HOOD, JOHN B. 



HOOKER, JOSEPH. 



475 



they ilrove the Union force out of Decatur and 

 1 tin- Tennessee at Florence, confronted 

 in -r;il Thomas, a foeman worthy of tin ir 

 steel. Thomas retired slowly toward Nash- 

 ville. On the 80th of November occurred the 

 battle of Franklin. Hood's army drove the 

 Union front to thoir second line of intrench- 

 ments and cap lured many prisoners and stands 

 of colors. Their dead ana wounded were left 

 in his haii. Is. The carnage on the Confederate 

 sick- was frightful, especially in officers. Gen- 

 eral Uleburne fell mortally wounded as his 

 horse was leaping the breastworks. The vet- 

 eran soldiers, though they fought as well as 

 ever, felt that their real enemy was far behind 

 them, and that their desperate valor was futile. 

 When reproached for the costly losses of this 

 campaign, Hood defended himself with this 

 reply : " I did my duty as commander of the 

 forlorn hope of the Confederacy. I was put 

 there to fight, and fight means kill and be 

 killed." 



Immediately after the battle of Franklin 

 Nashville was closely invested. On the 16th 

 of December the Union army, having received 

 reinforcements, attacked the Confederates 

 along their entire line. After a fierce fight 

 Hood's center suddenly gave way. His retreat 

 was covered by General Forrest, yet supplies, 

 ammunition, and ordnance that could ill be 

 spared had to be abandoned as he fell back. 

 After a weary march, during the severest win- 

 ter weather, the broken remnant of this once 

 splendid army recrossed the Tennessee. 



At his own request General Hood was re- 

 lieved of his command. At Tupelo, Mississippi, . 

 he parted from his soldiers. In his farewell 

 address, after paying tribute to the men who 

 had borne defeat and hardship without a 

 murmur, he took upon himself the whole re- 

 sponsibility of the campaign, saying, " I strove 

 hard to do my duty in its execution." At the 

 close of the war he carried with him into civil 

 life the esteem of his countrymen, friend and 

 foe. After a sojourn in Texas, the State to 

 which he was bound by so many associations, 

 he removed to Louisiana to enter into business 

 as a factor and commission merchant. He 

 was the agent of the Texans, who confided 

 their financial interests to him. He was also 

 appointed President of the Louisiana branch of 

 the Life Association of America. At one time 

 he had acquired a competent fortune, but subse- 

 quently, by some sudden fluctuation, he lost all. 

 These reverses he bore with equanimity. With 

 a due regard for his military reputation, he 

 employed his leisure hours in writing the story 

 of hi- campaigns, which he completed!. In- 

 tended as his vindication, it must prove valu- 

 able to the future historian of the war, ema- 

 nating as it does from a man of such marked 

 simplicity and truth. Much adverse criticism 

 has been bestowed upon the strategy which 

 resulted in failure. Whether fitted or not for 

 the greatness which was thrust upon him, no 

 one denies Hood's fighting qualities. 



General Hood had a fine physique and dig- 

 nified bearing. He was a devout member of 

 the Protestant Episcopal Church. lie was most 

 happy in his domestic relations. In 1868 be 

 married Miss Anna Marie Uennen, a native of 

 New Orleans. She died suddenly on the 22d 

 of August. This was the first blow of fate 

 which Hood could not summon fortitude to 

 sustain. Prostrated by grief, the fever found 

 in him an unresisting victim. The General 

 and his eldest daughter were laid in the same 

 tomb, which had reopened thrice within ten 

 days. Ten little orphans survived him. Death 

 being near, he was questioned in regard to his 

 dependent family. He expressed a willingness 

 to live for their protection, but repeated em- 

 phatically, " What God does is right." Then 

 he talked of his old brigade, and added, " The 

 Southern soldiers will never let my children 

 want." Thus trusting in God, and, under Him, 

 to hia stanch comrades, he died as he had lived, 

 without fear and without reproach. 



HOOKER, Major-General JOSKPH, born at 

 Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1815, died at Garden 

 City, Long Island, October 81, 1879. He grad- 

 uated from the Military Academy at West 

 Point in 1837, and served in the Mexican war, 

 rising to the rank of captain of artillery, and 

 the brevet of lieutenant-colonel in the staff. 

 From 1859 to 1861 he was a colonel in the 

 California militia. When the civil war broke 

 out in 1861, he was made brigadier-general of 

 volunteers and put in command of the defenses 

 of Washington, August 12, 1861 ; but his com- 

 mission was dated back to May 17, 1861. When 

 General McClellan moved to the Peninsula Gen- 

 eral Hooker's brigade was added to the com- 

 mand, and for gallant service at Williamsburg 

 he was promoted to be major-general of volun- 

 teers, May 6, 1862. During General Pope's 

 operations before Washington General Hooker 

 was very active, and at Antietam, September 

 17, 1862, was wounded, and was soon after 

 promoted to the rank of brigadier-general of 

 the regular army. At the disastrous repulse 

 of Burnside at Fredericksburg in December, 

 1862, lie commanded the center of the army. 

 In January, 1863, he was appointed to the 

 command of the Army of the Potomac, and 

 on May 2d-4th fought and lost the battle of 

 Chancellorsville. The Army of Northern Vir- 

 ginia, under command of General Lee, soon 

 after attempted to carry the war into Penn- 

 sylvania, but General Hooker followed closely. 

 He resigned his command on the 28th of June, 

 and General Meade, his successor, commanded 

 at the battle of Gettysburg, July 1-8, 1863. 

 General Hooker remained in Baltimore wait- 

 ing orders till September 24th, when he was 

 put in command of the 20th army corps (con- 

 solidated from the llth and 12th), and sent 

 to Chattanooga, Tennessee. He distinguished 

 himself at Lookout Valley, Lookout Mountain, 

 Missionary Ridge, and Ringgold, October 27 to 

 November 27, 1863 ; was actively engaged in 

 the march to Atlanta ; again relieved of com- 



