his superior officers, and for having by
the general tone of his conversation endeavored to create distrust
in the minds of officers who have associated with him, and for
having habitually spoken in disparaging terms of other officers."
The order declared that General Hooker was dismissed "as a man
unfit to hold an important commission during a crisis like the
present when so much patience, charity, confidence, consideration,
and patriotism is due from every person in the field." The same
order dismissed Brigadier-General John Newton and Brigadier-General
John Cochrane for going to the President with criticisms on the
plans of the commanding officer, and relieved Major-General William
B. Franklin, Major-General W. F. Smith, Brigadier-General Sturgis
and several others from further service in the Army of the Potomac.

The outcome of this extraordinary proceeding was very singular.
General Burnside took the order, before its publication, to the
President who instead of approving it, very good-naturedly found
a command for the General in the West, and on the very day that
the Senate passed the resolution of inquiry, two orders were read
at the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac,--one from General
Burnside announcing that Major-General Joseph E. Hooker was assigned
to the command of the Army of the Potomac and asking the army to
"give to the brave and skillful General, who is now to command you,
your full and cordial support and co-operation;" the other from
General Hooker assuming command of the Army of the Potomac by
direction of the President and conveying to the late commander,
General Burnside, "the most cordial good wishes of the whole army."

In the South-West where General Grant, General Sherman, and General
Rosecrans were stubbornly contesting the ground, no decisive results
were attained. The army went into winter quarters, with a general
feeling of discouragement pervading the country. A substantial
advantage was gained by General Buell's army in driving Bragg out
of Kentucky, and a very signal and helpful encouragement came to
the Government from the fact that the public manifestations in
Kentucky were decisively adverse to the Confederates, and that
Lee's army in Maryland met no welcome from any portion of the
population. General McClellan's army was cheered everywhere in
Maryland as it marched to the field of Antietam; and as Bragg
retreated through the mountain sections of Kentucky his stragglers