The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-10

General AVerill Defends Himself Against thu
Attack Of General Hooker.
Veterans Fighting Their Battlei
Der Again.
An Inside View Of the Disaster at
Charlottesville.


Gently IN the HERALD, relative to the conduct
OF the battle Of Chancenorsville, have some
what excited the officers who figured with
any prominence in that momentous event.
The old battle bids fair to be fought over
again, with little less earnestness than on
the memorable day when Stonewan Jackson fell.
As some of the remarks of General Hooker rejected
severely on General St0neman and General AveriIl
and the cavalry OF the Army OF the Potomac, re-
porter OF the HERALD called upon General Averill,
at the New York Hotel, and found him In COM
pany with General Macintosh one OF his
old brigade commanders General Averin was
disposed to be communicative, although he said he
did not wish to revive the memories of the war in
any shape. II we wanted monuments of 1t the
graves OF our dead would sufflce but, he and his
cavalry had been impugned by General Hooker's
remarks, he thought 1t duty to explain his own
view OF the battle OF Chancellorsville. "As for
General Hooker" said he ''people don't generally
know that he has lost thing but his nordinate
vanity. The sorest spot In poor old JOe's life ia the
terrible Jsasco at Chancelorsvillc. He denies that
It was failure; but 1t SO; and to Hooker alone
Ia due the fault He failed to embrace the opportu
nifty to make 1t o success"
REPoRrER-In regard to General Towards state.
ment General
AvEBILL-Yes Howard says his subordinates
were disaected, and Hooker refuses to accept that
as any exoneration but at the same time assumes
to exonerate himself through Towards culpability
II Howard was responsible for his subordlnates SO
was Hooker But doubt the whole story. II he
knew Howard was culpable how came he to swear
before the Committee on the Conduct OF the War
that the defeat was altogether due to General
Sedgwok's failure and the negligence of the cavalry2
REPoRTER-Did he swear that
on the occasion Of his meeting him after the BATTLE
that ..he (sedgwick) had done all that mortal man
could don Itell YOU the source of HoOker,s facts
getting very Eighty and uncertain:
- xVTRII%%We,l. leaving ont tho Eleventh corra
tbot waa Howardia cnr,s hoi%inr tho ,th ~ pa
know"Hooker ought TO- have heaten Lee He WENT yTt
the Rsnnabannock With over one
que en anu Lee nann more tnan nan .nat
beaten. with 20 600 killed and wonnded There
were Just two causes Tor this disastsr~Lee's ca,
p1R EpoRTERNThis IL nrettv strong General.
AvrpIIJMYes and n Hooker couid reniize tho
truth Of It. and sav no more about IT, 40 mucS the
bettar or him mt be Eaens trv,n 90 raSmrr o,e
himself and the fact ia he's "a dead "a TeI,acE
only f he isn't buried. d. " - % u'"0 - 'Ane0A'
o,r tonn IN ,h,s Amir " 'no p"i' VIC oaV-
aiiy .uv1 ~ Hnot a was mercaos ohrso ., HI.
tain tyantvave niles ~ nicSet fina Of IN ovaran
Gistance ~ eioht miles rom the army when thase
lines ought to have been held BY Infantry with the
third Of his cavalry was disabled when the time
for action came. Out Of three divisions two were
organized for aggressive operations Under Buford
down and disabled men and horses. ~ was left in
camp under General Pieasanton started Do out
Sannoc y and .en1are the enemys cavalry ana
drve IT, r. nossbIea to Rapidan station" rhat avs
the wav the order read Buford was to mass to the
ree a OF ees armv and cut or hs Observation-Disclosures
REPoRTER-These are the columns Hooker speaks
OF.
AvERILI--Yes SLOVENIAN, whom he decres was
was the very Buford that he did have.
REpORTER-Did you succeed In your work
AyERILL-Both columns carried out their instruc.
lions OF the Army Of the Potomac that did succeed
In the part laid down for them IN the plan OF the
battle-the only columns In the ar. army Sir. It's
pretty strong remark, but, 'egad, It's true. drove
the enemy not only IN the direction OF Rapidan
station but to ana beyond IL and Hooker could
not have failed TO nave heard my guns Tor at least
under his eye. BY driving the enemy In this way
enabled Stoneman to get into Lees rear and
destroy ms communications. II we nadn,t done
crossed to the north bank and captured miles
ana miies Vi Uur . vah,gs anu sSoles WINE
DENY were recevsd an order om Hooker
knew at once tnat meant disaster. lie was
whipped tnen, anu nae mis 1aVaay Ieen ahywneLe
else than Just Where u was nc Wouiu nave Deen de.
was thick n and he seemed utterly wearied He
the rear q Lees army" replied TITS strange, !"
SAID ne, Il dont near from MIN. Lee does not seem
70 nave peen a,ssarped uy NM ne Ell, mnal ;
situation, and ne SAD ~ am only waiting
70 near SedgWicks guns mes coming
up in Lees rear rom - Frederl .a
with everything I've got mere we've got these
ieilows now wnese tney can ge. away; Wgns