26 January 1863 A.D. GEN
Joseph Hooker Takes Command of Army of the Potomac
Editors. “1863—General Joseph Hooker assumes command of
the Army of the Potomac.”This Day in U.S.
Military History. N.d. https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/january-26/.
Accessed 26 Jan 2015.
1863 – General Joseph Hooker assumes command of the Army of the Potomac
following Ambrose Burnside’s disastrous tenure. Hooker was a West Point
graduate and a veteran of the Seminole War and the Mexican War, and he had
served in the American West in the 1850s. When the Civil War erupted, Hooker
was named brigadier general in the Army of the Potomac. He quickly rose to
division commander, and he distinguished himself during the Peninsular Campaign
of 1862. He also continued to build his reputation as a hard drinker and
womanizer. He earned the nickname “Fighting Joe,” and received command of the First
Corps in time for the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862. His corps
played a major role in the Battle of Antietam in September, and when Burnside
failed as commander, Hooker had his chance. The general first had to deal with
the sagging morale of the army. He reorganized his command and instituted a
badge system, where each division had their own unique insignia. This helped to
build unit pride and identity, and Hooker led a reenergized army into Virginia
in April 1862. Hooker’s appointment was part of Lincoln’s frustrating process
of finding a winning general in the east. After Irwin McDowell, George
McClellan, John Pope, McClellan again, and then Burnside, Lincoln hoped Hooker
could defeat Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It was a tall order, though,
and Hooker was not up to the challenge. In May 1863, Hooker clashed with Lee at
the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Union army suffered a decisive and
stunning defeat. Lincoln’s search for an effective commander continued, and he
eventually replaced Hooker with George Meade.
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