Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-10-28
For Delegate to Congress,
w. M. FERRY,
OF SUMMIT COUNTY.
HOOKER AND MEADE.

Ol lnat great command was traught wit
greater interest than that which relieve
Hooker from its command and subst
tuted Meade. 1t will be remembers
that Hooker had but recently failed
the campaign at Charlottesville, ,and ha
brought his gigantic command by mas
terly movements through Virginia int
and through Maryland, and had jus
completed preliminaries for the engage
ment Of Lee, when the order to reliey
him arrived. In McClellan's case it wa
a painful surprise to officers and men, bu
not so in this. Hooker had succeede
in alternating the good will Of several off
GERS high in rank, and though as soldier
they would give him hearty support, a
men they did not like him. He had ma
tured plan that did not meet their ap
proyal, and all things pointed to the wis
dom Of Stanton in making the change
The change resulted in victory for tn,
Union arms, but how close that yictory
came to being defeat, perhaps no mar
who knows, will ever tell. The history
OF the change in commands will be reaC
by all who were on the ground with in
terest.
From paper in the Century for No
Vember, we take this description of the
midnight visit of Colonel Hardie TO the
headquarters of the Army of the Poto
mac, near Frederick, Md, to transfer the
command from Hooker to Meade
Meade was asleep, and when awakened
was confounded by the sight of an Off
Ger from the War Department standing
over him. He afterwards said that. in
his semi-stupor, his first thought was
that he was to be taken to Washington
IN arrest, though no reason occurred to
him why he should be. When ne real
lzed the state of affairs he became much
agltated, protesting against being placed
IN command of an army which was look
ing towards Reynolds as his successor.
II Hooker should be displaced; referring
TO the personal friendship between Rev
nolds and himself which would make the
Presidents order an instrument of inius-
tlce to both: urging the heaviness of the
responsibility so suddenly placed upon
him, in presence OF the enemy and when
he was totally ignorant of the positions
and dispositions of the army he was to
take in charge; and strenuously obiecting
to the requirement that he should 90 to
hooker's headquarters to take over the
command without being sent for bv the
commanding-general as Mcclellan had
sent for Burnside and the latter for
Hooker. 1t was mental relief to the
stern Secretary OF War, when General
Meade's spontaneous utterances were re-
ported to him, TO note that he had ut
tered no protest against Hooker's being |
relieved of the command, even in what !
might almost be called the presence of
the enemy. This silence on the part of a
man so regardless of himself, so regard
lul OF others. Mr.. Stanton accepted as be-
ing, in itself, his complete vindication.
After taking Colonel Hardie's opinion, as
u professional soldier, thathe had no law
lul discre ton to vary from the orders
gwen, horses and an escort were ordered
out and the party proceeded to general
some miles distant. Har-
dle undertook to break the news TO
Hooker, who did not need to be told any,
thing after seeing who his visitors were.
It was bitter moment to all, for Hooker
lad construed favorably the delay in re-
ponding to his tender of resignation. and ,
ould not wholly mask the revulsion of
ceiling. General Butterfield, the chief of :
tan, between whom and General Meade {
much coidness existed, was called in, and !
he four officers set themselves earnes tly c
work to do the State some service by
onestly transferring the command and u
IL that could help to make it available a
Dr. good. Tension was somewhat eased :
y Meade's insisting upon being regarded &
8 guest at headquarters while General ., q
locker was present, and by his request.
lg General Butterfeld, upon public >, ;,
rounds, not to exercise his privilege of a
with his chief; but Hooker's
lagrin and Meade's overstrung nerves "
lade the lengthy but indispensable con- h,
rence rather trying to the whole party. h,
'hen Reynolds heard the news. he m
ressed himself with scrupulous care and ~,
andsomeiy attended, rode to head 81
larters to pay his respects to the new NJ
Meade, who looked like a bc
agon-master in the marching clothes no os
I'd hurriedly slipped OH when awakened il
has tent, understood the motive of the to
t, and after the exchange of the saluta- tb
'ns all around, he took REYNOLDS bv ise
e arm, and, leading him aside, told him ne
wv surprising, imperative, and unwel- of
me were the orders he had received orr
wv much he would have preferred the of
oice to have fallen on Reynolds; how an
xious he had been to see REYNOLDS WI
d tell him these things, and how helm in
's he should hold himself to be did he a
feel that Reynolds would give him tn,
earnest support which he would have on,
ven to Reynolds in q like situation. 10
'ynolds answered that, in his opinion SIN
2 command had fallen where il he. off,
lged, that he was glad that such a trn
light OF responsibility had not come Ne
on him. and that Maada ,o;olt .-. =,
On the best support he could give him. Ge,
'ade then communicated to REYNOLDS opr
that he had learned from, IJool.o. =,