The National tribune., 1885-07-09
cHANcEupRsvILLE.


Interview With Gen.duiuker In Regard 70 the
Defeat Of thiB BNssenth Corps.
To THE EDITOR: lssaing the letter in your
last issue of II. NJ. H5alhGx, late private, Co. g,
55th Ohio, relative ta1AsesIesponsibility for the
stampede of the Nnvsnth Corps and conse-
quent defeat and rsfre1s Of the Army of the
Potomac at Charlottesville. recalls vividly an
interview had with Gen. Hooker upon the
same subject at the 0eyser Springs, CAL, in the
early part of June, 1a72. chanced to meet
him at the Springs which he was at the time
visiting with some fiends from San Francisco.
He was suffering fr0nith effects of stroke of
apoplexy, and one side of his body was still
partially paralyzed andf he required the aid of
an attendant to enahle him to move around.
remember that he suppressed his mind freely
upon the merits Of the successful Generals of
the late war; that their successes were as often
duo to superior ability of their subOrdinates
and lucky accidents of war as to their own
of the treatment he had received; that the
responsibility of defeat at Charlottesville was
unjustly placed upon him; that he had con-
Quoted the campaign up to the time of the
stampeding of the Eleventh Corps with skill and
success, and would have had Gen. Lee and his
army entirely in his power but for that unfor-
tunate fiasco, for which he was wholly blame
less.
Remembering that had heard, or seen some
where in print that when StOnewall Jackson
was moving across his front to attack his right
flank Gen. Hooker supposed the enemy was in
full retreat toward GordOnsville, I asked him
if he was aware of the enemy's object, and if
so why he did not guard his right against q
surprise? He replied that he was perfectly
aware of the enemy's object, and Immediately
sent an order to Gen. Howard informing him
that the enemy was moving on his right, and
directed him to be on his guard (aS near as
can remember, in the terms of the order given
by your correspondent, which was placed on
file two months after it was dated); that Gen.
Howard at the time of receiving the order was
feeling i'll, put it in his pocket without reading
it, and laid down in his tent and went to sleep;
that he fished the order out of his pocket sew
it was owing to the temporary illness of Gen.
Howard and his neglect to read the order when
received that he (Hooker) lost the battle of
Charlottesville.
/ expressed some surprise that he allowed
Gen. Howard to escape censure for his neglect,
or that he did not place the responsibility of
defeatswhere it really belonged. He replied
that he had great respect for Gen. Howard,
and that he stood very high with the Admins
tratiOn and with the country at the time, and
did not wish to disgrace him; but he had had
recent correspondence with Gen. Howard,
requesting him to set the matter right before
the public and relieve him from the response
bility of defeat at Charlottesville.
The brave old hero was broken in health and
soured in disposition, feeling that neglect or
accident over which he had no control had
prevented from winning what would have
been the greatest and most decisive victory of
the war; and from high sense of honor and
tender feeling for fellow officer he had sacri-
feed the rewards which he deemed were justly
his due.-A. S. Coz, Surgeon, 147th N. Y,
Oswego, N. Y.