The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-11-14
From the Daily Oregonian.
DEATH OF GEN. HOOKER.


About ten years ago Gen. Hooker retired
from active service in the army, upon the
full rank of major general. Since then his
name has appeared only occasionally before
the public. To those who have given at
tention to such reports as have been pub
lished concerning him, it has been known
that infrmaties have been growing upon
him for some years, and therefore they will
not now be surprised to hear of his death.
He had almost completed his sixty fifth
year.
Joseph Hooker was born at Hadley,
Mass, Nov. l3, 1874 At the age of nine
teen he was sent to West Point, where he
graduated in 1887. His first active service
was in Florida, where he took part in the
Seminole war; He served in Mexico through
out the war with that country and was
breveted for gallantry in several actions.
In 1851 he was sent to California. In 1858
he resigned from the army and engaged in
farming in that state. During his stay ON
the coast he was much in Oregon, and is re-
membared by many as superintendent of
military roads here. When the war broke
out in 1861 he rendered his services to the
government and was appointed brigadler
general In March, 1862, he was assigned
to the command of division in the third
corps of the army of the Potomac, and
McClellan's peninsula campaign. Promoted
to the rank of major general of volunteers
and continuing in command of a division,
he was engaged in the battles of Manassas
and Chantilly, and short time afterwards
in the battles of South Mountain and An
tietam, at the latter of which he was se-
verely wounded. Two months later, ON his
recovery so that he could take the field, he
was assigned to the command of the second
grand division of the army of the Potomac,
consisting of the 81 and 9TH corps, and
held this command at the battle of Fred
ericksburg, Dec. IL, 1862. In January,
1858, he succeeded Burnside in the COM
mand of the army of the Potomac, and in
May following fought the battle of Chancel-
lorsviville, where he failed, though much
outnumbering the enemy.
At the time of the invasion of Pennsyl-
vania by Gen. Lee the army of the Potomac
under Hooker covered Washington and Bal
tinore and followed Lee to the vicinity of
Frederick, Md, when owing to the refusal
of Gen. Halleck to place the troops at Har-
per's Ferry at the disposal of Hooker, the
latter requested to be relieved of the COM
mand, to which Meade succeeded. In Sep
tember, 1868, he was again in active service,
having been assigned to the command of the
Goth corps. operating in Tennessee. Again
he distinguished himself, fighting with his
usual spirit at Lookout and Missionary Ridge
and leading his corps in the almost constant
fighting up to Atlanta A question of COM
mand having then arisen. he was relieved at
his own request, and did not thereafter en-
gage in active service.
Gen. Hooker made reputation as an i'm
petuous fighter rather then as an able COM
mander. While in command of the army
of the Potomac his combinations were, in
Il IL 1,,k h. fc,1 II H. !
of execution, which seemed the result Of a
sense of responsibility he was not fitted to
bear. Under Mcclellan, Grant and Sher-
man he always did well, and his constent
readiness and inclination for fight became
proverbial. But when he had an individual
command with sole responsibility he seemed
unequal to it, and became excessively eau
tious, as Mcclellan was, under all condi-
tions.
He will be regarded by those that follow
us as a true patriot, a genial gentlemen and
an able soldier A crown of flowers, the
gift of pioneers of California now residing
in New York and Brooklyn, with these
words attached: eve will meet over the
divide" was placed over his bier while the
dead hero was lying in state. What beau
tiful and touching tribute to the memory OF
one who had endured the trials and passed
through the viclssitudes of early life in the
golden State,
After resigning the army in 1858, he sup
erintended the the building of military roads
in Southern Oregon and has since enjoyed
the esteem of all who made his acquaint-
anee. He was present at Salem in 1856
when Nesmith and Baker were elected to
the senate, and for the assistance he rem.
dered on that occasion he was remembered
by both-a circumstance which perhaps did
much to advance his fortunes in the begin
nlng Of the war; The last time he was eir
Oregon was in 1872, when he came as a Wis
itor for the recreation of travel Peace te
| his ashes.