General+Joseph+Hooker

Back = Franklin County Main Page = Home Page General Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker was born in a small town in Massachusetts. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1837. Out of a class of 50, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After he graduated, he was fighting in both the Seminole War and the Mexican-American War. He was known to be a handsome general and quite the "ladies man". He resided in California after the Mexican-American War. During the Civil War, he was honored as a major general of the Union Army, at the Battle of Williamsburg. At Antietam, Hooker’s corps launched the first assault of the bloodiest day in American History driving south into the corps of Stonewall Jackson, where they fought each other to a standstill. Hooker, limping away with a wounded foot came away with a loss. The Battle of Fredricksburg was another Union debacle. Upon recovering from his foot wound, Hooker was briefly made commander of the fifth corps, but was then promoted to "Grand Division" command, with a command that consisted of both third and fifth corps. His Grand Division suffered serious losses in fourteen assaults ordered by Burnside. Lincoln, knowing that this was not Hooker’s fault, fired Burnside. The Battle of Chancellorsville was the battle that "ended" Hooker’s career. During this infamous battle, the Union was sure to win because of their advantage in numbers. Hooker was assigned by Lincoln to first protect Washington D.C. and then defeat Lee’s army. When the general got into a dispute with Army headquarters over the status of defensive forces in Harper’s Fairy, he impulsively offered his resignation in protest, which was quickly accepted by Lincoln. Due to heavy fighting the Union was only forced to retreat. Hooker soon came back to the Union army, and was once again a general for the army. Though Hooker was a great general, he did not conduct in the way that a general should. Hooker was known for his booze and babes. During most of his battles as a general, Hooker seemed to be focused on himself. He complained when others, such as his good friend William Sherman, had a contribution over his own. He was always blaming others in command for the losses he cost the Union. After the War, Hooker was a victim of poor health, and was partially paralyzed from a stroke. He soon retired from the U.S Army, and died with honors. Though he heavily despised it, General Joe Hooker was also mostly known as "Fighting Joe" Hooker. He achieved this nickname from his civilian clerical error, and the nickname stuck. 