Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1867-07-13
Charlottesville.

Under the. title OF Recollec,oas oI
fredericksburg from The morning OF the
26,h OF April to the 9th of May, 1863.
Governor Benjamin &. Humphreys, in
The Jackson (Mlssisslppi) Clarion of the
9Th uIt., has published an interesting
chapter Of history, which fills Elk col
umns of that paper. We extract his gen
ersl comments on The result. involving a
v,Iy severe criticism of Joe Hooker +
gentrolship:
The battle Of Charlottesville was
fought from Frederick, burg TO the VIII
deIness along INo aImns, parallel roads
,ne "fiank Road" and Tie "Old Turn.
pike;" and is justly regarded one OF The
(roudesi achcvmenls Of Southern arms.
Military crlllrs are puzzled al the result.
Lee knews with absolute certainty that
Hooker had over 100000 men. Hooker
knew with equal certainty ,ha, Lee had
less than 81. ZOO. Hooker moved over
%, 900 to Chancellorsv lie, and eil Sedg
wlca in front Of fredericksburg. viii
over 10000. Why did Sedgwics cross
potnon ol his army over the rlver a
Deep Run on Tie 29,h Of April -! Was
tie movement premature; or, was u ms"e
To II realen and hold Lee al tredeHcks
burg unril Hooker could slip through The
" ilderne.s. and fall urOn The flank and
rear of Lees army ! If so. why did
Hooker halt at Chancrllorsvills. and com
mi nee fnrulyIng on Tie 30Ih Of April
ACer Lee moved up to Charlottesville
and confronted Hooker on the ii OF May
whv were Hooker and SedgwIck both IN
active They knew lha, Lee had div
ded hi. army. Nook'r and SedgwlcE
each had an army-haI they been Conied
erale soIdiers-lhsl could have vanqui'h
ed ei her half # Lees army. if thai hal
| had iepu any Other than Confederate sol
dlers. Yet,he 10th renamed inactive
until Jackson gained The extreme Tlgh
/ flank Of nooker's army on the 2nd, With
fully half OF Lees army, and drove back
The nghl wing Of liooker's army upon hi'
GENRE. Then Sedewick began 10 move
in earnest. on The 81 OF May, and Hook
er renamed on the defensive, with his
ninety thousand agsinsI forty shous'
and Fiom the number oi men iha
Hooker knew Jackson had on his right
flank stirring up his Dutch. he mus; have
known lhatLee had but few left between
him and Sedewick. Ye. Hooker re-
NAMED defe.dIng his ninety thousand, as
bes, he could, against Anderson's Twelve
Thousand. and Jackson's twenty-five 'hou'
sand-snd lie, Lee Turn towards Freder'
icksburg, with two divisions eight thou
sand men-oi the 4th Of May, and III
hearing distance OF Hooker, drive Sedg'
wick, with his twenty thousand, across
The Rappshannock; and on the 5'h be-
came alarmed for The safety Of his ninety
thousand. and precipilstely re-crossed the
river. That diGn't look TO the rebels like
"pulverizing the rebellion much.
Had Hooker been Lee and Sedgwick
a Jackson. Sedgwick would have moved
out from Deep Run with his thirty thou
sand square across the plateau between
Bark sdsle and Early during the night oi
The Is, Of MAY and presented himself on
The hills IN The Mine road. General Ear.
ly wouId have been captured or routed
back TO North Anna. Barksdsle would
have evacuated Msrye Hill and perhaps
made his escape by The "Plank road and
gained Lee, and Jackson would not have
~ sde his flank movement Ia HOOKER
right flank. Sill. then. nothing hut ac'
ion on the part of both Hooker aud SedR
wick would have prevailed. IL Hooker
Rad prudeu,ly remained at thsnrtI'"''
vile, DEF, ndIng his ninety thousand mer
against h II of Lees army. no" rrdncr'
~ tie loss OF Ealy. and Stone " all Jack
son ~>uld have rutned 0Ton SedgulcS
with tie on er half of Lee's army s"t
pushed hlm back across ais ponloons a