The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-09

sons flank movement, which I desired,
as that would have thrown the enemy
off the short road to Richmond and our
troops on it. had one and half mil
lion of rations afloat on the potomac TO
throw I'D the Pamunkey river In view
of the contingency. Inc
rains had nothing to do with our return
from charlottesville, for it had been
determined on in my mind long before
the rain commenced falling. | do not
like to be quoted on this subject until
after the official report is published.
JOE HOOKER
THE SALIENT POINTS.
The salient points of this letter are:
First Peremptory orders for SedgW1ck
to advance Saturday night and at day
III eak to crush Lees rear, and thus nave
Lee between the upper and neither mill
stone, to be ground to powder, or IN
elcriously retreat, leaving the field to the
victors.
Second. Hooker's hating and en-
trenching at charlottesville was to await
sedgwick's rear-crushing operations. for
he saws: st waited to hear SedgWick's
guns. which I momentarily expected
Oh! those awful moments fraught with
Rockers military destiny SO soon to be
in eclipse.
Third Hooker orders a midnight at
tack, for he says: Sedgwick had only
eight miles to come, a small force to OPP
pose, and that it was a bright moon
light night
Fourth. His unwillingness to move for
ward until Sedgwicll arrived.
Fifth. So certain was he that his plan
Of Sedgwicl1's crushing Lees rear, that
he says in this letter: 81 had one and a
half million of rations atloat on the Po-
tomac to throw UP the Pamunkey River
CNhite House only thirty miles from
R1chmond) in view of the contingency
(Sedgwick's success).
And lastly. Hooker puts forever at rest
the oft-told tale both in print and mouth.
that he retreated because Of rain. and
candidly says: THE rain had nothing
tG do with our return from Chancellors-
vile, for it had been determined on in
m, mind long before the rain commenced
folling." That decision of his mind to
give up the fight was wonderfully &C
CELEBRATED by the failure Of SedgW1ck to
break through Lees rear at frederlcks-
burg on time, not now to snatch victory
from his foe, but to save his beaten and
demoralized army, which SO keenly felt
tie sting of the lash so well laid on by
Jackson and Stuart, while Early and
Rarksdale were holding back Hooker's
ferlorn hope at Fredericksburg until it
was we'll done. The fugitives, to save
further laceration of their hides, made
haste to put the Rappahannock once
more between them and their chasusers.
We will not pause now to give addi-
tional proof that the main issue of the
bs tile of charlottesville, the very key
end centre OF Hool>er's plan, was victory
via Fredericksburg but as we proceed
in the narration Of the battle between
Sedgwicb and Early in the rear of Lee
OF 1orio l-cI1 on he 1St DnI and
Srd of May, 1863, that fact will become.
if possible, more prominent. l propose
to deal with the enSaS cement at Chan
cellorSyille that I may with more GER
tainty establish the fact that the victory
at charlottesville was made possible
by the three days action at Eredericks-
burg.
DETAILED ACCOUNT.
MAY LIST Friday). a bright and beauti-
full day, I found myself on the extreme
end of Marye's Heights, in command of
two 1O-pound Parrott guns, not my own,
and a section of men and horses of
Parker's Battery Qongstreet's Corps,
Army OF Northern Virsinia), of which
battery at that time I had the honor OF
Icing its senior lieutenant, later on It's
captain, when gallant DR.. Parker, of our
city, was promoted to the majority ana
assigned to battalion of artillery. This
s,.mmer-house in the beautiful Federal
cemetery now covering the entire hill,
each sod of which marks a soldiers
sepulchre, a veritable bivouac of the
dead. The two iron seats on which the
weary tourist reposes from the fatigue
c. the steep ascent mark the Identical
SPOT where, thirty-n!ne years ago, two
iron guns stood, on Which reposed the
hopes of Barksdale's; men at the stone
e cro, ND t1a1n
and with a, similar satisfaction of a tired
tourist, Barksdales men thought these
particular men and guns were indeed
apropos, the right things at the right
time, and in the right place; for the dis
satisfaction of these men with an I'M
known and untried battery here In their
rear as their support was the cause OF
my being there. These gallant MISSISSIPPI
plans saw the desperate work they had
to do, for the dreadful carnage enacted
in front of this same stone wall and by
these same men little over four months
ago was still fresh in their minds; and
rot knowing the battery upon which
they had to rely Though it might have
been the best in the army, requested
enc of Longstreet's batteries. Barksdale
sends to our corps Gongstreet's) a por-
tlon of which was now attached to Jack
sens Corps Uongstreets being away
with the other portion at Suffolk, Va0,
row at Charlottesville and Alexander.
chief Of .Longstreets Artillery, selects
Parker, and at midnight orders him to
leave his guns at Charlottesville and
With only men and horses to report to
Barksdale at Fredericksburg, where guns
would be furnished Parker believing
that the vortex of the oncoming conflict
would be at Charlottesville and not at
Fredericksburg, turns over his orders
to me- s.s g"
Unhitching my horses from caisons and
guns and mounting all the men I could,
reluctantly turning my back upon the
field of charlottesville. fastened, for
such We're my orders, to Barksdale at
fredericksburg: BY sunrise I was there.
on the road after. daylight I passed what
T thought, and what you veterans we'll
knew "a Wa gons Master, = a boss of wag-5
chine tdctaSf atm. hy all thu