The New York herald., 1862-03-22

at Port Royal and General Benlam having been orders
70 report 10 him without delay We arc indu ID Civ
rather fun sketches Of each OF these officers They hav
already been before the public during the present war
ou az they are now about to enter into the heart of
region Of rebedom and by the very where orgi
nated there but little doubt that they will notong
inactive when they arrive in South Carolina.
SKETCH OF GENERAL HUNTER.
Major General David Hunter a native OF the District
or Columbia and appointed to tho army from thai
District He is about sixty years Of age,
Military Academy as q cadet in September, 1878
He graduated In 1922, standing No. rs in o
class OF forty, In which We find the names Of
Generals J. K. F. Mansfield, George A. Mccall
T. Norris. J. ]. Abercrombe and others. On the
LIST Of July, 1922 no promoted to the second lieu.
tenancy Of the Fifth United States infantry in June
1928 was further promoted to the st lieutenancy He
became captain Of the First dragons March, 1898,
and resigned the service the 4h Of July 1886 On the
last day Of November, 1841, he appointed a tenn
porary paymaster OF the army and tho 14th of May
1S42 he obtained the position of full paymaster The
appointments we're debited to the State OF Illinois, In
this latter capacity he held the rank as major Of
the active military service. and in the Army Register for
1861 his name stands second the list of paymasers
with that rank. On the l4th of May, 1861 he was ap
pointed Colonel of the new regment Of cavalry numer
cay designated the Sixth regiment Of United States
made, by Congress. major general Of volunteers
1t will be remembered that he ordered to report
General Fremont in Missouri and he took charge of
tain troops organizing at the depot Rolla and when
General Fremont left st. Louis to attack Price at Lexing
ton, General Hunter to join him by route.
General Fremons ncapacity prevented the relief Of the
forces at Lexington and General Hunter ordered to
organize his division at Warsaw. This he accomplished,
and whom Fremont had given Prico tme to escape from
nntc t.n
was invested with the command OF the First division,
although BY the arrangements made by the Commanding
General the two divisions commanded respectively by
Generals Pope and Hunter the last leave Warsaw
for Springfield The want OF In overtakng Price
led to the removal Of Fremont, and on the I'd Of
November General Hunter assumed command of the De-
partment Of the we by orders from Washington When
General Haleck was appointed to that department
new department created entitled the Department Of
Kansas and Major General Hunter appon ted to the
chief command. During his administration some little
trouble occurred between Senator or Brgader Genera
Lane and tho commander, which perhaps than
anything else led to the breaking up of the department.
which is now incorporated in that of the Mississippi,
and General Hunter proceeded to Washington. He has
been appointed to supersede General Sherman at
Port Royal.
With regard to his personal appearance he is thus
spoken Of by editor Of Kansas paper who visited him
during MS stay al fOrt LeavonWOrtn
AS you enter you will be pleasantly but very calmly
greeted and the first leisure moment will be afforded you
for your business. You will find yourself conversing
with Of some sixty years, above average height,
whose expression of countenance denotes high ntei
gence strong resolution, and above all, settled placid
camness which convnces you that right the basis tho
conviction it shadows and robs you Of every desire to
combat them. He sits there the Major General and
twng his golden bowed glasses tho legacy Of toll and
feeng years, listens to your words and makes brief
sentences his part in the conversation. Occasionally
twaddlmg message" the eyes. rooted With heavy
brows burn with tight and strong words tell his clear
is the army blue, and if you know his history you will
recoect that he too is a man of West Point: but you
bed. and that quiet dignity great has estab
shed again in your mind the old respect for our regular
army.
Such is Major General Hunter: "Black Davs as he is
sometimes Called sterling soldier, and man.
4. SKETCH OF BRIGADIER GENERAL BENHAM.
Brigader General Henry W. Benham is a native of
Connecticut, and entered the Military. Academy as a
cadet in the year 1888 On the 1st Of July, 1887 he
graduated and appointed to the military service
Brsvet Second Lieutenant of the Corps of Engineers
He stood No. in his class, and graduated at the
time as Braxton Bragg (rebeD, General Lewis G. Ar
mold (now commander of the department Of Forida),
Major Israel yodges (of Fort Pickens fame), Genera
Thomas Williams (recsntly commander at Hatteras)i
Generals French sedgwck ahd Hooker (of the Potomac
other prominent men. He was promoted to First
Ieutenancy on the 7th of July, 1898, and served in
that capacity in Mexico with Governor Seymour and
other persons belonging 20 his native State. He was
wounded at the battle OF Buena Vista the 23d of
February, 1s4s, and breveed Captain for his gal
lant meritorious conduct during that engagement
On the 24lh Of May, lS4s, he was promoted to
full cap,aincy in his corps, and considered
by General Scott as one OF his most reliable
engineers. In March, 1885, he was appointed
sstant in the expedition engaged in the United States
Coast Survey aad tho Sd Of March, 1856 rendered
the majority Of the Ninth United States infantry, but do
clined the position In the " Army Regiser for 1861
his name stood secoad the list Of captains thereby
outranking Bsauregard (rcbe, whose name stood No
On tho eth Of August, 1861 he was promoted TO be
Major of the Corps OF Engineers and the 18th Of the
same month further promoted 10 be Brgadier
General Of Volunteers, at the same time retaining hs
| position in the Engineer Corps During General Nc
Clcllans brilliant campaign in Western Virginia. and
while ho the commandant Of the Department of the
Ohio the then Captain Bsnham the Engineer of the
department, and rendered very efficient services Cen
Norris commander Of brigade at the glorious battles
OF Laurel Hill, Rich Mountain Carricksford (here the
rebel Garnott killed. &C., thus speaks Of him in
his report For the valuable services Of Captain Ben
ham, OF the United States Engineers, not only in the
appropriate duties Of his station but in his voluntary
and arduous labors in the hsd the General desires in
the namo Of the brigade TO thank him. He has proved
himself only the skful engineer, but competent
discharge any and every duty incident to military life
| When General Rosecrsns was appointed to the com
mand Of the army Of occupation in Western Virginia,
| Captain Benham, having bosu promoted TO a Briga
| der Generalship, was assigned to the command
of the Third brigade Of his corps darmee, and to the
Cheat river district During General Rosocrsns march
upon Floyds position at Gauey, General Benhsm had
command Of Of tho brgade and ordered to cut
on Foyds retreat but by some means the slippery rcbel
escaped him, for which cow'reemps General Benham was
ccnsursd recalled TO Washington and deprived OF his
command He, however, demanded court martial, but
tho exigoncies Of tho service prevented s being held
s has doubtless convinced his supsriors rank Of his