Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-09-04
JOE HOOKER.
His Criticism OH n New York Tribune
Correspondent, Gen. Grant and Gen.
Sherman

Sherman.
To the Editor Of the Neao York Tribune:
MATTHIAS VINEYARD, Mass, Aug. II
My attention has 1ust been called to
an article in your paper, over the name
of William f. G. Shanks, in regard to
the battle Of Lookout Mountain. After
the lapse Of SO much time since the bat
tie was fought Gf ever am sorroy he
seems to have forgotten some of the
circumstances necessary to correct
understanding of the fight, and I have
only moment to call your attention to
few OF his more prominent omissions
in his narrative, but will refer you for
fuller details to my report Of the battle
nov on file in the war department
should you desire to inform yourself
further on the subject. On the whole,
however, | cannot do less than to thank
Mr.. Shanks for the kindness in his
motive IN espOusing the controversy
Gen Grant has thought proper to open
with me and my command in regard to
the fight. The interview said to have
been held with that gentleman by a
correspondent OF the Herald | have al
ways seriously doubted, and shall con-
tlnue to do so until more fully confirm
ed respecting it. Interviewers have of
late displayed so much cunning and
misunderstanding in the practice Of their
pursuits that think my incredulity will
not appear strange to you. Gen. Grant
has held such high positions that [ am
unwilling to believe that he will voluntar-
lily 60 back on himself, or on the troops
that served him with all the ardor and
! devotion of their natures, as he seems
to have done, and which I can account
for In no other way than that he was in
his cups, or that the prospect of a third
term had crazed his brain. Of course
Gen. Grant will never be charged with
havingwrltten or spoken The substance
of the interview as reported to us fo.
that is foreign to his style, as any one
who has either read or listened to him
can readily ] strongly st1s-
pect that the Interviewer was
'couched" by another officer Of the
army of high rank, whose peculiar
mode of warfare for some time past has
been Of this covert character sre79
But before calling your attention to
some of what / consider inaccuracies in
| Mr.. Shanks' letter, | may premise brief
| ly by saying that it was not the .inten-,
btion of the generaLin-chief for any part
lofthe army of the Potomac to take a
leading role in the operations around
Chattanooga, which fact Twas not
aware ;ofuntil my command was d.
vided and the Eleventh corps of it sent
across the Tennessee to reinforce Gen.
Sherman who withthe army Of the
Tennessee, was operating on the oppo-
site extremity of the enemy's line; and
then you will see by my report that l
applied to 90 with the Eleventh corps,
as they were going into battle. f.e al.
I Subsequently the river got up, carried
away the driftwood, q and broke the
/ bridges before all of -Sherman's army
had crossed, and then it was determined,
/ and not Till then, that I might make
with one division Of the Twelfth corps
and two divisions Of other armies, a
demonstration on Lookout Mountain
Gen. Grant had previously communi-
! Gated design to attack LookoutMoun-
tain but after a division Of my com
mand, it's equally clear and satisfac-
tory that his original design had been
abandoned, and it was only through
the intervention Of Divine Providence
that anoOpportunity was presented me
4 for, attack. Thus you see, "Men often
proposes, but God disposes. - f.
1 I did attack and carry Lookout
i Mountain, and this was the, first assur-
ance to Gen. Grant that he was to be
successful in all his operations around
,FChattanooga, although Gen. Sherman
i had repeatedly informed him of sue
cesses, which were never realized
~ Chaplain Van Horns history Of the
Army of the Cumberland will present
you with all of the facts, Gen. Grant or
| Gen. anybody to the contrary notwith-
! standing, 9di oIa .y'Isq 3if4Gg 81 saa7-
,ar Gen. Grant, as we'll as some; other
officers high in rank, is famous for
after-thoughts, as you Will find on crit
cal exa mination. We had and I pre-
sumo still have, rings in the army as
I well as out Of it. - ''s i34 to5
~ / have not written so much about the
fight at Lookout since the war as now
have, as am anxious that you should
I know all the facts My fight at Look
= out might have equaled Gen. Grants ia
in frontion' the enemy behind their en-
| Ir6ICulu0ulS, WHICH SoStllGui W Dc~ Ills
favorite mode, but at which his whole
army revolted at Cold Harbor. But [
had no particular desire to be consider
ed a Butcher in my mode of making
war. add morl 1olaa93 = J ...,..4..I
I9dSometimeIdo hope that "a commit
tee of intelligent and fearless congress
men may be appointed to investigate
this subjec and report not only on bat
tie, but Shiloh, the. losses in the Wilder
ness, etc, etc, as in no other way can
the truth ofhistory be made out, n,. 81,
! Gen. ingalls,, Grants own quarter
master, informed me that he furnished
transportation for 10000 men atoog go
north1betWeen the Rapldan and the
! James rivers, and, of course, this num-
! Der could not embrace all the casual
1 tiles. ''''29"@"2 - I5sWih
y IF Gen. Grant expects. to- reach the
/ third term by the CIRCULATION ofesuoh
imposing, and abominable. statements,
i r am n, r. Eppd ia tbIp1k that no will find