| General Joseph Hooker |
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fairfax Station,
June 15, 1863-Midnight.
[Received June 16, 1. 15 a. m.]
His Excellency the PRESIDENT:
I have received your dispatch of this evening. The Army of the Potomac is in this vicinity, excepting the Second and Sixth Corps, and, as they are marching in rear of all the trains, they will not be up before some time tomorrow. Perhaps the Second Corps will not be here until some time during tomorrow night. The First and Eleventh Corps were first to arrive on this line, but I have not yet learned whether they have drawn their supplies in readiness to march tomorrow morning or not. As soon as they are provided, they, as well as the others, will be put an route. I have been informed that the enemy nowhere crossed the Rappahannock on our withdrawal from it, but General Hill's strops moved up the river in the direction of Culpeper this morning, for the purpose, I conclude, of re-enforcing Longstreet and Ewell, wherever they may be. I request that I may be informed what troops there are at Harper's Ferry, and who is in command of them, and also who is in command in this district.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
FAIRFAX STATION,
June 16, 1863-7 a. m.
{Received 8. 35 a. m.
His Excellency President LINCOLN:
It appears to me from General Couch's dispatch of last night, * received this a. m., that nearly all the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac should at once be sent into Maryland by the most direct route. General Stahel has an abundance to perform all cavalry duty that will be required south of the Potomac. I merely make the suggestion. If any considerable body of enemy's infantry should be thrown across the Potomac, they will probably take the direction of his advance pickets, and in that event it seems to me that a heavy column of ours should be thrown as speedily as possible across the river at Harper's Ferry, while another should be thrown over the most direct line covering Baltimore and Philadelphia. I only speak with reference to this army, as I know nothing of the location or numbers of troops at the disposal of the Government elsewhere.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
*See Part III, p. 131.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 16, 1863-9. 40 p. m.
{Received 9. 50 p. m.
His Excellency the PRESIDENT:
My orders are out to march at 3 o'clock tomorrow morning. It will be likely to be one of vigor and power. I am prepared to move without communications with any place for ten days. I hope to reach my objective point before the arrival of Hill's corps, should it be moving in that direction. If I do not know this fact, I will shortly, but of information to the north of the Potomac I really have nothing. I wish that it might be made the duty of some person in the telegraph office in Washington to keep me informed of the enemy's movements in Maryland.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fairfax Station,
June 16, 1863-11 a. m.
His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
President, &tc.:
Please accept my suggestions in regard to what should be done in the spirit with which they were give. They were suggestions merely, for I have not the data necessary to form an enlightened opinion on the case. Upon general principles, I thought those were the movements to make. You have long been aware, Mr. President, that I have not enjoyed the confidence of the major-general commanding the army, and I can assure you so long as this continues we may look in vain for success, especially as future operations will require our relations to be more dependent upon each other than heretofore. It may be possible now to move to prevent a junction of A. P. Hill's corps with those of Ewell and Longstreet. If so, please let instructions to that effect be given me. As will appear to you, the chances for my doing this are much smaller than when I was on the Rappahannock, for, if he should hold the passes stoutly, he can cause me delay. You may depend upon it, we can never discover the whereabouts of the enemy, or divine his intentions, so long as he fills the country with a cloud of cavalry. We must break through that to find him.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
June 16, 1863-11. 30 a. m.
Major-General HOOKER,
Fairfax Station:
I do not think there is reliable information that the enemy has crossed the Potomac in any force. Where his main corps are, is still uncertain, and I know of no way to ascertain, excepting through your cavalry, which should be kept near enough to the enemy to at least be able to tell where he is. My suggestion of yesterday, to follow the enemy's advance, by moving a considerable force first to Leesburg, and thence as circumstances may require, is the best one I can make. Unless your army is kept near enough to the enemy to ascertain his movements, yours must be in the dark or on mere conjecture. Tyler is in command at Harper's Ferry, with, it is said, only 9, 000 men, but, according to returns of the 11th, he should have at least 13, 600. Heintzelman, as you must be aware, commands this department. Besides the divisions of Abercrombie and Stahel, near you, he has little or no movable troops. Telegraph direct to him in all matters connected with the use of his troops.
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
June 16, 1863-3. 50 p. m.
Major-General HOOKER,
Army of the Potomac:
There is now no doubt that the enemy is surrounding Harper's Ferry, but in what force I have no information. General Schenck says our force there is much less than before reported, and cannot hold out very long. He wished to know whether he may expect relief. He can hope for none, excepting from your army.
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fairfax Station,
June 16, 1863-4 p. m.
{Received 4, 50 p. m.
Major General H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief:
Just received your telegram. Please inform me whether our forces at Harper's Ferry are in the town or on the height, and, if the latter, whether we hold Bolivar, Loudoun, or Maryland Heights, and which, if any; what bridges at Harper's Ferry, and where; from what direction is the enemy making his attack? I suppose it is a couple of long marches from here for troops without trains, but this, of course, will depend upon the position of the enemy.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Fairfax Station,
June 16, 1863-7. 30 p. m.
H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief:
In compliance with your directions, I shall march to the relief of Harper's Ferry. I put my column again in motion at 3 a. m. tomorrow. i expect to reach there in two days, and, if possible, earlier. The partial rest of today was not lost, being necessary to recruit from forced and heavy marches and fill up supplies. My headquarters at Farrall [?] Station tomorrow night.
JOSEPH HOOKER,
Major-General.
{Copy to the President.}
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
June 16, 1863-8. 20 p. m.
Major-General HOOKER,
Army of the Potomac:
Information of enemy's actual position and force in front of Harper's Ferry is as indefinite as that in your front. Nearly everything is conjecture. The only position of the enemy mentioned is Halltown. The bridges across both rivers at Harper's Ferry are believed to be intact, and most of Tyler's troops on Maryland Heights. Loudoun Heights are not fortified, but swept by Maryland batteries. your questions have been sent to Tyler, and his answer will be forwarded as soon as received. Any troops you can send to his relief should be in motion. a few of the enemy have shown themselves at Poolesville and Point of Rocks. No definite information of his movements from any place.
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.
WASHINGTON,
June 16, 1863-10 p. m.
Major-General HOOKER:
To remove all misunderstanding, I now place you in the strict military relation to General Halleck of a commander of one of the armies to the general-in-Chief of all the armies. I have not intended differently, but as it seems to be differently understood, I shall direct him to give your orders and you to obey them.
A. LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
June 16, 1863-10. 15 p. m.
Major-General HOOKER,
Army of the Potomac:
I have given no directions for your army to move to Harper's Ferry. I have advised the movement of a force, sufficiently strong to meet Longstreet, to ascertain where the enemy is, and then move to the relief of Harper's Ferry, or elsewhere, as circumstances might require. With the remainder of your force in proper position to support this, I want you to push out your cavalry, to ascertain something definite about the enemy. You are in command of the Army of the Potomac, and will make the particular dispositions as you deem proper. I shall only indicate the objects to be aimed at. We have no positive information of any large force against Harper's Ferry, and it cannot be known whether it will be necessary to go there until you can feel the enemy and ascertain his whereabouts.
H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.
Official Records Series I., Vol. 27, Part 1, Page 47.
Hooker had overplayed his hand. His situation lent confusion, as he frequently recieved direct communication from the President and likely assumed he had more discretion than Lincoln intended. Halleck played his cards close to his vest, but clearly was no booster of Hooker. Lincoln finally resolves the situation by restating the obvious, that Hooker answered to Halleck. It is remarkable in these dispatches the degree to which the administration and generals in the field had simply lost the Army of Northern Virginia, even to the point of not knowing which side of the Potomac it was. Ewell's Corp was nearing the Potomac, with Rodes already across. Longstreet had not crossed into the Valley, but was moving north just east of the mountain passes. And A.P. Hill's Corp was strung out in a wide arc from Fredericksburg to Culpeper. Jenkins Cavalry was at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and Stuart was near Marshall, headed toward Middleburg.
No comments:
Post a Comment