. Towards expressed desire TO try and re-
trieve at once the lost honor OF part Of his
corps. se.,fs a,.s IA .tf.l.a ..,is 4, s-ols !.
to withdraw your army from the advantageous
position It had gained, and to leave Sedgwick's
{ gallant corps to fight its way ont alone Sddg-
wick and his corps proved themselves equal to
the emergency. h & ...s.,.-,.. 80
General, / am free to say that during the
first two or three days operations of this cam
paign you exhibited, to my mind, display of
military genius and grand tactics, unexcelled
throughout the war. But you had, reached the
eliminating point when you issued that bonn
bastic order announcing that you had forced
the enemy out of his works and that he was
within your power. s !
You were right in the assertion that you
commanded the finest army on the earth. I
believe it was the finest ever known; and it
did not prove itself superior TO the army OPP
posed TO 1t, because you were not the promise
held out at the start. How are we to account
for this? I think the reason is to be found in
an investigation of the "calumny uttered' by
Rev Henry Ward Beecher The investigation
will undoubtedly show that you were not in
tOxicated; the testimony shows the reverse !;
it shows that you were in condition that
needed the inauguration of a stimulent. When
the reverend gentleman uttered this calum-
ny he undoubtedly had Mrs. Nickleson in his
mind who remembered certain event as Oc-
curing on the day the iackass rode the tailor,
or the tailor rode the jackass, which was the
q W. l. BROOKS, 8.
Late General Officer. T. g. A. !
+ - 20 htsfE. q ~ Ii J Ii rfFxst
go & allti Je1 Gs{ q afa.d y
THE RAILROAD MURDERs. y
New YoRk, Sept, THE coroner,s Jury in
a nqco ut ho fh<11 Te1A