The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-07-12
Gen. Hunter and his Black
Soldiers,


The following correspondence was laid
before the, House on Wednesday. the read.
ing of some parts of which occasioned much
merriment
WAR DEPARTMENT., WASHINGTON CrrY,
July 3, 1852.
SIR On reference to the answer of This
Department, of the l4th ult., to the resolu-
ton Of the House Of Representatives of the
9th ofiast month, calling for information re.
speeding the organization by Gen. Hunter,
of the Department Of South Carolina. of 4
regiment Of volunteers for the defense Of
the Union, composed ofblack raen--fugltive
slaves"-it will be seen that the resolution
had been referred to that officer. with in
structions to make immediate report thereon.
riave now the honor to transmit herewith
the copy Of communication just received
from Gen. Hunter, furnishing information
as to bis action. touching the various mat,
tiers indicated in the resolution. -.t
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your nbedient servant,
EDwiN NJ STANTON. Sec'y Of War. =
HEADQUARTERS DEp'r OF rHe Sourn.
PoRr RoYAL, S. c., June % 1862.
Ion e. n Stanton, Secretary of War,
Washington, D. @. @ .al9i
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt ola communication from the Adju-
tant General of the army. dated June l3,
1862, requesting me to furnish you with the
information necessary to answer certain res
olutions introduced into the House Of Repre-
sentativeS June Q, 1862. on motion Of Hon.
sck1 Of ,lyx l,osn .tc&n -
being to inquire ~,
al, Whether T.had 'organ ized or waS or.
oani2ing a-regment OF fugitive slaves in this
Department
Q. Whether sny authority had been gieea
to me from the War Department for such
organization and 1 rfs afrr
s Whether L had been Furnished by order
of the War Department with clothing; uni
forms. arms, equipments, &C., for such
force"
Only having received. the letter. covering,
inquiries ut late hour Saturday night, +
urge forward my answer in time for the
steamer sailing to-day (Monday.) this haste
preventing me from entering as infinitely as
I'couad wish upon many points Of detail,
such az the parameunt Importance Of the
subject calls for, But in view of the near
termination,of the present session Of Con-
gress, and the wide spread interests which
must have been awakened by Mr.. Wicklifrs
resolution. Fprefer sending even this i'm
perfect answer to waiting the period neces--
sary for the collection of fuller and more COM
prehensive data.
To the fast question. therefore, reply
that no regiment of fugitive slavessf,as bceas
or is being organized in this Department.
There is however, a fine regiment of persons
| whose late masters are Fugitive rehels,"
men who everywhere Ay before the appear
ance Of the National flag. leaving their SER
| wants behind them to shift az best they can
for themselves. So far, indeed are the loyal
persons composing this regiment from seek
ing to avoid the presence Of their late own
| ers that they are now one and all. working
with remarkable industry to place themselves
in position to join in full and effective pur-
suit Of their .fugacious and traitorous pro-
| prietors.
To the second-questicn have the honor
to answer that the instructions given to Brig
Gen. T. w. Sherman br Hon. Simon Cam
eron, late Secretary Of War, and turned over
to me by succession for ray guidance, do
distinctly authorize me to employ all loyal
persons offering their services in defense Of
the Union. and for the suppression Of this
rebellion, in any manner might see At, or
that the circumstances might califor. There
is no restriction as to the character or color
Of the persons to be employed, or the nature
Of the employment whether civil or military.
IN which their services shall be used.
conclude, therefore. that have been author
ICED tn enlist fugitive slaves az soldiers,
could any such he found in the Department.
| No such characters. however, have vet ap-
peared within view Of our most advanced
pickets. the loyal slaves everywhere remain
ing on their plantations to welcome us, aid
,,s and supply ,fs with food labor and in
| formation. 1t the masters who have. in
every instance been the fagitives running
away from loyal slaves as well as loyal sold,
iers, and whom we have only partially been
able to see, chiefly with their. heads over
raAparts. or. rife in hand, dcdging behind
trees in the extreme distance.
| In the absence Of any fugitive master law,
/ the deserted slave would he wholly without
remedy, had not their crime Of treason given
the right to pursue. capture and bring back
these persons. Of whose protection they have
been TINS suddenly bereft.
TO the third inteYrocatory it is nv painful
duty to reply that have. never received any
specific authority for the issues Of clothing.
uniforms, arms, equipments. &C., to the
troops in question. MY general instructions
from Mr.. Cameron. to employ them in any
manner might find necessary and tho mill
tary exigencies of the country being my
only. but in my Judgment sufficient isstif-
cation. Neither have had any specific au-
thority for supplying those persons with
shovels, spades, and pickaxes. when en-
ploying them ~ laborers. nor with boats and
oars when using them a. lighter men, but
these are not the points indicated in Mr..
Wickliife's resolutions. To me it seemed
that liberty to employ men in any capacity
implied with it liberty also to supply them
| with the necessary tools. and acting upon
this faith have .lothed, equipped and arm
ed, the only loyal regiment yet raised in
South Carolina must say in vindication
Of my conduct. that had It not heen for the
many other diversified andimpcrative claims
on my time and attention, q much more sat,
isfaetory result might have been hoped for,
! and in place Of one, as at present. At le@-t
five or six well drilled, brave and thoroughly
acclimatcd regiments should have been ad-
ded t. the loyal forces of the Union. The
experiment of arming the blacks, so far as
have tried 1t, has been complete and mar
velous success. They are sober, docile, at
tentive and enthusiastic, displaying great
natural capacities for acquiring the duties Of
the soldier. They are eager, beyond all
things, 70 take the field and be led into &C.
ton, and it is the unanimous opinion OF the
officers who have had charge OF them, that
IN the pecularities of the climate and coun-
try they will prove invaluable auxliaries-
fully equal to the irregular regiments so long