t cannot long repose confidence in the general. So, while
the Army of the Potomac regarded General Burnside with great respect, it
gladly welcomed the advent of "Fighting Joe Hooker" to the command.

General Hooker had fairly won the title of "Fighting Joe" at the
slaughter of Williamsburgh, where, almost single-handed with his
division, he had stemmed the tide of battle for hours, until reinforced
by Kearney, and then, with the help of that hero, had held the whole
rebel army until it was outflanked by our Second division.

In all the battles of the Peninsula he had been conspicuous, and at
South Mountain and Antietam his fighting propensities were exhibited in
more than their wonted splendor. In person he was of large stature, with
fine features, brilliant eye, his side whiskers and ruddy countenance
giving a more youthful appearance than his light gray hair would
indicate. His gleaming eye told of the spirit which animated the man,
and his determined air betokened the persistent and fearless soldier. In
battle or on review he rode a magnificent milk white steed, a powerful
animal and of extraordinary fleetness. Mounted on this superb war horse,
he was the most conspicuous, as he was always one of the handsomest men
in the army.

The energy of the new commander soon began to be manifested in the
reconstruction and reorganization of the whole army. The first step in
the progress of reconstruction, was the revocation of the order making
three grand divisions of the army. By the abolition of the grand
divisions, Generals Sumner and Franklin were relieved from their
commands; and the corps commanders, no longer subject to intermediate
commanders, were again directly responsible to the general-in-chief of
the army. Doubtless General Hooker had seen that the creation of these
grand divisions had much to do with the failures of General Burnside.

The cavalry next engaged the attention of the general. The whole force
was thoroughly reorganized and put in an efficient condition, under
command of Major-General Stoneman. Hereafter, men were not to ask, "Who
ever saw a dead cavalryman?" To General Hooker, the cavalry of the Army
of the Potomac owes its efficiency and the glorious record it from that
time made for itself.

The superiority of the rebel cavalry, in the early part of the war, was
generally attributed to the supposed fact that the young men of the
south were so much better horsemen than those of the north. In real