The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-05

/ they meant business, they ought 70 be
I ready TO take the risk I added that
I thought it more than likely that Gen
/ Hooker's answer 70 such a proposal would
Z be TO order the man who made 10, who
/ ever he was. under arrest.
! cit need not be a proposal he replied
I "All we want you % do IS 70 sound
I Hooker. and let Us know what his views
/ are. The rest we Will do ourselves ' /
asked him If he meant 10 give me a writ
/ ten message.
Certainly not. Such things are not
put into writing
But why should Hooker believe me,
or compromise himself in p conversation
with "a man he never saw till this morn
ing"
He said 10 was known l had acted as
Hooker's aid. and urged sundry other
reasons. l StII declined. but he Still
pressed il. Hooker he declared, had won
the confidence of the army, and Nc
Clellen had lost it. IL was no time 10
stand on tritles. He regarded what he
proposed 10 ne as q patrlOrics duty and
SO on. Finally. as l persisted IN refusing
10 be the bearer OF any such message. he
asked if I would see Hooker. and bring
them word whether he could, in any cir
Gums tauces. take the field again that
day. To this I saw no objection and rode
OF I found Gen. Hooker in bed and in
great pain. He asked eagerly for news Of
the battle. When ] told that the attack
on both wings had failed, that no move
ment had been made for the last two
hours, and that Gen Mcclellan seemed
70 have no intention of making any, he
became angry and excited ana used
language Of extreme plainness.
had noticed in the morning that ne had
very copiOus vocabulary. 1t was directed,
Tor the most part, against the enemy
whose sharpsnOOters followed him all
over the field. in which his tall figure in
fun uniform and his white horse. were
by far the most conspicuous targets.
Once his stan got the benefit Of this tOw
Of energetic speech, when two or three Of
them Joined in the suggest On that the
proper place for a corps commander was
not in the skirmish line, and that he
could not prudently remain under so hot
ire. Now II was turned upon MCClel-
ian, with whose excessive caution and
systematic inertuess in the crisis Of a
great battle he had no patience. This
outburst gave me an opportunity Of put
ting the question l wanted 10, and asked
him whether his wound would permit him
to mount his horse again that day. He
pointed 10 his swollen and bandaged foot
NO; it is impossible"
cor TO take command OF your corps
again In any way-in a carriage, if one
could be found"
NO. no; cannot move. Tam perfectly
helpless"
All at once, whether from the way in
which had put my question, or from my
manner, it seemed to flash upon him that
there was something behind. He broke
out:
why do you ask What do you meant
Who sent you here"
he was in such torment from his wound
and the fever it had brought on that
thought il best not to fence with his cues
lions and nls suspicious. 1 told him it
was true that some friends of his. who
knew how well he had done his work in
the morning, were anxious TO learn
whether, in an emergency. he could re-
sumo his duties; that the position was
critical; that his troops would fight I'M
der him as they would under nobody else ;
In short, l admitted that l came to find
out what his real condition was, and that
| thought good deal depended on his an
swer. He grOaned and swore and half
raised himself on his bed Theeffort was
too much; the agony brought a cry TO his
lips. You see what a wreck l am; il is
impossible, impossible" Even to his
courage there We're things which were
impossible. Again he asked frem whom
/ came, but / answered that my errand
was done, that il was only too plain that
his wound crippled him, that the whole
army knew what misfortune it was.
and that I must return to my friends and
report the facts. The paroxysm of pain
had passed, but left him exhausted. He
said good-by family, asked me to come
again next day, which ! knew l could
not, and / took my leave The account /
had to give of Gen. Hookers condition, of
course, put an end to all schemes at head
quarters, and the sun went down upon an
indecisiye day.