Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
Born: November 13, 1814
Hadley, Massachusetts
Died: October 31, 1879
Garden City, New Jersey
1837: West Point Graduate
1837: 2nd Lieutenant
July 7, 1846: Brevet Captain
August 12, 1847: Brevet Major
September 13,1847: Brevet Lieutenant Colonel
1853: Resigned Commission
1859: Colonel
August 1861: Brigadier General
July 26, 1862: Major General
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker
HistoryNet - "Fighting Joe" Hooker Literally Cleaned up the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.
1837: West Point Graduate - 29th out of 50
1837: Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 1st U.S. Artillery
Served in 2nd Seminole War
Mexican/American War
September 21-23, 1846: Battle of Monterrey - Received Brevet promotion to Captain
August 12, 1847: Battle of National Bridge - Brevet promotion to Major
September 13, 1847: Battle of Chapultepec - Brevet promotion to Lieutenant Colonel
1853: Resigned his commission
1858: Wrote letter to Secretary of War John Floyd to be presented to President Buchanan for Lieutenant Colonelcy, but nothing came of his request
1859-1861: Held commission of Colonel in California militia
1861: At the start of the Civil War, Hooker again applied for a commission, but his application was rejected, probably due to hard feelings between him and Gen. Winfield Scott.
Borrowed money to make the trip east from California and after witnessing the defeat at Bull Run, wrote a letter to President Lincoln that complained of military mismanagement and promoted his own qualifications. He again requested a commission.
August 1861: Appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers with rank effective May 17
Commanded a brigade, then a division around Washington D.C. as part of the effort to organize and train the new Army of the Potomac
March-July 1862: Peninsula Campaign
May 5, 1862: Battle of Williamsburg
May 31-June 1, 1862: Battle of Seven Pines
July 26, 1862: Promoted to Major General effective May 5
August 29-30, 1862: III Corps was sent to reinforce Pope's Army of Virginia
After 2nd Bull Run, Hooker replaced McDowell as commander of the Army of Virginia's III Corps, which was soon redesignated as the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac
September 1862: Maryland Campaign
September 14, 1862: Battle of South Mountain
September 17, 1862: Battle of Antietam - Wounded in the foot
Unaware of Hooker's criticism of Gen. McClellan, McClellan recommended Hooker for a commission of Brigadier General in the Regular Army effective September 20. This ensured he would remain a general after the war.
December 13, 1862: Battle of Fredericksburg
After recovering from his foot wound, was briefly commander of the V Corps. But then was promoted to "Grand Division" command of the III and V Corps
Ridiculed Gen. Burnside's plan to assault the heights of Fredericksburg. His "Grand Division" especially the V Corps suffered extreme losses in fourteen futile assaults ordered by Gen. Burnside.
Hooker's criticism of Gen. Burnside bordered on formal insubordination, describing Gen. Burnside as a "wretch . . . blundering sacrifice." Burnside moved to have Hooker removed, but it was Burnside who was replaced.
January 26, 1863: Received command of the Army of the Potomac
May 1-4, 1863: Battle of Chancellorsville
When Gen. Lee marched North towards Pennsylvania, Hooker wanted to seize Richmond, but President Lincoln vetoed the idea
Hooker got into an argument with Army headquarters over the defenses of Harper's Ferry. He impulsively offered his resignation in protest which was accepted.
Transferred to the Western Theater with the XI and XII Corps of the Army of the Potomac to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland
November 24, 1863: Battle of Lookout Mountain
November 25, 1863: Battle of Chattanooga
Led the XX Corps for a brief time during the Atlanta Campaign
October 1, 1864- March 1865: Commander of Northern Department headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio
May 4, 1865: Led President Lincoln's funeral procession in Springfield, Illinois
Commander of the Department of the East
Commander of the Department of the Lakes
September 1, 1866: Mustered out of Volunteer Service
October 15, 1868: Retired from Regular Army as Major General
Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Years. New York: David McKay, 1967. p 409-410
Joseph Hooker. 13 June 2020. web. 20 July 2020.
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 233-235