The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-07-10

from Gen. Hunter, furnishing informa.
ton as To- his action tbuchingsh the various
N ttters indicated i'd the resolution.
I have the honor 10 be, very respect.
fully,
Your obedient servant,
EDWIN M. STANTON, See,y Of War.
Hon. GA. GRow. Speaker II. Of K.
l HEADQ'Rs DEPT OF THE SouTH.
PoEF ROYAL. S. O., June 2S. 1862
Hon E. M. Stanton, Secretary of Var,
Washington, d. G.
SIR: | have the honor to acknowledge
the RECEIPT Of communication from the
AdjuIant General of The army dated Juue
l3, 1862. requesting me 10 furnish you
with the Information necessary to ans wer
crrtaiu resolutions introduced into the
House Of r representatives. June 0, 1862,
on motion Of Hon. Mr.. Wicklfe of KIN.
lucky, their substance being to inquire
81. Whether had otganiEsd, or was
org anIalng regimen. Of fugitive slaves
in this Department.. -
"2. Wether any authority bad been
given TO mo from the War Department for
such organizationj and F,.- :. III
'3. Whether had been furnished by
order ofthe War Department with cloth
ing. uniforms. arms. equipments, &c, for
such farce" = e.-.'I.,a,
Only having received the letter cover
ing these Inquiries ut late hour Satnr.
day night. urge forward my answer in
lime for the steamer sailing to day (Mou.
day, this haste preventing me from en-
tHring as minutely as | could wish upon
many points of detail, such as the para
mount Importance Of the subject calls for.
But 10 view of the near termination Of die
present session Of Congress. and the wide
spread interest which must have been
awakened by Mr. WickIiie's resolution, I
prefer sanding even this imperfect answer,
TO waiting the period necessary for the
collection Of fulIor and % re comptroller.
sive data.
10 the 6rstqueston. therefore, toply
that no regiment Of fugitive slaves has
been, or is being. organized in this De-
partment, There is, however. ine reg.
in1ent Of persons whose late masters are
Fugitive rebels" men who everywhere
fly before the appearance Of the National
flag, leaving their servants behind them
to shit rs best they Gun for themselves.
SO far. indeed, are the loyal persons COM
posing this regiment from .seekidg to a.
Void the presence Of THAR late owncrs. that
they are now, one aud all, working with
remarkable industry 10 place Themselves
in position 10 join in fun and effective
pursuit Of their Jugacious and traiiurous
proprietors. ars
To The second question have the hon.
or to answer that the instructions given
70 Brig. Gen. T. w. Sherman by lion.
Simon Cameron. late Secretary Of War,
and turned over 10 me by succession for
my guidance, do distinctly suthorizs me
to employ all loyal persons Offering their
services in defcuse Of the Union, and for
the suppression Of The rebellion in any
manner might sec f,. or that the cir
cums!aRcss might call for. There is no
rtstric ion as 10 the character or color
OF the PERSONS to b. employed. or the ma
ture of the employment. whether civil or
military, in which their services shall be
used. | concludey therefore, that l have
been authorized 10 enlist fugitive slaves as
soldiers, could any such b. found IN the
Department. No such Characters, how
ever, haze yet appeared within view of
our most advanced picke,s. the loyal
slaves everywhere remaining ON their
Plantations TO welcome us, aid US, and
supply US With food. Iabcr and inlorma.
ton. 1t is the masters who have, 10 CIV.
cry instance. been the fugitives, running
away from loyal slaves as well ag loyal
soldiers, aud whom we have ouly partially
been able to see, chiefly with their
heads over rrmparts, or, rife in hand,
dodging behind trees in The extreme dis:
tapce.
In the absence Of ony fugitive master
law. the deserted slaves would be wholly
without lemedy, had rot their time of
treason given the righ; 10 pursue, capture
and bring back these persons, Of whose
prote' ton they have been thus suddenly
bereit. fs
To the third interrogatory il is my
painful duty 10 reply. that have never
received any specific authority for issues
OF clothing, uniforms, arms, equipments,
DC, to the troops in question. My gen.
eral instructions from Mr. Cameron, to
employ them 10 any manner might find
necessary, and the military exigencies of
the Department and the country being
my only. but in my judgement sufficient.
justification, Neither have had any
specific authority for supplying those
persons with shovcls, spades ard pickax
ss. when employing them as laborers, nor
with bouts and oars when using them as
lighter men, but these are not points in.
dicated In Mr.. Wicklitfe's resolution. =
To me it seemed that liberty to employ
men in any particular Ospaoity implied
with it liberty also TO supply them with
the necessary tools, and acting upon this
faith have clothed, equipped and armed
the only loyal regiment yet raised In
South Carolina. must say 10 vindioa-
tion Of my own couduct, that had it not
been for the many other diversified and
imperative claims on my time and atien.
tention. much more satisfactory result
might have been hoped for, and in place
ofonly one, as al, present, at least FIVE or
six well drilled. brave and thoroughly ac-
cliuated regiments should by this time
have been added to the loyal ioroes of the
Union. The experiment Of arming the
| hlanka 40 far ha 1 have rnada Il haa haen