Military Honor on Trial: General Joseph Hooker’s Sonoma Scandal | Travis Wagner

Long before Joseph Hooker became a prominent Union general, he was stationed in Gold Rush-era Sonoma, where a bitter dispute with Army engineer and humorist George H. Derby led to accusations, arrests and two extraordinary courts-martial. Local historian and author Travis Wagner joins Tim Zahner to discuss his book, Military Honor on Trial: The Saga of Joseph Hooker and George H. Derby. Travis traces the conflict between the ambitious, notoriously prickly Hooker and Derby, a gifted satirist who wrote as John Phoenix and Squibob. Their feud involved a stolen horse, competing ideas about military authority and allegations that Hooker profited from selling Army supplies. It also drew in officers who would later become major Civil War figures, including Henry Halleck and William T. Sherman. The conversation ranges across Sonoma’s Mexican and military history, the Russian presence at Fort Ross, California’s early theater culture and a newspaper prank that changed San Diego politics. In “We Get Questions,” Travis and Tim discuss family-owned Sonoma Valley wineries, tipping tour guides, the Sonoma Plaza restrooms, the historical flags displayed around town and why locals call it the Sonoma Plaza—not the Sonoma Square. Order Military Honor on Trial: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/military-honor-on-trial-the-saga-of-joseph-hooker-and-george-h-derby Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley: 👉 https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass Plan your visit: https://www.sonomavalley.com/ Call or text: 707-996-1090 Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceSonomaValley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonoma_valley/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonoma_valley YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UuskGhmJ3EkWQk8DObR9b