The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-31
nTba Rattle Of Charlottesville

participant in the battle. Inc authoi
Of the book is Augustus Choate Hamlln'
a nephew OF the late Hannibal Hamlin
and formerly Lieut. Colonel and Medi'
cal Inspector in the U. S. Army. lie
is now the historian of the Eleventh
Army Corps. the corps which consti-
tuted the right wing Of Hooker s army
at Charlottesville and the object OF
the book is to exonerate that corps from
the criticisms and aspersiors that have
been. as he thinks. most unjustly heap
ed upon it, as being responsible. through
cowardice aud inetficiency. for the dis
aster that befell the Federal army on
that memorable and sanguinary field
His defense is confined to the rank ana
file and the regimental and company
commanders. Howard, the commander
Of the Eleventh Corps, and its division
commanders, except Schurz, he orl''
cises most severely But these are not
the only nor even the chief, objects OF
his censure. Hooker and his stan, ana
Sickles. Warren and Birney are the spe-
cisl objects Of his invective. THESE helu
ND the Eleventh Corps before the Oon'
gressional Commission to examine INTO
the conduct of the war, Us oulpaOle
and responsible for the disaster, and
from that time onward as he says. con-
tinued to vent their criticisms and abuse
upon the hapless Eleventh Corps ana
particularly upon the divisions OF De-
ven's and Schurz, which contained the
German regiments. In this narrative
he pays them back with interest. ana
pours on their devoted heads the vlals
Of his vehement denunoiatiOn And,
indeed, he makes a seemingly unanswer-
able case against them, as being amen
able 20 this denunciation, IN attempt
ing to shift all blame and error up
on the defenseless and frlen dless
Eleventh Corps, TO divert attention
from the real cause, " and 30 cover over
their own reckless and stupid leader
ship. He stigmatises Hooker and
his lieutensnts as exhibiting professional
prejudices, blind self conceit, and ig'
norance Of what the enemy was doing.
and where he was " pages "a, % Az.
5l). That they were in ignorance, and
culpable ignorance, Of what their adver-
sary was doing, and where he was. Is
perfectly manifest. since Slckles was
at o clock in the evening, with
twenty thousand men, two miles
away from the main army, on the road
over which Jackson had marched SEND
ing message after message TO Hooker
that ne was getting ready TO fall upon
the fugitive Confederates. while Hooker.
thus deluded was telegraphing
to Sedgwick. and the Secretary
Of War, that Lee was re-
treating upon Richmond, but that
"Sickles is among his trains with two
divisions. " While these messages and
dispatches were being transmitted
jackson was falling like clap Of thun-
der upon Devens and Schurz and "pul-
verifying them" to use the author
own phrase The absolute ignorance
on the part of Hooker and his corps
manders, of the actual state Of facts
staggers credulity The tumult OF
Jackson's onslaught had been raging
for nearly an hour around Talley' and
Dowdsll's, when Hooker, but two miles
distant, was serenely unconscious OF
the calamity, and momentarily expect
ing to hear that Sickles was gathering
the fugitive Ooniederates by regiments
aud divisions. Here is a picture the
author paints: Hooker sat with Cand'
Ter and Russell (his aides. upon the
porch Of the Chancellor House enjoying
the calm spring evening, and listening
to the sounds Of the distant cannon,
which were undoubtedly from Harda'
ways artillery. 1t was about half-past
six, or near that time, when RUSSELL
stepped out in front Of the house, and.
on looking down the road with his
glass, exclaimed, My God, here
they come Hooker and both OF
his officers spraug upon their
horses, rode a little distance down
the road, and met the advance Of the
Eleventh Corps strsgglers, and from
them first learned Of Jackson 8 attack.
But it is upon Sickles that the author
places the principal blame, aud he
charges the reconnaissance Of that
officer as /" the cause Of the failure Of
the campaign" pages 4S, 40, 90 } He
" planned the expedition to the Well
ford Furnace and below" and per-
suaded Hooker to allow him to make
it, and for the purpose took from the
Eleventh Corps the reserve divisions OF
Birney and Whipple, and also Williams
division Of the Twelfth Corps and
later on withdrew Barlow's Brigade,
three thousand strong, from near the
extreme right wing Of the Eleventh
Corps, where the onset of the Oonfed'
crates was made not an hour after the
departure Of the brigade. These made
together, twenty thousand men. II
they had not been thus withdrawn, TIE
author maintains that Jackson 8 attack
would have been successfully resisted.
And yet, says the author, Those who
were most implicated in the wild goose
chase below the Furnace, and who are
the authors of the misfortunes Of the
army, are the foulest in abuse and loud
est in falehood. " He ascribes the crit
icisrus and calumnies directed against
Devens' and Schurz's divisions as due
to the fact that they were composed OF
the German element, and he surely
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