The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-30

osity UPON the 18th corps, Gen. Howards,
comprising Hooker's extreme right, and
the whole corps broke and fed inconti-
nently. By this means Jackson gained
possession of an elevation by which his
guns enfladed General Hooker's entire
line, and rendered his position untenable.
General Hooker attributes the failure of
the campaign to the bad conduct of the
18th corps, in failing to prevent the move
ment of Jackson. He says:
EThe bad conduct of the 11th CORDS had cost
me the key of my position, and had very much
embarrassed me by contracting my sphere of
hsd been completely surprised Ins and s eorPs
fully routed. Despite my instructions to be in
readiness for the enemy, at the time the attack
was made upon it on the right, their arms
were stacked, and the men were away from
them and scattered about for the purpose of
cooking their suppers and for other purposes.
No disposition had been made to receive an at
tack, and there were no pickets on the alert to
advise the approach OF an enemy.
This is very severe criticism of the
military character of Gen. Howard, COM
mander of the 11th; but General Hooker
is not more sparing of Gen. Sedgwick, of
the 9th corps, in charge of the movement
On the other side of General Lees army.
"In my Judgment" said Gen. Hooker,
before the Committee:
Gen. 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 intentions. and
when that was done, he was necessarily de-
layed in the further execution of the order.
In another part of his testimony, Gen.
Hooker expresses this opinion of General
Sedgwick: 81 Ga.
knew Gen. Sedgwick very well; he was a
classmate OF mine; and had been through q
great deal of service with him. He was per-
fectly brave man and good one but when it
came to maneuvering troops or Judging Of po.
sitions for them, in my Judgment he was not
able or expert Had Gen. Reynolds been left
with that independent command, have no
doubt the result would have been very diff
ferent.
But it is not Howard and Sedgwick
alone who are held responsible for the fail
ure of Charlottesville. Stoneman, of the
cavalry corps, and Averill, one of the di-
vision commanders, are severely censured.
Stoneman had orders to cut the enemy
communications between Fredericksburg
and Richmond. This was the primary OBJ
ject of his movement. Instead of doing
it, Stoneman divided his force into half q
dozen parts, and sent them scampering in
different directions all over the State of
Virginia, each detachment too small to ac-
complish anything of moment. Averill,
for not fulfilling his part of the programme
as directed, was relieved by Pleasanton.
OF 'Stoneman, General Hooker says:
Soon after, General Stoneman applied tor and
obtained sick leave, and I requested that it
might be indefinitely extended to him. 1t is
charitable to suppose that Generals Stoneman
and Averell did not read their orders and de-
termined to carry out operations in Conformity
with their own views and inclinations
Nor, does Gen. Hooker limit his criticism
of individuals to persons in the military
service; but, to use favorite expression
OF bis, "pitches into" the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher after this manner:
There is one matter to which have not re-
ferred; that is, the calumny uttered by the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, at meeting of temper
ance men somewhere in England, in reference
to my condition during the affair at Chancellor.
vile. 1t was stated by him that that battle
was lost by my being intoxicated hear that
the committee have requested him to furnish
his authority for making that statement. and
that he has declined to do it. So far as know,
he has never withdrawn it. must therefore.
regard him as its inventor, and will add that q
more untruthful statement never passed from
the lips of man.
In general, the account given by Gen.
Hooker of the affair at Chancellorville does
not differ from the history that has been
published. He did not regard it, however,
as an affair Of that magnitude which the
newspapers and army correspondents made
it out to be. In fact, when he re-crossed
the Rappahannock he did not consider that
he had fought any battle. Only portion
OF the army had been engaged, and the
losses amounted to only q little over
1900 men in killed, wounded and miss
ing, as follows: