Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-13
Hooker at Antietam.
George ". Smalley's Letter from London In the
New York Trih1he

lCJeOf86 w. 6mauey6 Letter rom L0nQ3u In the
New York Tribohe.]
am not going to fight an old battle over
again, but there are one or two incidents of tn,
day which throw some light % Hookers chara;
the army; these only l shall mention. Gen.
Hooker had sent word to Gen. Mcclellan that
the battle would begin with daylight, and asked
for supports. 1t has always been held thal II
they had come in body the rebel line m ght
have been broken early in the morning and lat
defeat at that point, and at that hour OF the
day, would have forced Lees army to surrender.
Gen. Hooker, know, believed so, and he ex-
pressed himself with great energy on the drib
bling fashion in which the supports he wanfed
were doled out to him. Whatever may be thought
OF his capacity as commander Of a great army,
there could be no two opinions as to the style In
which he handled what troops he had on that
lessness with which he exposed himself: bit
in one way and another he had so used up or
scattered his staff that he had to do staff duty
himself. and more than once he found himself
without so much as an orderly within hail.
l happened to be near him on one such occa-
sion. He asked me if 1 would carry an
l got back, it was just as a forward move
ment had occurred in that part of the line, and
Hooker had gone on with the two or three reg
iments he had about him. l saw him at dis
which separated it from the trees on the further
side, where the enemy were in some force He
what with the horse and his tall figure and uni
form OF gold and blue. he was a very pretty
mark indeed for rebel bullets. The volleyS came
steadily from the woods beyond, and every min
a dozen men had taken Hooker for target at
the same moment. won't say liked the stu
was no choice. AS Joined him, one of his staff,
who had come back from some other errand,
was demonstrating with his chief on the impro-
priety Of his remaining in SO exposed place.
1t was perfectly Just remonStrance, but the
generals reply to it Is absolutely unquotable.
Such an outpouring of profane contempt-con-
tempt for the shooting power OF the men in the
wood, and utter incredulity as to their being
able to hit him-I never listened to. An hour
later he was carried to the rear with shattered
foot.
About 8 in the afternoon, the attack on this
flank having died away, rode over to the house
where Gen. Hooker was lying wounded, and
thence on to that part OF the field where Gen.
Mcclellan and his staff were posted. A knot OF
officers had collected there, some of whom l
knew, and one Of whom 1 had last seen in
Georgia, dangling his legs over the barbette OF
Fort Pulaski was going on. They asked for
news Of Hooker. said had left him in bed. suf-
fering good deal from his wound, but in good
spirits. They asked did l think he could take
command In the field again that day. l said,
there was not much left OF Hooker's division to
command: "That is not the point" was the
reply. "What we all think is that this battle
can be won and Lee driven into the Potomac IL
general who means fighting would renew the
attack. But, and then followed an account
of the state Of mind prevailing at headquarters,
which perhaps 1t is as well not to repeat. Per-
haps you know well enough already why that
victory was not more complete. To cut the
should visit Gen. Hooker and urge him to ap-
pear on the fleh-to go in carriage If he could
not mount his horse, but to go-and to assure
him that the troops were perfectly ready to fol-
low him; were, in fact. only waiting for some
body in whom they had faith to lead them.
That message, as l have the best reason for
knowing, was actually taken to Gen. Hooker.
but his wound by that time was in state which
made 1t impossible for hi m to stir.