June 27, 1863 - Joseph Hooker is relieved from command of the Army of the Potomac

Mere days before the titanic clash between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln pulls the figurative trigger and relieves Major General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker from command of the Union army. The decision had been a long time coming since Hooker's defeat at the hands of Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1-5, 1863). As the aforementioned Lee commenced his invasion of the North in June, Hooker cautiously followed the Grey Fox and his army north across the Potomac River and into Maryland.

Things came to a head over the question of reinforcements. Hooker desired the 10,000 men currently garrisoned at Harpers Ferry to leave that place and join his army as he now believed Lee to outnumber him. This request was denied by General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck. In response to this denial, Hooker submitted his resignation, incorrectly assuming that the administration wouldn't call his bluff. Instead, however, Halleck (who was no fan of Hooker) forwarded the request to Lincoln who promptly accepted it.

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1863, a courier arrived at the camp of Major General George G. Meade - commanding officer of the Fifth Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac - informing him that Lincoln had promoted him to succeed Hooker in command.

All of this went down....160 years ago today.