The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-29
The Battle Of Chs sneeliOrsvBlle.
AuGlsT 10 lSt.6


AUGUST 10 1865
Major General HooKER:--
have in the public prints extracts OF whs, pur
ports to be your testimony before the War Committee in
regard to Chancelorsville.
You attribute your failure there io iha bad conduct
Of the Eleventh corps and General sedgvcks d-obe
dience OF orders-to say nothing OF the nereenee Of
General Haeck whose ORDERS according o the letter of
the President you nevertheless expected 10 obey
It is for General Hallcck Ia defend himself and Gen
era Howard defend the Eleventh corp. against your
charges; nv desire meet your accusation against
the late Major General Sedgwick, whose menrry though
cruelty assailed by yon, viii he cherished warmly
any man q that has given his life for his country
You say:-'General Sedgwick did not obey the spirit
OF my order and made sufficient effort 90 obey H.
His movement DELAYED 30 long that The encmy dis
covered his intentions, and when that was done he was
necessarily delayed IN the further execution % the
order" Truly most vigilant enemy
The last part of your statement, though un~it'ingy.
most clearly refutes the accusation IA the fore part.
General Sedgwicks command wa epvcopcd by the
enemys picketk within short mnskrt range from the
moment he began the crossing of the Rsppahannock.
He could no, make any movement without being die
covered by the enemy.
The facts in the ease are that General Sedgwck did
obey, and most faithfully, the spirit OF order;
he failed W iuln the letter ot your order. FoI on The
receipt OF your order the cmeDt was commenced;
but you have said II twas necessarily delay ed,
not only by the enemy hut by the diibcucs attending
night marches over unknown country 10 say nothing
Of the natural and artificial obstacles TO be in
the immediate vicinity Of fredericksburg
You viii remember. GcuerL, when claimed n
merit that bloody binnder Of the war without
excepon--I refer to your attempts against Williamsburg
way up the Peninsula in 1s62-you based claim
for promotion the TESTIMONY! derived from the
enemy-the testimony OF ,'sn raj Joe Johnston.
Of his stan.
vantage the kind Of testimony. GcDers Early,
In printed report in vndicston Of aspcrsons east
his military reputation, said c had only seven brgades
with which 10 resist Sedgwicks advance Fredecks
burg. Sedgwck had nine brl aides With which he
TO advance against those seven posted behind strong in
trenchinens-the movement to commence, which did,
at nightlalI Undoubtedly be was necessarily de
layed;n but not without vigorous efoi 10 overcome
the dime es in the way. But Why was General sedg-
wick ordered TO make this movement II has since
to light that order Tor II Was given after the bsd
conduct of the Eleventh corps had cos, you The Key
Of my lyonrt position Did you expect Sedgwick 10 find
the key for your After bloody assault the enemy
strong works st Fredericksburg carried when Seds
wick pushed join you by the plank road until he
came upon the enemy IN strong and intrenched posi-
ton, near Salem church, ON which gallant but most
fruitless attack made; for General Lee finding
strong force TO intercept sedgwck You had
promised Sedgwick 10 create q diversion in our
favor, how IL you remained idle with -four army
corps al hand thai had scarce nrsd gun on this cam
pagn when you heard that sharp engagement going on
when too 10 Is understood three OF their commanding
generals urged advance, 10 say nothing OF General
Towards expressed desire try and retrieve at the
lost honor Of part Of his corpss
You determined otherwise. You determined TO with
draw your army from the advantageous position IL had
gained and TO leave Sedgwicks gallant corps Ia fight ts
way out alone Sedgwhk aud his corps proved them
selves equal TO the emergency.
General am free 60 say that during the hrst two
three days operations of this campaign exhibited
my mind display OF military genus and grand
tics une rcelled throughout the But you had
reached the eliminating point when you issued that bom
bastic order announcing that had forced the
out Of his works and that he was within your power
You right In the assertion that you commanded
the first army earth believe the finest
known and that did not prove itself superior 10 the
opposed TO IL because you not true TO the
promise held out at the start How we 10 account
for ths3 think the reason Is 10 be found IN nves
of
Beecher The investigation will undoubtedly show that
you not intoxicated; the testimony shows the
shows that you we're Ia condition that needed
the nyigoraon OF stimuant When the reverend gen.
eman uttered "this caIumDyn no undoubtedly had Mrs
Nickleby in his mind, who remembered certain event
as occurring the day the ackass rode the tailor
the tailor rode the jackass, which the thing.
Very respectfully w. l. H. BROOKS,
Late General Ofcer U. s. A.