On happy to introduce our next speaker. John jay hennessy is an author serving as the chief historian and chief of interpretation at fredericksburg at the military park. He is the author of a great book, the first battle of manassas. As well as the definitive book on second manassas, returned to pull run. Lets welcome john hennessy. [applause] mr. Hennessy i have to start with this. This is not a gratuitous praising of my team that i have loved since i was 11 years old. The pittsburg penguins play hockey. You may remember they won the stanley cup. I offer this is context for some of what you have heard this week. Does anybody recall who was defeated in the final . [booing] mr. Hennessy do you remember . Do you remember . Nashville is in the state of tennessee. Who lives in the state of tennessee . Will green. [laughter] mr. Hennessy after the stanley cup finals, he called me or i called him. I cannot remember which. He told me how great it was. I told him, you know the penguins won. He said, were the predators a fun game to watch . Might they totally engage and fun to watch . It occurred to me as i was sitting listening to him talk about it that he has something for lovable losers. [laughter] mr. Hennessy unlike will, i am talking about Joseph Hooker. Unlike will, i will not assume the character or a sticks of my subjects. [laughter] mr. Hennessy he is exceedingly lovable, as you know. It is good to be here. I really did bring the hat for running. It proved to be a fortuitous moment. Joseph hooker, a man we love to hate. At the time during the american civil war, the hate was not as universal as it seems today. Our emotions about historical figures are shaped by the historians. Or more often, the work and the writings of the historical figure themselves after the deed is done. George mcclellan is a perfect example. Vastly moreey no about him and his personality than any of his shoulders ever did. Certainly, it is true for Joseph Hooker as well. He was a man of many accomplishments and occasional brilliance. He was not a man who could solely be judged based on his visible deeds and acts. Ulysses grant spoke about hooker as harshly or more so than anyone else he spoke of. He said he regarded him as a dangerous man. He was not subordinate to his superiors. He was ambitious about not caring for the rights of others. We tend to flinch in the presence of an ambitious person. We forget that ambition is the main thing for a thriving society. Hooker was in no means alone and being ambitious. He thought to distinguish himself from his peers in ways that would appeal to appeal to those of people of power above him. He knew his core beliefs would do him little or no good, he sought to blend with those around him. Most importantly for hooker as a subordinate, he adopted the persona of an aggressor. I think it is safe to say when you look at the history of the army at the potomac, there are few, if any, subordinate commanders who had a more unblemished, unbroken, spectacular record of aggression than Joseph Hooker. This in an army that was not an aggressive being. Grant said his disposition was when engaged and battle exercise a separate command. This is speaking of him as a subordinate. Gathering his standard all he could of his juniors. What he meant, all of their accomplishments. And taking credit. Grant was not a fan of Joseph Hooker. Many people, those that we admire the most survived by the virtue of their accomplishment. We have all known Joseph Hooker in our lives, just as we have known a george mcclellan. If we lucky, a u. S. Grant or a robert e lee. These are people who live among us today on their personality and method. Others, in addition to their own accomplishment, rise by virtue of their efforts to pair down those around them. Joseph hooker could muster little good to say about peers or superiors. If any figure of the war was successful in rising by diminishing of those around him, it was Joseph Hooker. That success and context seems remarkable to us today. In the army of the potomac, people talk about the changing war. I would suggest understanding the war requires an understanding that it changed dramatically from the beginning in 1861 until the end. The change affects military practice, we see that here. Also, military policy. The armies would become a dominant tool for implementing policy. It affected social institutions, the institution of slavery, and southern civilians. Those policies would become the major point of debate within the Union War Effort. In 1861, 1862, and 1863 with the armies themselves, because the army was such a important tool and because their early commander was so avid and his insistence and participating in the debates about what those policies should be. The politics of officers came to matter a great deal. Hooker realized this early on. Although he was a conservative democrat who generally opposed using the army as a tool for emancipation, for example. He did not seem to be quite as solicitous as southern civilians. He opted out of the public debate. To this day, many people who write about him do not have a clear idea of his politics. That was intentional on his part. He made himself disappear on those subjects that could do him the most harm and perhaps inhibit his advancement to the army. I want to read you a quote by hooker. After the war, he would embark on a pr campaign after the war until his death. Not much with newspapers, although he granted an uncommon number of newspaper interviews, but with samuel bates, who would write a history on the battles. He offered his opinion on everything. I want to give you a sense of hooker as he undertook this. Speaking of lee, he said he excelled with every man i knew in character. But as a soldier, i do not wish to speak of him. Elsewhere, he said rather negative things. His orders of evading the army are sublime. That is, his orders, hands off the civilians was precisely right as far as he was concerned. Then, he reveals himself as a thoughtful man. War has many evils, if burdens and terrors may be ameliorated. War has its morality. In no instance has our government a Higher Mission than to perform in her wars. What a contrast lees character presents to general sherman were to receipt for nothing and whose dispatch to the government were unworthy of a of a guerilla. [laughter] this speaks to his core belief of a conservative to war, his commitment to morality in war something that mcclellan , certainly shared. His readiness to examine the character of others, which he did constantly. His unwillingness for praise, or at least praised without a counterbalancing criticism. So, hooker engaged in damning almost anyone who impeded his progress toward success. I suspect if Joseph Hooker took his seat this weekend, i would put him by will green cheer him up a bit. [laughter] mr. Hennessy we would have enjoyed having him here. He was famous for being a fun guy. He was unabashed. He could be entertaining. Sometimes, injudicious. When in a format like this, could have a welcome injection of fun. Usually, always in an amusing sort of way. We, as historians and students, have come to know his way of thinking. His calculated machinations. If you had stayed with us for any amount of time and aspired for jerrys job, we would have learned the underbelly of Joseph Hooker. Before the civil war, his reputation in the army was shaped less by his perfectly capable service and mexico and a far more by his raucous behavior in california after the war. He was a west point graduate he , served well in mexico and enjoyed his time in the postwar period. He would not marry until 1865. He was a bachelor, not lifelong, but almost. In california, where he was posted until 1853, and then resigned from the army in 1853, he gained a reputation. He gambled and drank. He accumulated debts. In the mexican war, he was looked upon as a good soldier, but an unreliable man. In california, he was a common drunkard. Hooker had a certain reputation among his colleagues in the army. Somebody once described his time in the army as a beach bum. I think that is pretty accurate. [laughter] mr. Hennessy a Staff Sergeant later refered to him as a decayed california gambler. For Joseph Hooker, his time in california coincided precisely with that command of henry talent, who would be his immediate superior officer during his tenure as commander of the potomac. How it came to believe that his knowledge of hooker in california deeply affected the relationship the rest of their careers. He is aware that i know some things about his career and conduct in california. In fearing i may use that information against him, he seeks to ward off affects by making it seem i am his personal enemy. He would become a constant enemy and thorn in hookers side. We do not know if he is right but he thought his knowledge of hookers antics during his time in california shaped the relationship that the two of them had. As a civilian, he received contracts this is his house in sonoma, which i have not heard if it is still standing. It is preserved in sonoma. As a civilian after his resignation in 1853, he received a number of contracts to help build railroads in oregon. While he never left california, he certainly had a strong presence in oregon. It was there he developed a political base, including the eventual support of this man. He is there. This is not working. A named james, who would become a United States senator. This was a douglas democrat. There he is. All you do is rise. [laughter] mr. Hennessy it did not work that way when will was here. [laughter] he would be after statehood and he would become a senator and be one of hookers boosters on capitol hill. The papers that are out in the Oregon Historical society are full of letters from fighting Joseph Hooker. They offer the most cohesive look at his method of rising in the army. With the onset of war in 1861, Joseph Hooker had to borrow 700 to retire the debts that he still labored under in california and presumably oregon. So that he could travel east to assist in the Union War Effort. Not long after first manassas, he received a commission as a brigadier general. At that time the 32nd ranked general in the union army Joseph Hooker was largely beloved by then he was in charge of a division in which would become the third corps of the army of the potomac. He and bill carney commanded the two divisions, as they army in 1862. The peninsula hooker was kind and accessible to his peers and largely beloved by his men, who were proud of the energy that he brought to his endeavors. Now, his first trip into the limelight it happened without you standing that time. His first trip into the limelight came in the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 when his division led the advance of the union army towards williamsburg. Now, this is not going to be a tactical talk at all, but suffice to say it was the first evidence of one of his most important qualities on the battlefield. That was his aggression. His was the lead of the army at s it approached williamsburg. Rather than waiting for support, waiting to become part of a well organized advance, he decided he needed to forge ahead and make contact as rapidly as possible. He was bloodied, his division was, and he was driven back. To some degree he was rescued by carneys division. Carney quickly concluded and would never lose the opinion that he was reckless. Carney was probably the greatest Division Commander for the army of the potomac. He was extremely aggressive, but not careless. Hooker was aggressive to the point of carelessness, carney thought. Charles wainwright, who commanded the artillery on the peninsula, wrote this. I must say that he did not impress me at all favorably as a power of a general. His great idea was to go ahead until we run against the army and then fight them. Not to let the Second Quarter get into williamsburg first, seemed to be his main role of action p or co and action. Hand, so on the one hooker established a reputation for aggression. Within the circles of the army, there was a caveat that he was also reckless. After the battle, mcclellan praised not hooker but hancock. Who had delivered the final blow it williamsburg. And said he was superb. Superb became his nickname. While hooker received little to no notice. And that prompted hooker to embark on an Aggressive Campaign to inform those who mattered of what he had accomplished. And within two or three weeks after the battle williamsburg, he has written to at least six senators, asserting his decisive role in the battle and his success. And not just a boasting of himself, but also of course every time he spoke of one of his own accomplishments, he almost always spoke of someone elses failings. In writing to a new york congressman, he said of mcclellan i am amazed of his inhumanity. But he has none of the humanity of a great man. Another correspondent praising himself and criticizing mcclellan. Our commanding general does not know what leadership is or if he does he is indisposed to acknowledge it. I think mcclellan is the most trifling soldier yet. As you can see hookers internal , feelings were changing or intensifying. And he was not one of the loyalists mcclellan in the army. He continually tried for promotions. And as i mentioned, he wrote continually to senators and the white house. We have a letter from him written to senator nesmith of oregon. If this is typical of the others, we can assume not only did he promote his own accomplishments, but also denigrated others. Speaking of the commanders that surrounded him in the army of the potomac, he told nesmith i would rather cut down trees than serve in the army with these officers who exercise command. He would continue on. There were many threats like this from officers in the company. But he would continue on. Do you want to stand up again, see if we can get it to change . [laughter] goes, there he goes. [indiscernible] awed by the just whole thing, are we not . Antietam,tle of hooker had arisen to the command s of the armycorp of the atomic. There was tremendous turmoil and change in the way of manassas. He took what is known as the first corps onto the battlefield at antietam. A reporter saw him at antietam and wrote with his side whiskers, with the transparent blood, that revealed the like a blushing girl. He hardly looked like fancy had painted him and the cheeks are a constant part of his physic, mentioned by almost everyone who saw him. And it contributed to the perception that he was under the influence of alcohol on a regular basis, which i can find no evidence that that is true. At antietam, here again he exhibited aggression. On the night of the 16th of he was order to cross antietam september, creek and move towards what we now know as the northwood. He did so energetically. He did it so energetically that he entangled his men almost among the confederates. The point where when the sun rose the next morning, the lines were so close together that he had no choice but to simply go forth. He removed any flexibility from the equation by being overly aggressive that night. His bravery is unquestioned, wrote one of his officers who admired him. But he has not so far shown himself anything of a tactician. Of course, he would be wounded at antietam. Historiansre that have quite recognized how limiting his act of aggression was that night, putting his men so close to the confederate line. How limiting that was when the sun rose. Some of his fellow officers in the army certainly recognize d it. Meade would write, i should fear prudence and judgment that the only thing to be done is pitch in and fight. Those words when you and i are speaking figuratively at may 1. After the battle of antietam, he spent weeks in washington recovering. It was at this time with full access to power brokers, that he laid the foundation politically for his future rise to commander of the army of the potomac. He did not engage in any conversations or discussions about philosophy and policy. He confined himself to topics of military topics, as he saw them, and quite naturally the quality of his peers and commanders with whom he served. Once back in the field in november, he continued under burnside. On november 19, as the campaign was rumbling toward the river, had arrived at the river, he writes a letter not to burnside suggesting a different policy , but to edwin stanton. Suggesting a different policy. Denigrate burnside directly, other than to imply as anybody who suggests a different route does, that this was wrong. Ultimately he is unsuccessful in , altering the union plan. But of course, he would spend the next two months engineering not only his own rise, but burnsides fall. The enemy, he wrote at this time , seems to have counted on the mcclellan delay. Speaking derisively of mcclellan. They have never failed in their calculation predicting the implication that burnside would fail similarly again. So, those of you who manage organizations, you have conversations about the people you work with and manage. We all do. Sometimes, we speak uncharitable y of them. Perhaps. One of the things i think we have all learned early is that if you are in a position of authority, while you may have those conversations and they may be necessary to your organizations, have those kind of friend conversations, you do not have them with people below you. Because you discredit yourself as a leader as soon as that happens. , who served in the third court, he said he was an easy talker and was accustomed to conversation freely, even in the presence of inferiors, the conduct of his affairs. Superiors. One cannot reckon modesty among his virtues. Smith, who would become an enemy of poker, called him a man of dangerous character. He was certainly unprincipled and would begin to pull down the men above him. Now, one of the characteristics of hooker is most of the boasting we have about him, or that he engaged in, was forwardlooking boasting. Ambitious people, people of accomplishment, i think we expect them to find subtle ways , if not explicit ways to boast , about their accomplishments. So the most dangerous kind of boasting is prospective boasting. This is what i will do. And proclaim what your success will look like. s favorites hooker kind of boasting. When henry benton talked about him confronting robert e. Lee, he said he did not intend to defeat him, i intend to bag him entirely. And throughout his command of the army of the atomic, he would engage the potomac, he would engage in retrospective criticism of his peers and superiors with forward thinking boasting of his own intentions and accomplishments. His criticism, i mean i will just sprinkle some of these through because they are so wonderful, he wrote voluminously after the war, especially to the historian base, and unburdened himself unabashedly about the people that he served with. Most of the people who came under his fire where those he perceived had failed or crossed him. Maybe his favorite target was hubbard. He said, he was always a woman among troops. Petticoatsot born in , he ought to have been, and he should have worn them every day. On burnside, while we are going he burst into tears should have never been commissioned in the army and i would safely say that i consider him loyal, but simply an ass. I have no wish to dispute his claim in any way, but his brain is no larger than a hickory nut and not fit for command. What i love about that is not the hickory nut comment but that , he has no wish to disturb his repute in anyway. He often did this. [laughter] why did he do this . As all of us are students of human behavior, he believed there was gain in it for him and certainly there was. Mosts probably the successful intriguer in the United States military during the civil war. His efforts got him a command. That is that the way he would have explained what he did. He said later, again in a letter to samuel bates. He said, i was pronounced in my opinion for the sake of the cause and the country. There is no go feelings ill feelings towards the person or party implicated or in any way reflecting on their merit. Simply to have the attention of the authorities called into onto the subject so that mistakes may be remedied. I was too earnestly and the war to look at people privately or silently. He did all this utterly regardless of any influence it would have on myself. Phrases,jures if he one of which a few phrases, one of which begins with b and ends with s. [laughter] with defeat and failure on the battlefield, it doomed her burnside. And when burnside was relieved after january of 1863, hooker was appointed the command. One of his first tasks was to humiliate ambrose. Burnside had written and presented for the president , general orders number 8, which called for the dismissal of hooker and other several leading officers in the army. Or else burnside would resign. This issue of order had never hooker found it in the papers after he took command. As he described it later in the week or two following i have availed myself of saying in the sending this to the new york press. Which made the author more conspicuous than he ever had been before. Subsequently president lincoln , inquired about how the order got out. Him it was there my own agency and i considered it a great wrong to the author in withholding it to the public. [laughter] course knew of his ways and appointed him the command, despite his ways. And you are familiar with the famous letter, the fatherly letter that lincoln writes, in which he says i ask you for , military success. I will risk the dictatorship and all that. This is Something Else he wrote. I believe you to be a brave and skillful soldier. Which i like. He writes, i also believe you do not mix politics of your profession. In which you are right. Which was a welcome respite by the way after mcclellan, something that was important to lincoln for sure. You have confidence in yourself which is valuable. You are ambitious, which does good rather than harm. And so lincoln, who was in my view, if you ever want a primmer in how to manage difficult people, read lincolns papers. He ought to be topic number one in every business for america. He is magical in dealing with difficult people. Challenge that faced Joseph Hooker in january of 1863 was not one of successful an army rehabilitating that was without question in crisis. After the relief of mcclellan and burnside. After the defeat of fredericksburg. And i would argue, and i think the evidence suggests this, that hooker walked into a army that was probably as grumbly as any ever to serve under the postrevolutionary flag. For the first time soldiers felt , widely that their efforts had been wasted. One soldier wrote, i am alive in a war of ambition and a war with thousands upon thousands being killed or crippled for life. And for what . God only knows. Army insoldier in the the 20th massachusetts said that peace would be held with joy in almost any terms. And the army does not care. And while these were not universal opinions, they were certainly opinions widely held in the army. All of this despair and these doubts bracketed the issue on january 1, 1863 of the emancipation proclamation. And an executive order that was the focus of more attention than any executive order probably in American History, and more debate, and more controversy. And all of these things, the controversy itself, mind you most of the army was ambivalent or opposed to the emancipation proclamation, because they felt it would make their job harder southerners and causing them to fight harder. That aside, the tunnel that surrounded the army at the time. One man from new york said, the mind of the army is an intellectual marsh that switch witheps up and down perfect audacity. Another man said some of us have , forgotten the distinction between a Good Government and a sometimes corrupt agency. And in our personal indignation, we have lost sight for the moment of our principles. The sources of discontent within the army went way beyond the defeat on the battlefield. The war by 1863 was not only going badly in virginia, although it was going well elsewhere in the south, it was changing dramatically. All of the issues bubbling to the front. The breadth of their complaints that winter is almost astonishing. Many of them had not been paid in months. , theiry, the soldiers families at home are dependent upon those little pieces of income. It was the middle of winter, when the physical hardships are at the greatest. They were dissatisfied with leadership. Governor warren wrote, there seems to be an infatuation that raises men as a mock at a candle. Why cannot we have generalship that would put us at a equal footing of our enemy . There was the simple disruption that comes with constant change. Of the 19 Division Commanders that had been with the army only five were left. After hookers appointment to command. What was left seemed to inspire little confidence. There was a tremendous pining for the good old days of mcclellan. This will change rather rapidly this spring, but there was certainly a desire for stability once again and mcclellan certainly represented that. And there was a perception that had affected the army for months, that it had been meddled with by politicians in washington. Webb wrote that how people have there been done in washington have there ever been such idiots . I despise them more than the rebels. A remarkable statement coming from an officer of the United States army. I despise my government more intensely than i do the rebels. Of course, the emancipation proclamation caused almost tumult. But troops coming the question of black troops coming into the field was a subject of debate. Between the condition of the army and the instability of the time and the immense Union War Effort. Of how it should be done, and the simple fact of failure, all of these left the army in a dire position. Now perhaps the greatest threat to the army also would prove to foundation for recovery. We look at the winter of 1862, 1863 as a time of calm and quiet. On a physical level, it certainly was. But there was a tremendous transformation, a tremendous burgeoning within the army of the potomac. That winter, and that burgeoning came as a reaction not just from a new appointment, not just from Abraham Lincoln or the emancipation proclamation, but most importantly from the rise of the northern peace party. The copperheads. Just as robert e. Lee galvanized the union army after the second manassas, i would argue the most important factor and the ability of the army to confront the confederates at antietam creek, was robert e. Lee doing the one thing that would motivate them up off their backside and out into the field again by crossing into the north. Another external force rose up. And it caused the army to begin to see itself as a cohesive unit with a very specific goal. That was the rise of the copperheads. A number of elections were held in the spring of 1863. These were issues, that resonates peace parties especially in new jersey and connecticut, where they would win elections or threaten to win elections extensively. The copperheads became a force against which the army began to coalesce. These low bread cowardly traitors and scoundrels are offering to take the musket and help us. They tread like midnight assassins to stab us in the back. It is manning and curses grew up from thousands of men every day. If they do not keep on i wonder if our own arms will take these cowardly skunks. That are a disgrace to our country. So these copperheads, many of but advocated for peace, almost all of them advocated for a prosecution of the war that most high commanders would have agreed with one year before. Slavery out of it. Southerners will be our countrymen again. Treat them gently. Bring them back. A policy of conciliation. But there was a difference. And the difference was the copperheads wanted peace. The copperheads opposed the success of the army. And the army in the field could not accept that as a valid view. The army and the field rallied against this force. Hooker had nothing to do with it, except this. As the debate you involved, and evolved and opposition to the government policy, emancipation proclamation, the treatment of civilians, the method of prosecuting the war. Opposition to the government policy came to be seen as opposition to the war. That was not the case when mcclellan was in command. When the army engaged freely and the debate over the policy that guided the war. Hooker, who had obscured his political inclinations, had declined to engage in the debate over the war. His silence on the issue and the momentum that these issues had in the public press, freed the army to express itself and coalesce around an identity and a determination that its effort , the armys effort, would not be wasted. Would be justified by prosecuting the war till its end. Even when many members of the army disagreed with the specific policy, they came to see opposition to that policy by the populace in the north as opposition to the war. That would not have happened probably under mcclellan. But because hooker detached aspect of thehat evolving war effort the Union Soldiers in the army , became a Political Force with a identity of their own. I would argue that when you see 80 of soldiers voting for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, the foundation for that change was not founded in the campaign for president in the months leading up to the election. The foundation for that devotion to the president and his continued support for the war was born in the winter of 1862 and 1863. March, april of 1863. Under hookers watch. He made no effort to inhibit it. Benefited fromly it tremendously, as did the Union War Effort. How did the army receive hooker . Somewhat moderately. His ascension to command came with his appointment as chief of staff daniel butterfield. , butterfield was widely disrespected by professional soldiers in the army. He was the fastest rising civilian soldier in the army of the potomac. He has been commanding malicious regiment in no military 1861, experience whatsoever. It would from regimental command command within one year. And there was a wide perception that this does not happen. The other men who seem to be in his special affections was anotherickle, nonprofessional soldier who had been rising rapidly. And who had commanded under hooker. Generally the army itself neither cheered or complained. Everybody seems indifferent to the matter. That is a characteristic of the army that will continue until the end of the war. The army never again intended to identify with individual commanders, not even grant. Unlike the army of northern holy with robert e lee. The army of the potomac identified with itself. Wroteg from new york after hookers appointment when a man is hauling a heavy load up a hill, he is no time to stop and swat jack esses. [laughter] so there was hope, cautious, but there was questions of the army itself into pokers credit, he gave most attention to those things he could affect. He instituted another of number of reforms which are famous to most of you. He attended the physical condition of his troops. Jonathan letterman, one of the most instituted a series of physical improvements in the camp that seem so fundamental to us today, but fundamentally changed how the army functioned. During times in camp, which in 1863, a typical soldier might be under fire for maybe eight hours and all year. How an army functioned in camp was important. One of the very few people that hooker singled out to praise, one was John Reynolds and the other was jonathan lennon. Letterman. He says he deserves the credit for the improvements that hooker implemented. Things that basic you income to see and the drop in rates of diarrhea and dysentery were dramatic. Desertionnce of dropped dramatically. The food improved, bakery sprouted up across the number of counties were the union camp was. Potatoes, french bread fresh bread. One irishman wrote on i like joe better than i did two months before and i think every irishman is of the same opinion. We get more potatoes in a week than we did in a month. He issued furlougs, a practice that made lincoln very nervous. Soldiers would never come back. He issued whiskey. Which surprised nobody who knew hookers reputation as a drinker. One soldier said he and his staff devote a great time to inspecting the corks. [laughter] mr. Hennessy his most famous innovation or reform was probably the least important. It is the most collectible today. It is the institution of core badges. Each corps having a distinct symbol. He did that largely for negative reasons. That was so the stragglers could be identified as to where they had come from, then be sent back to their command instantly. In fact, soldiers became very proud of these badges. Collectors today love them. It was in fact instituted largely for negative reasons. He instituted a series of reviews and allowed an army to see itself as a powerful tool was a powerful tool with commanders. We hear about these reviews and think about them as being show. Lincoln came down in april of 1863 for a review of the entire army over the course of several days. The greatest value of the reviews was in the army seeing itself, reinforcing the idea identity that it had. One soldier said after seeing this opportunity of not seeing seeing our army as i had this last week. I cannot help but conclude that the army of the potomac is a collection of as fine troops as there are in the world. I believe a day will come when it will be a proud for us to serve in the army. That was a quote in a letter written directly after one of these reviews. Another soldier said there was growing confidence in general hooker. The winter of discontent is passing. The mind is strikingly exhibited in the hopeful spirit within the main now characterizes the army. It was written in april. Hooker had a number of advantages. Ofs is the longest period quiet the army had experienced in a year. That was important for sure. He also has some advantages. The high command of the army had been purged, if you will. It is very interesting and ironic that the greatest advantages Joseph Hooker had was that he did not have himself within the army. [laughter] mr. Hennessy he did not enter the political fray or the political tunnel that characterize mcclellans command. Also, the army and the country were becoming, despite the rise of the copperheads and the deep divide it became ever more accustomed to and accepting of the more radical measures of the war. One of the most interesting things that i found was in january 1863, after the emancipation proclamation it is hard to find a letter written from the army of the potomac that does not mention the emancipation proclamation. Go one year later, january of 1864, it is hard to find a letter that mentions emancipation as an issue anywhere. Just like any other social change in america where there is tremendous debate upon its anticipation. A tremendous uproar of implementation and then a slow, quiet, eventual acceptance. We have seen that in our own life. We have seen the pattern of exactly that in the last several years with social issues in our own society. Confidence in the government and respect for it is reestablished as the soldiers seem involved in the controversy. Now, that is an important point. These soldiers became intensely engaged in the political context of the war. I believe that the army of 18611865 probably i would argue with the most politically aware armies that we ever sent out into the field. They knew why they were there. They knew what was at stake. They knew how the war was changing. With all this, hooker still had to fight a battle. He still had to win a campaign. That after all, that is what he was there for. All of this was prelude to that. Of course, we are not going to get into a tremendous discussion of the campaign. You can read about that in summary pieces. Hooker successfully engaged in a turning movement against lee. Onting himself on his flank april 30, 1863, even George Gordon mede saw the moment. On the next day, the army was going to march. Jerry . [laughter] [applause] mr. Hennessy thank you. You can put that on your resume. This triumphant moment. What did he do . He boasted of the moment. He boasted not retrospectively, but prospectively. Ee must ingloriously fly. He issued an address to his army. It caused some unease in the army. The mixture of unease and joy as it seems the success they had sought was upon them. At least i hope. The army then began to move on may 1 leaving chancellorsville. Leading from chancellorsville. Lets see if we can get this. I have been trying three times you are just thinking it that time. [laughter] i am tired of standing up. Mr. Hennessy the army moves out from chancellorsville on the roads and encounters the confederates. Then, he stops. He pulls back. There is this tight solid line around the intersection. You can see that there. I do not want to get into a critique of that, other than to suggest a couple of things. Whether or not this was the right thing to do, one argues it was his plan all along. I dont see the evidence of that myself. The primary thing i would site of the astonished surprise virtually all of hookers subordinates. But slocum, chain, war and who was his topographical engineer who helped plan the campaign. It has been suggested this was the plan all along, it was a planet that hooker had kept to himself. Postingsined with the of what he would do to robert e. Him not defeat him, but bag , that he must ingloriously fly, the decision to pull back and take of a position around chancellorsville regardless of managert reflected a who was not managing his people well. And surprise your people like that and expect them to embrace what you are doing when it seems to them to be exactly opposite of what you had said that you were going to do. Of this moment, we went forward filled with high hope and courage and aside great victory would be ours. My mind expanded to the greatness of the event. Onward strike, we hesitated, we wavered. That force which is turned us back seems to me to be made for us to crush. I know we could have done it. How few are the minds that comprehend things as they are, not as they seem. Men of mind way the responsibility before they engage and the hour of trial they are equal to the occasion. They who are pulled away from danger tower before the reality. I feel today the drooping spirit. This was a man who was in hookers inner circle. It is just an interesting observation that he implies and mede more explicit we articulate later in saying nothing inspires conservatism like responsibility. Nothing modifies the implication or rather the desire to boast respectively. The responsibility of actually making it. Over time we all learn not to do that. Hookernot something learned as well. He would be defeated in chancellorsville by a force that was about half the size. He would declared a great success, he would lay the blame for the on others, which was his want. Blamenxiously he laid the on the union 11th corps. Oliver, the pious hooker came to despise above all others. Much of the rest of his life taking every opportunity he could to diminish howard insignificant ways. I will point this out, the ultimate impact of chancellorsville on the Union War Effort, you would think after fredericksburg that a crushing defeat against a force half your size wouldve caused the Union War Effort in the army of the potomac to just say holy cow. Lincoln thought so what will the country say. What will the country say, he says. What did the country say . Not much. This perfect confederate victory moved the needle hardly at all. Really in many ways it demonstrates chancellorsville chancellorsville does while it has an internal importance in virginia and open the way for the lees invasion of the north, it demonstrated this war become so big and complicated that a single defeat or victory anywhere in this war can only move the needle so much. No one was more frustrated by that fact than robert e. Lee. Who saw the perfect battles virtue bearing minimal fruit at chancellorsville. Others,ould blame sedgwick, george stoneman, he would do it in ugly forms as he got older. Hooker would continue in command after the battle chancellorsville. He would ultimately be removed from it at his own request at his own offer a couple days before the battle of gettysburg. Over a rather piddly dispute over the disposition of some troops at Harpers Ferry during the march two gettysburg. It was Joseph Hooker postures and that he was not the commander at the battle of gettysburg. He offered his resignation and lincoln said ok. See you later. He resigned and was asked to be relieved. He was he relieved from command of the army of the potomac. Army under this appointment. Road with him after chancellorsville but despite all his friends by failing to shows fighting qualities in a pinch and that is the way its come down. That failure is exacerbated and highlighted by the verbiage. It is an abject lesson in the virtues of modesty and the perils of boastfulness for sure. Now the army continued on and one of the things that interest me very much, kind of a focus of motive most of the work i do is the army of the potomac. It was able to continue. After chancellorsville, there is a diminishment in morale for interesting his efforts to localize failure at chancellorsville with the 11th corps, which was a partially madet group a potent up by great many german Eastern European soldiers. Ultimately when organization , an organization survives in part by finding internal localized reasons for that rather than accepting the failure of commentary on the whole. That works very well for the potomac after the battle of chancellorsville. Every the soldiers of the most every other court were similar to dismiss what happened because was the 11th. Hooker that pleased he could pin this on a man he despised with at the same time. Sa as it see the army did after fredericksburgg. Instead you see it pick itself up in a way clearly Abraham Lincoln never expected. And to march onto gettysburg and win by far its most important battle of the war. I would argue that while gettysburg, we like the story books tell us it was the turning point of the war, the most important battle the war, we can all argue whether or not that was true. The army of the potomac, theres no question that it was. For the army of the potomac, maybe not the nation, but the army of the potomac, gettysburg was a turning point. Where the identity it had generated of itself and its commitment to its own success found expression finally in victory. This army is a truly wonderful army, one officer on the of gettysburg, they have something of the english bulldog in them, you can whip them time and again, but the next time to go into they go in good spirits again. Everyone was others to the army of the potomac would only be so and so than evidently go all right. They say at the same time there isnt a department in the service that has done as much hard work marching or fought as many battles as we have. It is true, we have not been victorious, but the fault is not in the troops, for never have men known to fight as this army has fought even though we knew we were out general and defeated. Any man will fight when push with victory. Only this army will face the enemy. Overdentity of that army the course of two years came into focus during hookers command. That perhaps is Joseph Hookers grace like is a. Greatest contributions. There is no arguing, no fromishing that period january 1863 until may 1, 1863 as one of the most important in the history of the army of the potomac. I would argue its a. During which the army found his identity, to some degree of structure, that would carry it through much greater struggles. Gettysburg hooker would be reassigned to commend the 20th core and of the western. His tenure in command ended when he was slightly once again when otis howard after mcpherson was killed received command of that army. Hooker said im done. And offered to be relieved from thenosition, he was and would hold lesser command throughout the war and commence the campaign of terrorism in the western theater as well against his superiors. He resented sheridan for getting command in virginia as he did. William tecumseh sherman. Poker wrote it would give me the greatest satisfaction of a broken my favor of ahead of sherman. This is written to a United States senator by the way. Sherman is crazy, he is no more judgment than a child and yet it is with such men that the high places of the army are being filled. Same letter tohe ofnt, this is in december 1864, grant is determined to have no officer of ability near him and rank. Unless the senate should then approach, are armies will be more deeply commanded as the army progresses. What he wanted them to pose in favor of was him being restored to command. Stay in not be, he was service until 1868 suffering a stroke and another one in 1867. He did get married, his wife lived three years and died in 1868. After the war, he would go on something of a interview tour giving interviews to pretty much everyone who asked for one. Rhythmically throughout the years between 1870 and 1879, the that appear, those northern newspapers. Sorts and emits about the events he narrated, they are certainly windows into the psyche of Joseph Hooker. I would just close with this. No organization can prosper well with a person, a man like Joseph Hooker within it. Seek too not only advance themselves, but to do so by ripping others down. Those of you who had people like that, those of you who know who have know how difficult it is to manage a situation like that. As hooker demonstrated, every once in a while, a person with those characteristics who rises into a position that they aspire , where theyted now dont necessarily have to answer to anybody else can succeed when for a few short months in the spring and late winter of 1863, george Joseph Hooker stopped his denigrating of others and focused on the improvement of the army under his command without having to worry to achieve that. That is his greatest legacy. I will take any questions you have. [applause] thank you. Time for a couple of questions. Anybody . You are welcome to defend yourself if you wish. [laughter] i just wondered if it is true i would just point out while i asserted the similarities between will and ambrose burnside, i take a similarity between will and Joseph Hooker. [laughter] fighting joe hooker coming here a lot. Was he named that by someone for a specific thing . It was kind of a misconstrue and seven newspaper report that. Ooker is still fighting there was no comma there. It was a name that hooker himself said he did not like, although he often occasionally refer to himself by that name. He said it made him sound like a wagon master or a hay dealer. Inwas a transcription error the newspaper that ultimately led to it. Lee occasionally refer to hooker as mr. Fj hooker which was not meant to be flattery. Hookers are not named after Joseph Hooker. Thank you very much. [laughter] [applause] you are watching American History tv. 48 hours of programming on American History every weekend on cspan3. Follow us on twitter at cspan history for information on a schedule and to keep up with the latest history news. The cspan bus tour continues 50 capitals tour in general. In raleigh, columbia, atlanta and montgomery. They will speak with state officials during our live washington journal program. A. M. W the tour at 9 30 eastern for a stop in raleigh, North Carolina when i washington journal guest is North Carolina attorney general josh stein. This past year marks the centennial of the u. S. Entry into world war i. This monday on American History tv, we will show highlights of coverage of the National World war i museum and memorial in kansas city, missouri. Here is a preview. On the president and ceo of the National World war i museum and memorial. Is suchorial and museum a striking image on the kansas city skyline. What a great story that goes with it. November 1918 armistice, a group of Business Leaders gathered and said lets ofething to honor the kansas city and create attribute of peace. What easy buying these the outcome of that. They Fund Raising Campaign lasted only two weeks that raise more than 2. 5 million. The global and now is about 40 million. The people gathered on this site in 1921, about 100,000 people in the city and about 250,000. In a city of about 250,000. The of it with president coolidge and the Community Gathering here. Its about 150,000 people said be the largest crowd that a president of the United States wouldve spoken to up until that point. I think the outpouring of honor for those who had served in world war i across the nation. Aso a yearning for peace in different sort and a different sort of future than the most recent past. Watch highlights from National World war i museum and memorial on monday at 8 p. M. Eastern. Youre watching American History tv only on cspan3. American history tv, we look back 40 years to 1988 when president Ronald Reagan and soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev gave new years day messages. The two leaders inside the inf treaty to eliminate intermediate nuclear missiles. Present reagan addressed the soviet people from the white house and general secretary gorbachev address the American People from the kremlin. This is about 10 minutes. Good evening. This is Ronald Reagan, president of the United States. Im speaking to you, the peoples of the soviet union on the occasion of the new year. I know that in the soviet union as it is all around the world, this is a season of hope and expectation. A time for family to gather together, a time for prayer and a time to think about peace. That is true in america too. Americans traveled across the country in their cars, by train or by airplane to be together with their families. Came to thens United States mother