The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-26
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
Thrilling Yarns and Historical Sketches
of the Great Conflict.
Atlanta Constitution.

Ihr1lllng, 1nQeeQ, tHe sGoTy VI Cilau-
cellorsville, as it comes from soldier
who was there.
Captain W. Fl. Harrison, Of Georgia,
who is now engaged in writing COM
plete historical sketchbook Of the war
as viewed by a man with gun" tells
Interestingly of how Hooker's hordes
were driven back at Charlottesville
in one of the chapters of his forth
coming book, which will have such a
run when it is out Of the press. The
book is sure to find it's way into
the libraries Of every good soldier
when it once makes its appearance
from the publishers hands, if the fol-
lowing is a fair sample of the many
chapters that Captain ''Tip' is writ
ing:
civil war will find numerous accounts
Of the thrilling events which took
place at Charlottesville in the spring
of 1863. In the main they all agree
as to the features of~the campaign.
On that bloody battlefield General
Lee added to his renown as soldier
and succeeded in removing from the
mind Of the brilliant but erratic fed
eral commander a very large amount
Of self-conceit. He taught Fighting
Joe Hooker that he did not know
how to handle an army. He forced
him back across the Rappahannock so
quickly that the campaign, which
lasted one week, seemed very much
like that Of the king Of France, who
marched up the hill and down again:
Shortly after the disastrous failure Of
Burnside at Fredericksburg in Decem-
Der, 1862, the federal army left their
camp for second attempt to drive
Lee toward Richmond. Heavy rains
set in and the movement failed. Burn
sides army stuck in the mud, and the
officials records allude to this effort as
the mud march. This movement, or
rather, this attempt at movement, Of
the federal army, was not unknown to
General Lee. He was on the alert, as
usual, and quickly prepared to meet it
and understand why the threatened
advance stopped SO suddenly.
s'The federal government grew i'm
patient at this second failure Of Burn
side and without stopping to listen to
explanations, yielding to the popular
clamor Of the north, superseded Burn
side by appointing General Hooker as
commander Of the Army Of the Poto-
mac President Lincoln's official or
der appointing Hooker is document
worthy of study. 1t is thoroughly
characteristic of Its author. I.repro-
duce it here that the readers Of this
little book may get a correct idea Of
the situation at Washington and an
insight into the motives which prompt
ed such action by the federal govern
ment, and to show the force of charac-
ter of the man at the head Of affairs
in those stormy days:
WASHINGTON, D. c., January 26,
1863.-Major General Hooker. Gen
eral: I have placed you at the head
of the Army of the Potomac. Of
couse, I have done this upon what ap-
pears to me to be sufficient reasons,
and yet I think it best for you to know
that there are some things in regard
to which I am not quite satisfied with
you. I believe you to be brave and
skillful soldier, which, Of course, I
like. I also believe you do not mix
politics with your profession, in which
you are right. You have confidence
in yourself, which is valuable, if not
an indispensable quality. You are
ambitious, which, within reasonable
bounds, does good rather than harm,
but I think that during General Burn
sides command of the army you have
taken counsel Of your ambition and
thwarted him as much as you could,
in which you did great wrong to the
country and to most meritorious and
honorable brother officer. I have
heard, in such way as to believe it,
of your recently saying that both the
army and the government needed a
dictator. OF course, it is not for this,
but in spite Of it, that l have given
you the command. Only those gener-
ais who gain successes can set up die
tators. What I now ask Of you is
military success and [ will risk the
dictatorship. The government will
support you to the utmost of its abili-
ty, which is neither more nor less than
it has done and will do for all COM
manders. T much fear that the spirit
which you have aided to infuse into
the army, of criticising their comman-
der and withholding confidence from
him, will now turn upon you. shall
assist you as far as I can to put it
down. Neither you. nor Napoleon, if
he were alive again, could get any
good out of an army while such a spirit
prevails in it. And now beware of
rashness. Beware of rashness, but
with energy and sleepless vigilance go
forward and give US victories. Yours
very truly, A. LINCOLN. 4 4
''I also reproduce here General
Hooker's order assuming command OF
the army. Note the clause demanding
not only the Jealous, but the cheerful
cooperation of every officer and SOL
dier' in his command. This idea was
doubtless suggested by Lincoln s criti-
cism just quoted. If a fellow officer
saw the commanding general was max
ing a blunder and leading his army to
destruction he must not only zealously
cooperate, but do so 'cheerfully.'
"'Camp, Near Falmouth, Va, JAN
uary 26, i863.-General Orders No. l.:
By direction of the President of the
United States the undersigned assumes
command of the Army of the Potomac.
He enters upon the discharge of the
duties imposed by this trust with a
just appreciation Of their responsible
ity. Since the formation of this army
he has been identified with it's history.
He has shared with you its glorieS and
-eyerses with no other desire than that
;heae relations might remain unchang-
ed until it's destiny should be accom-
plished. In the record of your achieve
ments there is much to be proud of !,
and, with the blessing Of God, he will
contribute something to the renown OF
our armies and the success of our
cause. To secure these ends your
commander will require the cheerful