One of the most wonderful things ever done by Lincoln was the promotion
of General Hooker. After the battle of Fredericksburg, General Burnside
found great fault with Hooker, and wished to have him removed from the
Army of the Potomac. Lincoln disapproved of Burnside's order, and gave
Hooker the command. He then wrote Hooker this memorable letter:
"I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course I
have done this upon what appears to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet
I think it best for you to know that there are some things in regard to
which I am not quite satisfied with you. I believe you to be a brave and
skillful soldier--which, of course, I like. I also believe you do not
mix politics with your profession--in which you are right. You have
confidence--which is a valuable, if not an indispensable, quality. You
are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than
harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of the army
you have taken counsel of your ambition to thwart him as much as you
could--in which you did a great wrong to the country and to a most
meritorious and honorable brother officer. I have heard, in such a way
as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the
Government needed a dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in
spite of it, that I have given you command. Only those generals who
gain successes can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military
successes, and I will risk the dictatorship. The Government will support
you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more nor less than
it has done and will do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit
which you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticising their
commander and withholding confidence in him, will now turn upon you.
I shall assist you, so far as I can, to put it down. Neither you, nor
Napoleon, if he were alive, can get any good out of an army while such
a spirit prevails in it. And now beware of rashness. Beware of
rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us
victories."
This letter has, in my judgment, no parallel. The mistaken magnanimity
is almost equal to the prophecy:
"I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the
army, of criticising their command and withholding confidence in him,
will now turn upon you."
Chancellorsville was the fulfillment.