The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-05
Gen. Hunters answer to Congressman WICK
llffe's Resolutions.

ten. hunter answer u OouS lossmSA " "
llffe's Resolutions
Il will b. remembered that, soma time since,
Mr. Wlckliffe of Kentucky introduced resoi"
ton into the House inquiring if Gen. Hunter
had armed any negroes. The Secretary OF
War transmitted the resolutions - ion Hun
ter, asking him for the information called Tor oy
tho resolution Below i. Gen. Hunters pun =
gent response, which will be read with interest,
AS presenting sharply and strongly the reasons
for putting arms into the hands Of loyal ne
groes o.,
PORT ROYAL, June j, 1872.
~ Hon. T.. W. Stanton, Sec'etdryot War
Sir | have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of IL communication from the Ad)utahe
General Of the army, de ted june 10, 90 re-
queSting Inc to furnish you with the inlorlna-
Ilon necessary To answer certain resolutions IN
troduced IN ne House of Representatives June
9, ON motion Of Hon. Mr.. WIckhHe oil hen'
lucky, Their substance being to inquire st,
whether | had organized OF was organizing u
regiment of fugitive slaves 10 this department {;
ID, whether any authority had been given to
me from the War Department for such organlza-
ton Sd, whether had been furnished by or
der OF the War Department with clothing, uul-
forms, arms, equipments, etc, Tor such d Iorc'.
Only having received the letter covering these
inquiries at "a late hour Saturday night, and be-
ing obliged to urge forward my answer in tmo
for the steamer sailing to-day (Monday), this
haste prevents me from entering AS mlnutely as
| could wish upon many points OF details, sush
rs the paramount Importance OF the subJoc:
d., + tbap tprt,,
of the present session Of Congress, and the wide
spread interest which must have been awakened
by MIR. Wlckllfe resolution. prefer sending
even this imperfect answer to waiting the period
necessary ior the collection of fuller and more
comprehensive data.
10 the first question, therefore, reply that
no regiment OF lugitlYe slave has been OR Is being
Organized in this department. There is, how
ever, fine regiment Vt o'lored per ems whose
late masters are dive rcb1ls- men who every
where fly before the appearance OF thu national
Gag. leaving their servants behind tnru to Shift
as best they can for themselves SO lar, indeed,
are the Io,al persons composing this regiment
from seeking 20 avoid the presence oi :helr late
owners, that they are now, one and all, working
with remarkable industry To place themselves
in position 10 JON IN luI. and effective pursuit
10 the second question nave the honor to
answer, that the Instructions given to Brlgad'er
T. W. Sherman, by ll0r, Simon Cameron, late
Secretary Of W~r, turned owe; to me- by sue
ces>son tor my guidance, DO distinctly author
ize me to employ all loyal persons Offering their
services IN detens, Of the Union and for the sup
preston of this rebellion IN any manner might
See fit, or hat the circumstances might cali tor.
a., =, t,a ,.ha ,,1ta
color of The persons to be employed, or the ma
turs of the mployment, whether civil OF mll-
!ary, in which their services shall be used.
conclude therefore, that have been authorized
to enlis fugitive slaves as soldiers, COULD any
such be found in the Department.
No such characters, however, have yet ap-
psared within view Of our most advanced pick
ets, the loyal slaves everywhere remaining ON
shclr plantations to welcome US, aid US, and
supply us with food, labor aud information. 1t
is the masters wh) have IN every instance been
tho fugitiyes, running away from loyal slaves as
" ii rs loyal soldiers, and whom We have onl y
partially been able to see with their heads over
rsmpars, or rifle in hand lodging behind trees
in the extreme distance
In the absence Of every fugitive master-lav.
the deserted slaves would be wholly without
y
right 10 pursue, capture and bring back there
persons, of VIII Sc protection they have been
thus suddenly bereft .~. .'-,.
To the third in.srrogatory it 10 my painful
duty to reply that | never have received any
specific authority for issues of clothing, uni
forms, arms, equipments, etc., to the troops in
question, my general instructions from Mr..
Cameron to employ them in any manner might
find m tho mil ,,f b..
department, and the country being my only
but in my Judgment sufficient, justification.
Neither have had any specific authority for
supplying those persons with shovels, spades
and picKaxes when employing them us laborers,
nor with boats and oars when using them as
lIghtermen. But these are not the points indl-
Gated in MIR. Wlckliffes resolut on To mo II
seemed that liberty to employ men in any par
tcular capaci y, implied with it liberty also to
supply them with the necessary tools, and act
ing upon thus fact have clothed, equipped, and
armed the only loyal regiment yet raised in
South Carolina.
must say, in vindication Of my own conduct,
that had 1t not been for the many other diver
sted and imperative claims on my time and at.
tenton, much more satisfactory result might
have been hoped for, and that in place Of only
one, az at present, at least five or six well drilled
brave and thoroughly acclimated regiments
should by this time have been added to the loyal
forces of the Union. The experiment OF arm
ing the blacks, 80 Tar us have made il. ha.
been complete and marvellous success. They
are sober, docile, attentive and enthusiastic
displaying great natural capacity for acquiring
the duties of the soldier. They are eager, be,
yond all things, to take the field and be led
into action and it is the unanimous opn ion OF
the officers who have had charge of them, that
In the peculiaritias OF this climate and country