New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-14
Battle of Observation-Disclosures Attack
ON Hooker.


requiring to be forwarded to other points.
Battle of Observation-Disclosures Attack
on Hooker.
From the Cincinnati Gazette
New YORK, June 10.-The Herald pub
fishes a long report of an interview with
General Averin, who said, in substance,
that he did not wish to review the memo
ries of the war in any shape. If we wanted
monuments of it, the graves of our dead
would suffice, but as he and his cavalry had
been impugned by General Hookers re-
marks, he thought it a duty to explain his
own view of the battle Of Charlottesville.
AS for General Hooker, said he, people
dom generally know that he has lost every
thing but his inOrdinate vanity. The sOrest
spot in poor old Joe's life is the terrible
fiasco at Charlottesville. He denies that
it was a failure, but it was SO, and to
Hooker alone is due the fault. Hefailed to
embrace the opportunity to make it a sue
cess. Howard says his subOrdinates were
disaffected, and Hooker refuses to
accept that as any exOneratiOn, but
at the same time assumes to exOner-
ate himself through Towards culpa-
bility. If Howard was responsible
for his subOrdinates, so was Hooker. But
! doubt the whole story. If he knew How
ard was culpable, how came he to swear
DtlDEb LILO CQuulAlJCC Du ulb SOuQuCb VI bLU
war that the defeat was altogether due TO
General Sedgwick's failure and the negl-
gence of the cavalry, leaving out the ele-
Venth corps--that was Towards corps
holding the right You know Hooker
ought to have beaten Lee. He went across
the RappahannOck with over one hundred
thousand men, and Lee hadn't half that
number, and in four or five days he came
back beaten, with twenty Thousand killed
and wounded. There were Just two causes
for this disaster-Lees capacity and Hook
er's incapacity.- If Hooker could realize
the truth of it and say ne more about it, so
much the better for him, but he keeps try
ing to resurrect himself, and the fact is he is
dead as Halleck, only he isn't buried
HOOker's was a merciless abuse OF his cav
airy. He obliged it before the battle to
maintain twenty-five miles OF picket line
at an average distance of eight miles from
the army, when these lines ought to have
been held by infantry, with the usual cav
airy patrols and videttes. Consequently
third of his cavalry was disabled when the
time for action came. Out of three diVI-
siOIs two were organized for aggressive
operations under ButOrd and myself, while
the other, made up of broken down and
disabled men and horses, was left in camp
under General PleasOntOn. l started out
with my division under orders to cross the
RappahannOck and engage the enemy's
cavalry, and drive it, if possible, to the
Rapidan Station. That's the way the order
read. BufOrd was to pass to the rear of
Lees army and cut OFF his cOmmUnica-
tons. Both columns carried out their in
structiOns to the very letter, and they were
the only portions of the Army of the POtO-
mac that did succeed in the part laid down
for them in the plan of the battle; the
only columns in the army, sir. It's pretty
strong remark, but, egad, it's true. l
drove the enemy not only in the direction
of Rapidan Station, but TO and beyond
it, and Hooker could not have failed to
have heard my guns. For at Least twenty
four hours | fought the enemy almost
under his eye. BY driving the enemy in
this way / enabled StOneman to get into
Lees rear and destroy his communications.
If we hadn't done what we did, think the
enemy's cavalry would have crossed to the
north bank, and captured miles and miles
of our camps and stores While we were
progressing satisfactorily, however, l sud-
denly received an order from Hooker to re-
turn. / knew at once that meant disaster. |
He was whipped then, and had his cavalry
been anywhere else than just where it was
he would have been destroyed as well. /
returned, and met Hooker. Hereceiyed me
kindly His face was flushed, his voice was
thick and he seemed utterly wearied. He !
said, "Where is StOneman" ~ suppose he
is in the rear of Lees army" l replied. |
"It's strange" said he, Il don't hear from
him. Lee does not seem to have been dis
turbed by him." He finally directed me to
go into camp. l asked about his situation,
and he said, IL am only waiting TO hear
Sedgwicks guns He is coming up in Lees |
rear from Fredericksburg. When l hear |
him shall pitch in with everything I've
got here. We've got these fellows now
where they can't get away. l went into
camp, and that afternoon we heard Sedg-
wick's guns hot and heavy, coming nearer
and nearer; but Hooker didn't pitch in.
There's where he lost the battle, if he had |
not already lost it, when he sent telegram
to Howard, telling Of Jackson's coming !
attack on his tHowardsl corps, instead of |
poing himself and seeing to it. He had to
ride only two miles, That was the vital
movement of the battle, and yet he trusted !
the fate of his army to a dispatch carried |
by an orderly to Howard, an officer whom |
he now says he knew TO be incompetent. |
The truth is, Hooker was personally |
whipped the day l met him. He had !
all the tuck taken out of him, but his |
army was all right He didn't give it a |
chance. He hadn't fought it yet That
evening received an order relieving me |
from nv comwand, and directing me to re !
mort at Washington. Ii was signed j. II. ]
Van Allen, acting aid-de-camp. The COM /
mand was turned over to PleasontOn. My I
AdiutaI-G General went up 10 headquarters 10 |
AK some reason for the order, but he found |
Hooker asleep, and PleasOntOn and Allen !
Standing guard to prevent anybody disturb
inc him. / went to Washington in accord |
anee with instructions, and there met Sec
retarv Stanton and President Lincoln |
Stanton said in his brlsque way, What J
are YOU doing here. replied by /
showing NV order. He said, .'Where /
did YOU leave the army!" said /
south of the Rappahannock, near United
States Ford. what have they done p
asked Stanton. "They have had battle
l replied. "Has it been success = " 1t
had not when left What do you think |
they are going to do?" " think they viii
come back across the Rappahannock,' l
answered. Then, almost angrily, he SAID
What makes you think so, SIR e replied
because the reserve artillery came across as
l did.
Stanton left the room, and President Lin
coin walked up and down, with his hands
crossed behind his back, his head hung /
down in deep thought He turned on me
the saddest face / ever saw, and said 4
/" General, want you to answer me one /
question; what was the condition of General
Hooker when.yOu last saw him ~ replied 1
that he was very much fatigued, and APP 4
reared to be worn out. That's about all, \