The National tribune., 1885-09-17
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Oar Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
CHANCELLORSVILLE.
4 Maine Comradc Thinks Gen. Howard Is Not
Treated Fairly.

4 Maine Comradc Thinks Gen. Howard Is Not
Treated Fairly.
To THE EDITOR: / am, and always have
been, one of Gen. Hool1crs most enthusiastic
admirers, and / am not an admirer OF Gen.
Howard, although a Maine man. But like to
see fair play. l have noticed the comments
and denunciatioBs so freely expended upon
Gen Howard for the defeat at Charlottesville,
and while ] think they none too severe, L
think Gen Hooker should share them. / am
surprised that Gen. Hooker should have kept
silent and offered no explanation OF his own
conduct at that battle. There is not an old
soldier living but what will tell you that the
plan of the battle of Chanceliorsviile was as
near perfection as any plan ever Was and
with the numbers we had and the splendid
mGrale OF the troops. defeat seemed impossible.
Our hearts beat nigh with hope, and Gen.
Hooker w:S so sure of success that he exclaimed
In his eranGlloqucnt style: God Almighty
cannot prevent me IRON winning this battle!
Why then, were We defeated? On the morn
in. of the LIST of May Gen. Hooker had four
CORPS at or near ChanceiiorsVllie, directly Iii
Lees rear and on his line of retreat. Gen.
Lee was in Fredericksburg, undecided what 10
do; for he had not determined which was the
real movement and which the ieint. Now was
HoohcT's time aid he seems TO nave come TO
this conclusion, for he ordered his army at
Charlottesville to advance towards Freder-
ioks5urg on tie three roads running directly
into Lees rear
So far the plan worked to a charm. The
troops advanced some three miles down these
roads. and had reached open country where
they couId manuver, and surprise from the
enemy was hardly possible. All at once an
order is received from Gen. Hooker 10 return
give up the advantage gained with little or 10
loss TO him, and return 10 ChancellorsTllie
Tie corps commanders sent messages to Gen.
Hooker explaining to him the advantages oil
the position, and asking his permission 10 re-
nam. This he refused. ] have never seen or
heard of single word from Gen. Hooker or any
of his advisers explanatory of this yaciilatlon
Oh his part In the afternoon Of that day he
saw the error, and would then have rem@diGd
it. but the enemy had now become aware OF his
plans, and has seized the position. Had Gen.
Hooker held on 10 it ana pressed his advantage
the movement of Stonewall Jackson on the
Eleventh CORPS would never, in all human
probability, have occurred. This was the time
when the battle Of fChancellorsviiie was decided,
and for this Gen. Hooker must stand respon-
sibie. As to being deceived by the movements
of Jackson, Hooker could not plead innocence,
for his message that Lees army is flying
trying to save his trains. Two Of Sickles's Di-
visions are among them" is proof, plain and
unquestionable, that Hooker did not under
stand the movement, and his message TO How
ard lsupprCSSed) was simply cautionary. But
this does not excuse Howard for his careless
ness. Some have sneercd at Howard for send
ind word 10 one of his Generals to - DO the best
he could with what he had, and trust i'll God"
But what do they think Of Gen. Hooker, who,
when appealed to for aid May 3, replied that he
"could not make men," although he had $4,000
vino had not entered the fight at alll Gen.
Hooker is gone. Peace to his ashes. As Gen.
Howard once wrote of him, :" He had grand
qualities" but it is to be regretted that the
secret of his action on the lst of May has never
been revealed. Some claim that he was under
the influence of liquor; others, that the blow
received al the Chancellor House (of which
was witness deprived him OF the use of his
faculties. But he is debarred from using the
latter as it did not occur until after all these
things had been done. As to his being the
worse for liquor, we who saw him on these oc-
casons do not believe this. We should like to
hear something from any who may be able TO
throw any light on q matter which has never,
to our knowledge, been explained, unless by a
remark OF Gen. Doubleday there was
too much vacillation at Headquarters" -.
HALEY, Go. /. 18th Me-, Saco, Me.