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Show LOVED GEN. HOOKER Brave Commander of the Army of the Potomac was Popular k with His "Boys" How He Secured His First Commission in the Civil War. - "Hooker's brlgado to the front!" Thero are at least BOO battlo'scarrcd veterans In Boston whoso blood still mores tho-qulcker at the sound of tho80 wr.u They 'are tho men who fought with Gen. Joseph Hooker, one time commander of the Army of tho Potomac the brilliant soldier In com memoratlon of whoso deeds an equestrian eques-trian statuo was unveiled on tho State House Park June 25. Col. Albert S. Austin Is the only surviving sur-viving member of den. Hooker's staff now living In Boston, and ho was one of the youngest officers on that staff. "I lived In tho same mess with htm I a year and a half," Bald Col. Austin, "and I had for him an admiration and 1 affection which few men I have, met have even been ablo to Inspire. "When I joined his staff as a first lieutenant I was young very young Indeed, and den. Hooker's attlttlilo I from tho first was that of a father a H Gen. Hookor In 1863. stern father at times, but always ono EH who had tho youngster's Interest In !B mind qulto as well as his own. BJ "I can bco him to-day as plainly as IB I saw him then a well proportioned Iff man over six feet tall, figure as IB straight as an arrow, calm and collect- BJ ed always, yet with an eye that would m occasionally reveal In a flash the met- BJ tlesome spirit within. BJ "Any ono who ever saw Qen. Hook- 0 cr on his whte charger can readily ap-H ap-H proclato tho fitness of giving him an IB equestrian statue. Ho sat his mount B like a centaur of old. I have soen B some good riders In my day, but never B one who looked more at home In tho B saddle than he. B "Everybody has heard of Qen. Hook- Kf cr's old whlto horse. It was the won- -k'lHir ler of n" tno trooP3 wny no ro(- mch 'Bte a conspicuous animal. Bj "Every tlmo the general went Into B action, lots of us trembled for his IB safety, becauso wo knew that the B robels were-perfectly awaro that ho Bj rode a whlto horse. Why he was nover H killed Is a mystery, for he never had BJ much regard for hi a personal safety IB during an engagement. B "It was I who sold him that famous B old nag. Tho animal made his en- H tranco Into tho army through tho B ' quartermaster of tho Second Now Bj Hampshire regiment. The quarter- master found It Impossible to mate tho BJ boast with nny horses on hand ana BJ was at a loss to know what to do H with him. wm "I happened to bo In need of a horse at that time and bought tho Iono B white beast, which at that time had Bfl never been saddle-broken. Ono day BJ the general saw me riding the animal. (Bj "I remember oncoof hearing him Ml tell about the trouble ho had to get. Mm his services accepted at the outbreak IH of tho civil war. Wlion hostilities began Bf ho was in California. Ho hurried to Bj Washington and called on tho PresI- BE dent, who received him kindly, but fljj put him off with an Indefinite answer. BS As near us I remember theso aro tho E words ho used In telling tho balance , fljf of tho story: MR " 'I went bncK to tho hotel and wait- Be ed. The days went by. Now troops BEL enmo Into tho ciy and went nwny, now ijTf mon camo and recelvod commissions "jmNr mnny of them mon who had novor aeon 1 Wm scrvlco, whllo 1, a West Point gradu-Bjw gradu-Bjw ato and a man of considerable active MB service, was kept on tho waiting list Hfc waiting for a chance to place my BK trained sorvlccs at my country's dls-EiK dls-EiK posal. B "'Finally I grew sick of waiting. B9f Battles wcro being fought and won SB or lost and I was sholvcd complcto- Wfm ly- I m ado up my mind to return to KM California.) slnco thero seemed to bo RM no show for mo In tho army, and bo- BE foro I went I would call on the Prcsl- BK dent. Kfr '"Mr. Lincoln received mo kindly, lfi as boforc, and seemed surprised that I BX was going back to California. "Don't Puffi bo Impatient, colonel," said ho. "We BB will find something for you later." BB " 'But I couldn't tnko much stock In BB that after being kept waiting so Q. long, and I mado up my mind to tell Hfe Mr. Lincoln a thing or two. BQt " 'I have boon over to tho Bull Run BB battloflold, Mr. Lincoln,' said I, 'and I BJB feel bound to toll you ono thing; I KB. know I am a damned sight better gen- BRJ eral than tho man you had on that D Hold. HBjj " 'A day or two later 1 got my com- BJE' mission as brigadier general.' r "General Hooker was a modest K, man In a senso, f.nd yet ho had a good jSE-dM- appreciation of his awn ability. WBt "Thero Is ono point I particularly fMfl ' want, to express myself on through QB, tho columns of tho Boston Journal, j&wffr Stories have circulated In effoct that fflW ' Qen. Hooker was a drinking man. Llks most other people he occasionally took a drink, but nover when going Into action. It has been said that ho was under tho influence of liquor at tho battl of Chancellorsvllle. That was a malicious falsehood. I knew two officers offic-ers on 'Qen. Hooker's prlvato staff during dur-ing that battle, Col. Candler and Major Lawrence. Both of those gentlemen aro now dead, but years ago they assured as-sured me that Opn. Hooker did not touch a drop of liquor tnnt day." Col. Charles C. Rivers, an Inspector In tho custom house, remembers Qen. Hooker well. Ho served under Hookor In tho Eleventh Massachusetts, First brigade, Second Division of tho Third Army corps. "Gen. Hooker," snld Col. Rivers, "was a man soft of speech and very neat In personal appearance. Ho was ono of those mon who always look well no matter what the circumstances under which they aro living. "Ho always woro a 'dlcklo' ono of thoso high standing collars so fash-tonablo fash-tonablo forty or fifty years ago. That collar was known as 'Hooker's barometer.' baro-meter.' Whenever wo saw tho 'old man' como out of his tent with one sldo of that collar loppeu over wo would begin to look for trouble " 'Tho old man's collar says fight' would bo tho messago sent down tho lino. And tho sign never failed. "I was not on tho general's staff and of course I camo In contact with him but seldom. I romembor ono occasion, distinctly, howover. It was when I was promoted to bo second lieutenant. I needed a sword fitting to my now dignity, and I went to Gen. Hooker to get permission to go to Washington to purchaso one. " 'So you want to buy a Bword?' said ho. 'Haven't wo plenty of swords In enmp?' " 'Yes, sir, but not the Itlnd I want,' I answered. " 'Come with me, young man, and we'll seo If wo can't find you a good sword.' "Wo went down whero tho stores woro kept nnd finally camo upon a wagon loaded with old sabres. They wore ancient weapons, most of them relics of tho Mexican war. I couldn't have wielded ono of them with both hands. " 'Help yoursolf, young man, said tho general, waving his hand toward tho wagon. " 'But, general,' I protested, 'I could not lift one of thoso things, let alono use It.' "Thero was a twinkle ln-tho general's gener-al's eye as he answered. 'Ah, well,' he said, 'It Is a raco ot puny men nowadays. nowa-days. Thoso were mere toys for tho Mexican veterans. Well, young man, you shall go to Washington and buy you a sword, a pretty one with a leather scabbard.' "Now his manner of saying this was so delicious that offense was Impossible. Impos-sible. Ho Knew I was young and wanted a bright, showy sword, nnd ho thought ho would glvo mo an object lessen In tho stylo of nrm used by tho troopers of the Mexican wnr. "Tho general was as kind hearted as a woman. I remember that during dur-ing tho second battle of Bull Run Hooker's old brlgado was sent against a fortified position that should not have been attacked by anything less than a wholo division. The brlgado sustained terrible slaughter tho loss was simply appalling. "Tho remnant straggled back and reformed. It was n heartrending sight enough to mako tho spectators weep. Indeed, tho men themsolvs could not restrain tholr tears. Such awful slaughter slaugh-ter such unnecessary decimation has seldom bcon tho oxperlenco of any troops. "As the mon stood In lino after tho engagement, down came Oon, Hooker. When tho boys caught sight of him a mighty shout went up. '"Jnclo Joel' they cried, 'Undo Joo!' "I havo nover heard another such cry. It was a mlxturo of pathos nnd pain nnd affection. It was tho cry of n sick boy to his fathor, tho wall of a Ind sob-choked with grief and despair. des-pair. "With tho rush of nn avalnncho, tho men broko ranks and swopt down on tho general. They crowded about him ermfa stars $ '"S"-,. rsfat Boyzw&. jxt - , . seeking to so much as touch bis boots with tho tips of their fingers, murmuring murmur-ing all tho tlmo, 'Oh, Uncle Joo, Undo Joo.' "Gon. Hooker was dcoply moved. Ho mado sovorai attempts to speak and choked. 'My poor boys,' ho nt last said, 'my poor boys, my heart bleeds for you. It wqs not I who sent you on that awful orrand.' "Right woll they know that without hie telling them. He wns too good a soldier and had too big a heart." Albert C. Stacy wns In Oen. Hook, or's brlgado when that general resigned resign-ed from tho army, a disappointed and heart-broken man, in 18C4. Boston Journal. |
