A friend who saw the paragraph in this paper touching this Federal General, sends us the following note about his cedents. As the writer is familiar with them, he speaks by the card.
This General, who made so plain a bid for the command of the Army of the Potomac by the air of consequence with which he declared he never approved of the manner of
Burnside's advance, appears to be no great things after all. He seems to have quite a nick at self-inflation; for, shortly after the
battle at Fredericksburg he indulged in come sentiment about the horrors of war, and affected to eight for plains and his "cattle" in
California.--We are assured he has neither a "top" nor a "tall," (in glazier parlance,) nor a thimbleful of earth, or blade of grass to call his own. But let our correspondent tell history:
Editors of the Dispatch: In your issue of yesterday (Friday) you to the new star just appearing above the military horizon of King Abraham's dominions, and asked, in purport, upon what food that hero fed to make him "fighting
Jon Hocker!" Being-familiar with his antecedent during the past ten years, it may be interesting to some of your readers to be briefly told them-- "
Jon" Hocker resigned commission in the regular U. S. Army eight or ten years ago, and, imagining he had at last discovered his vocation, under took the cultivation of
potatoes in the beautiful Valley of
California.
He failed in this, and applied himself most industriously to borrowing money of all who would lend it to him, and drinking whiskey whenever and wherever he could obtain it. In this he was eminently successful.
To the annoyance of the members of the
Pacific Club, of
San Francisco, he became a constant
uninvited visitor.
Gen. Ed (
Allegheny)
Johnson (then
Major in the U. S. Army,) feeling a sympathy for his former, now fallen, compassion in arms, made him his wagon- master in an expedition against the Indians, and even in this capacity it was understood his ability was not superior to the position.
When this star shall have and had its day, it will go down in darkness blacker than the heart which pulsates within his breast. M.
