New-York tribune., 1879-11-24
RECOLLECTIONS OF HOOKER
ANrlETAM AND cHANcELLoRsv1LLE.

lTROM TlE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.l
LONDoN, Nov. S.-General llooker's death has
been noticed by the English press with not much
more than tho average degree of exact intelligence
bestowed upon American celebrities. heard OF 1t
with regret :'not that | had ever known General
Hooker well, but that bad him in circum-
stances which brought out some interesting quail
ties. | met him first on a. sunny Wednesday alter
noon in MARYLAND, not far from l,tte stream
which afierward gave its name to the
battle of Antietam. Ii was by a mere
chance that | heard he had been ordered
to take his division round the left flank
of General Lees army ANA 10 plant himself. If he
could get there. the road which formed Lees
readiest line of retreat from the heights he had oc
cupied about Sharpsburg. | knew nobody on Cen
erai Hooker's staff, and think had
the General bimself. But in those days cor
respondent had no time to ask for iniroductions.
On the day before. had found myself. quite by
cident also, by the side of General Mcclellan on
South Mountain: a position possibly of some dis
tinc,ion, certainly of perfect safety don't know
why happen TO recollect at this moment that the
Fabius of the American war had done me
the honor that occasion to borrow my
held-glass Perhaps because recall
no more memorable incident; perhaps by the law
not of association but of dissertation. We stood
behind a wall where the hill from which
Mcclellan watched his men fighting fell sharply
away. and singularly brilliant battle picture was
spread out before us. Now not only never saw
General Hooker behind stone wall, but find IL
difficult TO imagine that tOo-impctuOus commander
IN such position. For some reason or other, the
attitude does not seem 20 suit him. He had the
faut-ins a General 1t is sometimes a great
fanIt-of wishing to be in. front. 1t was
said Of Marshal Macdonald. one of Napoeon's
marshals, that his somewhat sluggish intellect
never really woke up, never was at its best.
till reused by the OF the cannon and
the rush Of the cannon-ball as it went shat
tcring past hlm. Something of the same may
have been true vi General Hooker but The need of
this particular external stimulus has never, SO far
as know been imputed to General Mcclellan. He
WIS learned in military lore, and content TO fight
his battles from the rear where all the books say
general ought to remain.
Ii was about o'clock that General Hooker pnt
his troops H. motion Tor this enterprise on Lees
flank. Correspondents Giay remark, had not long
before been forbidden to ply their trade IN the Army
OF tine Potomac. but don't remember that any Oh
lection was made TO my going along with this col
umn. | fell into conversation with one of General
HoOker's stan-who he was have not tie least no.
ton. Once across the stream and the enemys
ground | noticed that the General was riding so
well forward that there was not much space be-
tween him and The line of skirmishers that had
been thrown out. remarked OH this to my compan-
ion, whereuron he turned in his saddle and
said; "I guess you haven't been ont with
Hooker before certainly had not, but was soon
To learn what being out with Hooker meant. The
ground broken stretches Of forest mingled with
open plades and fields ia which the corn was stand
ing. house OF two were visible advanced.
bat III no direction there anything that could.
] I'm, ntiif hn eull Iiuf
Hooker was pushing straight on, his thin skrmish-
lug Inc perhap, a hundred yards IN front; then
Hooker himself and MS staff then his two brigades
| IN close order advancing IN column of companies.
! What little cavalry he had was the right wing,
doing "a bit of Uhlan duty on its own account. Now
and then shot was heard. Before the went
down General Hooker had found out what lie
wanted to know lie had carried what he erimly
called his reconnaissance straight mp to the enemys
lines His cavalry had come back faster than they
/ went upon which Hooker. gathering up his division
much rs hunter takes his horse By the head TO ne
gotiate Troublesome fence had straight IN as
far A. he could CO. forcing McClclan's hand and all
but bringing on general engagement that night.
! The truth is Hooker Thought 1t should have been
| fought that morning before Lee had got JacksOu's
men up from HarpoTs Ferry. and he made sure that
II shoud not be postponed beyond the morrow.
There was some smart musketry work till darkness
stopped IT, then the lines close that the
| pckets in some parts interi5ced. General Hooker
permitted himself tho luxury OF vacant barn for
his nights lodging The rest OF us biyOuacked
among our horses.
am not going to fight an old battle over again,
but there are Two incidents OF the following
day which throw some light on llookeTs charac-
ter ard also the opinion then held of him by the
army these only shall mention General Hooker
l ~ { I'LL. tl...ts d h..ffl ln
would BEGIN with daylight and asked for supports
/; has always been held that if they had come in
bodv the Rebel line might have been broken early
I'm the morning and that defeat at that pgint, and
nj that hour OF the day, would have forced Lees
| army 10 surrender. General HOO6er, know, be-
n,ycd 30. and Ire expressed himself with great en-
eggy on The drDDiug fashion IN which tie supports
he wanted were dOlod ont TO hIm. Whatever may
be Thought Of bis capacity commander OF a great
army, there could be no two opinions as to the
sty'e in winch he handled what troops he had
on that morning. No more could there be as TO the
recklessness with which he exposed hlmself but IN
one way aud another he had used up or scattered
his staff that he had to do staff duty himself and
more than one, he found himself without so much
AS an orderly within hail. | happened to be near
him on one such OCCASION He asked me If would
carry an order for him, and rode of with it. When
| got back, il was just as "A forward movement had
occurred IN that part OF the linc aud Hooker had
gone on with the two or three regiments he had
about him. / saw HIM at distance just beyond the
line of woods in the field winch separated it from
the trees on the further side. where the
enemy were in some force. He rode that
day his favOrite white horse and what
with the horse ana his tall figure and
uniform of gold and blue, he was very pretty mark
indeed for rebel bullets. The voeys came steadily
fIOn the woods beyond. and every minute or two
particular swish OF shot, as If nalf dozen men had
L.. ,l-arf a. furu at he m