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he shows more aptitude than in the last affair, he will be very apt to be defeated again.
Lee committed a terrible blunder in allowing us to come back; he might have destroyed us by a vigorous attack while we were retreating.
The review of my corps passed off very well yesterday, and Lord Abinger expressed himself greatly pleased.
After the review I had a collation at my quarters, which seemed to be equally pleasing to his lordship.
He said that if he had time to stop in Philadelphia, he would hunt you up.
Turnbull, who was at the review, showed me a few lines he had received from Proctor Smith, by a flag of truce that went after the wounded.
Smith is Chief Engineer on Lee's staff.
He begs to be remembered to you and me. Beckham is major of artillery and commands a battery with Stuart's cavalry.
Smith is colonel.
camp near Falmouth, Va., May 23, 1863.
The story of Hooker losing his head, and my saving the army, is a canard, founded on some plausible basis.
When Hooker was obliged to give up Chancellorsville and draw in his lines, I fortunately had anticipated this, and was prepared with my troops to take up the new line in a very short time, and to receive within it the broken columns from the old line.
About this time Hooker, who had just been stunned by being struck with a pillar of a house, hit by a shot, felt himself fainting and had to dismount from his horse and lie on his back for ten or fifteen minutes. During this time he was constantly calling for me, and this operation above referred to was executed by me. Outsiders, particularly his staff, not knowing my previous preparations and expectation of having to do this, and seeing it so well and quickly done, were astonished, and gave me more credit than I was entitled to, and hence arose the story that I saved the army.
Hooker never lost his head, nor did he ever allow himself to be influenced by me or my advice. The objection I have to Hooker is that he did not and would not listen to those around him; that he acted deliberately on his own judgment, and in doing so, committed, as I think, fatal errors.
If he had lost his head, and I had been placed in command, you may rest assured a very different result would have been arrived at, whether better or worse for us cannot be told now; but it certainly would have been more decisive one way or the other.
Secretary Chase was in camp day before yesterday at headquarters.
He neither honored me with a visit, nor did he invite me to visit 