May 8, 1863, The New York Herald
WASHINGTON, May 6, 1863.
THE FAILURE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Hooker’s campaign is a failure, just when it was supposed to be on the very eve of a brilliant success. It is understood that he was outgeneralled by Lee and his army outnumbered by the rebels. Still a retreat was not looked for; but Hooker himself seems to have lost confidence in success, particularly as Sedgwick’s corps had not joined him, and thus was induced to give the order to retreat. The army retired over the United States Ford and Banks’ ford. The backward movement commenced at ten o’clock last (Tuesday) night, and before daylight this (Wednesday) morning the artillery and mule trains had all crossed, and the infantry was still crossing, Couch’s corps in the advance. The enemy were not able to harass our army in its retreat very materially. Their sharpshooters tried to pick off the artillery horses and mounted officers, and wherever they could bring guns to bear upon us they did so; but our artillery usually dislodged them before they could inflict much damage. The army is now supposed to be on its way back to its old camping ground. There is no apprehension that the enemy will cross the river in pursuit, except, perhaps, some of its cavalry.
THE FAILURE OF SEDGWICK TO JOIN HOOKER.
The failure of Sedgwick’s corps to effect a junction with the main army, as had been designed, had a considerable effect in causing the backward movement. That was no fault of either Sedgwick or his army. They were sandwiched in between Lee and Longstreet, and crushed by overpowering numbers in the direction of Banks’ ford. Here they managed to effect a crossing, but not without fearful loss. Their killed and wounded are set down as between five and six thousand. The enemy’s loss, it is said, is still larger.
It is estimated that our entire loss in this brief and bloody campaign is from ten to twelve thousand – that of the rebels much heavier. Our dead and many of our wounded had to be abandoned. Our artillery is saved.
There is some speculation here as to whether the junction of Hooker’s army with Heintzelman’s reinforcements and what is left of Sedgwick may not stay the retreat. Still, if there was nothing else to prevent a renewal of the attack, the terrible rains, and the consequent swelling of the river, are a sufficient impediment. The troops have suffered greatly from the bad weather.
It now appears that so far as Stoneman’s cavalry expedition was concerned it was a complete success.
THE ORDER TO RELIEVE STONEMAN OF HIS COMMAND.
Before any information had been received of the achievements of General Stoneman in cutting off communication between Fredericksburg and Richmond, and upon the strength of painful rumors in circulation that they had not only been unsuccessful, but had purposely failed to comply with the orders given to them, an order was issued by General Hooker, through General Van Alen, Aid-de-Camp, relieving Stoneman and Averill of their commands, and directing them to report to Washington under arrest. Since the reception of the intelligence that Stoneman has been successful, and has accomplished all, and perhaps more than all, that was expected of him, this order will unquestionable be revoked, and a compliment paid to these generals for the execution of a brilliant and dangerous enterprise.
WASHINGTON, May 7, 1863.
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE.
The latest intelligence is that General Hooker has succeeded in recrossing the Rappahannock by way of the United States and Banks’ fords. He has brought away his artillery; but the rear guard have sustained a sharp fight in getting over. All who have witnessed this finale of his to […..] Richmond” movement concur in the belief that a most egregious blunder was made by somebody. It is now evident that instead of thirty-five, sixty or seventy thousand men, Lee had under his command from one hundred and twenty thousand to one hundred and forty thousand, and that the whole rebel army of the East was concentrated upon the Rappahannock before even the cavalry advance had crossed the river. The quiet manner of the rebels in permitting the army of General Hooker to advance to Chancellorsville with nothing more than a skirmish is now known to be a part of the programme of General Lee to entrap General Hooker and capture his whole army. General Hooker’s retreat to this side of the river is absolutely a victory in view of the circumstances. If Foster in North Carolina, Peck at Suffolk, Keyes at Williamsburg, and Hunter at Charleston, had kept up the advance movements, or an attempt to advance until the movement of the army of the Potomac across the Rappahannock, Hooker would undoubtedly have succeeded. But there has been a lamentable failure of co-operation. Whatever denunciations may now be heaped upon the head of an unsuccessful general, who was thought by many to be unequal to the command assigned to him, yet all the disasters that have occurred are mainly attributable to the incompetency of those who had the direction of military affairs in other departments as well as that in which this abortive effort was made. Either the General-in-Chief or the Secretary of War should have seen that it was necessary to prevent the concentration of all the rebel forces in the East upon one point before directing an effort to be made to carry that position. The Army of the Potomac has fought well. It has sustained its old reputation. It has been led once more to the slaughter, and has been sacrificed to the imbecility of the military Secretary of the administration.
THE EFFECT IN WASHINGTON.
The faces of the loyal people here are filled with gloom. They ask each other, what is now to be done? They do not despair of ultimate success, but they are wroth at the incompetency of their leaders, and demand that a radical change shall be made at once. They are tired of the incubus of California lawyers, and insist that either soldiers or common sense politicians shall be called to the administration and execution of military projects.
THE CALL FOR A NEW MILITARY CHIEF.
There is a loud outcry for the restoration of McClellan to the position of General-in-Chief but even many of those who have been his firmest friends object to such a proceeding. There is a demand also that Fremont shall be called to lead the Army of the Potomac; but there are few who are willing to assert his competency for such a position; but there is an almost universal desire expressed that General Butler shall at once be called to take charge of the War Department, and restore public confidence in its administration, while the belief is expressed that the shrewdness he has everywhere else exhibited will, for his own sake, prompt him to place in command of the armies in the field generals who will insure victories.
ARRIVAL OF PRISONERS OF WAR.
I hear that five thousand prisoners passed yesterday down from Falmouth to Aquia creek. Great number are brought in by cavalry from the region round about, and the fact indicated great disintegration of the rebel troops.
LEE REINFORCED.
It is said that Lee has been reinforced, that his army is yet above a hundred thousand, and that he is very confident.
HOSPITALS BURNED BY THE WOMEN.
It is said that the women of Fredericksburg set on fire the Union hospitals when they thought that Lee was prevailing against Hooker at Chancellorsville.
PRESENTATION TO GENERAL PATRICK.
Brigadier General Patrick, Provost Marshal General of the Army of the Potomac, today took a farewell of the officers of his brigade, whose term of service is about expiring. The meeting took place at Aquia creek. After a few remarks, Colonel Rogers, of the Twenty-first New York, presented General Patrick with a superb silver tea set, valued at $1,200 as a testimonial of their admiration of him as a man and a soldier. The veteran was affected by this mark of esteem, and made a patriotic address.