Hooker, JOSEPH

Hooker, JOSEPH, an American general, was born at Hadley, Massachusetts, 13th November 1814, graduated at West Point in 1837, and served with distinction in the war with Mexico, gaining the brevets of captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel, and his captain's commission. In 1853 he retired from the army, and bought a farm in California; but in 1861 he offered his services to the Union government, and was at once appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers, and major-general in 1862. He commanded a division of the 3d corps in the Peninsular campaign, and won for himself, by his coolness and gallantry, the nickname of 'Fighting Joe.' In the battles of June 1862, during the famous 'change of base,' his division rendered important services; and it was his defeat of Ewell (August 27) that compelled the enemy to evacuate Manassas. Advanced to the command of the 1st corps, he gallantly carried the position on the right of the gap at South Mountain; and he opened the battle at Antietam, where he was wounded, and won his promotion to the grade of brigadier-general in the regular army. He commanded the centre grand division in Burnside's unsuccessful attack on Fredericksburg in December 1862; and in January 1863 he succeeded him in the command of the Army of the Potomac. With this force (about 120,000 men) he was confident of effecting Lee's destruction; and about the end of April, throwing a detachment of 30,000 men across the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, he crossed at the fords above with his main body, and marched through the Wilderness to near Chancellorsville, where he awaited Lee's attack. The Confederate troops numbered barely 50,000, but the greater part of this force, under Jackson (q.v.), turned the National flank, and, attacking the rear on May 2, threw part of Hooker's army into confusion. On the following day an impetuous attack by the whole Confederate line drove Hooker from the field, and he withdrew to the north side of the river. This defeat and retreat were regarded at headquarters as inexcusable; and, in spite of his skilful management of his army when Lee invaded Pennsylvania, he was superseded by Meade before the end of June. In November, with the 20th corps, he gallantly carried Lookout Mountain, and took part in the attack on Missionary Ridge. He accompanied Sherman in his invasion of Georgia, and served till the fall of Atlanta. He was brevetted major-general in the regular army in March 1865, and in 1868, having become incapacitated by paralysis, retired with the full rank of major-general. He died 31st October 1879. Unfortunate in his one separate command, Hooker still retained too much self-esteem to be altogether a model lieutenant; yet this failing has been nearly forgotten in the memory of his personal bravery, his skill as an organiser, and his undoubtedly important services.