Daily national Republican., 1865-06-10
VINDIClTION OF GENERAL HOOKER.
Report Of COmmillr on Conduct Of the War,
HooKER,s FAILURE E CHARGED
UPON HABLECIx.
Henry Ward Beechcr Puts Himself In
Tight" Place at n Temper
aneo Meeting.

upon General IooKER's management Of the
Army Of the Potomac during the r'sfiou wfcA
Il was under ~ - umand. This report win.
dicates~ , that gallant officer
! from a. n have been cast upon II.
Ger .JHgR was assigned to the command
of the Army Of the Potomac on the 26th Of
January, 1868, succeeding Gen BURNSIDE in
that position. The army was then encnmpcd
on the north bank Of the Rappnhannock.
near Fredericksburg, Virginia, the river
separating 1t from the rebel army under LEE.
The report traces all the militPry operations
in tho campaign which began in the following
May, ending in failure the responsibility Of
which fnilure is directly charged upon Gen.
HALLECK, who interfcred with HoOKER's
plans On this point the report says:
"In conclusion, your committee would OBJ
serve that they consider II 20 have been ex.
tremcly unfortunate that GcU. Hooker waJ
hot ptrmitiod 10 hHUe tie Uso Of such troops
as he decmed necessary 10 eHdbke MIN 10 carry
ont The pknw he yroposed 10 adopt for msoi-
iRg, 0Rd, If possiblc dsHroyiHg hc rsbSi
army. That those troops were disposnblo Il
clearly shown from the fact that his succes.
sor was Immediately authorized to use them,
together with other troops, for which Gcn
Hooker had not asked. Nor can Mc rom
miffec dOWh h0t h0d Gcn HOokSy bcct
CiJhCd rifh bS J'OtcrJ al OHCS cOHtrTrcf HpDI
bis SWcccsSOy, 0nd hat bcrH gircn hs 0sTT
umcc whjch w0S so fr,ciy acnotdSd 10 linn, IN
,rsRh Of ks campaign mghI hOUc bscH IN
vHOrc drrI1rc than IL Iros Why the General
in-Chief should have shown moro desire Il
cooperate with and assist the one commando
moro than tic other perhaps involves ques
r tiOns Of motives aud feelings which you
committee refrain from commenting upon.
The members Of tho committee addresse,
themselves to the careful investigation of
! report, widely and industriously circulate,
D in this and other countries, thnt Hen. lloOke
was under tho influence Of intoxicating II
quor, and incapacitatcd from exercising com
nRnd during the latter portion Of tho cam
pnign." On this point tho Icport snys.
"Your committee have examined such Of
icers Of General lIooker's staff, and other
who cnme before them ~ from thoir position
and opportunities would he presumed to hav,
, the most accurate knowledge upon the sub
ject, and all, without exception, have tosti
fed TINT fhf chUrgS W'GS UttCriV UUjOHhEiCd. Z.
With this testimony the committee woul
have rested the point, but for remarks mad
by Rev. Horny Ward Becchcr, on tho 9th @
d. July 1868, ut breakfast given by the Ma
tionnl Temperance League in England, pub
Iished in the AHiaHrc. nm English paper, m,
copied and commented on in the New NOr
Imi,TcR,irm. The committee twice cHllc
y on Mr. Deccher, desiring him to furnis
/, them the authority for the statement mad
Q by him, and the names Of witnesses to sub
n stantiRte it. To the first application no re
ply was made. To the second, Mr. Beeche
replied that ho made no public charge; tina
his remarks were made at n tCmpcrnnc
= breakfast, were strictly confidential, an
= pledged TO have no report; that tho publicR
tiOn was in violation of confidence, and tina
e he was not at liberty to give his authority
- without first consulting him. The commit 9
dismissed the subject us not requiring furthC
l. Investigation.
IT This correspondence with Mr.. Beccher v
I. give In full ns II appears in tho report:
''On the 18th of March, 1894, the chni
W man addressed u letter to Mr.. Dceoher,
y pursuance of the following order of the con
TO mittoe:
ID "Ordsrrd, That the chairman of this COT
mittco be instructed to address letter
ny Rcv. Henry Ward Beochor, informing hi
in that tho committee In their cXaminntio
lc concerning the bnttlG of ChnncellOrsNi |
have not yet boon able TO obtain any ties
" mony to substnntiRtc the charge that Ge
u. Hooker wRE under the influence of into
IN. eating liquOr there and inasmuch as he N
in BecchcF) Is reported to have made Il
y, charge in his addresses last year in Englar
nd tho committee desire him to give them
Drs authority COr the charge, and the names
his reliable witnesses 10 substantinto the sam
-, mot receiving any reply, on tho 4th
y April, 1864, the chairman again addressed
lotter TO Mr.. Boecher, in pursuance OF
'cn following order Of the committee
M, Ordered, That, inhsmuch MS no re,
has beon received from ReVorendf lleI
ei' Ward Beocher to the letter of the commit
he on the 18th ultimO, the chairman Of /
md committee il hereby instructed to again
dress Mr.. Bcecher as before
PN ITO this second communication no reoei'
my the following reply
zen :" BROOKLYN, April o, lS6l
to "DEAR SIN did not make any publ
~ remarks about General Hooker while
."' England. At breakfast of tempernI
Ing men, strictly, confidential, and pledged
make no report of proceedings, l alluded
lIOOker's condition. My remarks were pl
-, lished in violation Of confidence.
iu- As to my evidence, u was such M
9th produce moral conviction, but not to cSt
ard lish the fact legally, that, during tho
part Of the battle Of Charlottesville, Hoo
" was under tho influence of liquor.
To " Il do not feel at liberty 10 mention
informant until can SEQ him and got
mt. permission.
" 4 am, very truly, yours,
"'ll. W BEECHET
'm' "'B =. WADE, Esq
Ss "Yuur committee regret to state that,
mn though Mr.. Beochor's attention was tv
cry called to the subject, and ho was oXplic
nth asked, each timo, to give his authority, v
,neh the names Of reliable witnesses, to subst
: wv Nv tinte the charge he had circulated, he
rs. made no reply to them but the one al
quoted -