The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12
Gen. Hunter and his Black Sol.
diora

9TH Of last month calling for informat;oa , "u
sPecting the organization by Gen. Hunts, ~
the Department Of South Carolina. of a rs.;
ment Of t'voluntsers for the defense ~ e..
Union, composed of black men-fuo,t;vs
slA,es'-it will be seen that the resolution
nsd oeen referred to that officer, with instruc-
Mons to make immediate report thereon. r
nave now the honor to transmit herewith the
copy OF communication just received from
zen. hunter, furnishing information as to his
ac.ion touching the various matters indicated
in the resolution.
navs fhe honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EDWIN NJ. STANTON, Sec'y of War.
Hon. g. A. Grow, Speaker II. of
HEADERS DEPT OF THE SOUTH,
PORT ROYAL, S. c., June %, 1862. (
Aon. ~ ~; s,an'on, Secretary Of Var, Wash-
SIR: I have the honor to acknov,odoo ~.
receipt Of a communication from Tho AS;,,aat
Generai OF the army, dated June l3. 1869 re-
questing me to furnish you with the ;nfo,nos
ton necessary to answer certain resolutions
introduced into the House of Represent.,;,oss
June 9, 1862, on motion of Hon. Mr.. WicLlffs
OF Kentucky, their substance being to INQUIRE
81. Whether had organized or was oroans,
izing regiment of fugitive slaves in this De-
partment. ,e4 .... . -
2. Whether any authority had been given In
me from the War Department for such organ
ization; and
8 Whether had been furnished by order If
the War Department with clothing, uniforms.
arms, equipments, &C., for such force"
Only having received the letter covering
inquiries at late hour Saturday night, I urge
forward my answer in time for the steamer
sailing to-day (Monday,) this haste preventing
me from entering as minutely as could wish
upon many points of detail, such as the para
mount Importance of the subject calls for
But in view Of the near termination Of the
present session of Congress. and the wide
spread interests which must have been AVA
kened by Mr.. Wicklitfe's resolution, prefer
sending even this imperfect answer to waiting
the period necessary for the collection of full
er and more comprehensive data. u
To the first question, therefore, reply that
no regiment Of fugitive slaves has been, or is
being organized in this Department. There is
however, o fine regiment of persons whose late
masters are "fugitive rebels, ;" men who every.
where fly before the appearance of the Natiou-
al flag, leaving their servants behind them to
shift as best they can for themselves. So far.
indeed are the loyal persons composing this
regiment from seeking to avoid the presence
of their late owners that they are now one and
all, working with remarkable industry to place
themselves in position to join in full and ef.
fective pursuit Of their .fugacious and traitor
Gus proprietors.
To the second question have the honor to
answer that the Instructions given to Brig Gen.
7. W. Sherman by Hon. Simon Cameron. iate
Secretary of war and turned over to me bv
succession for my guidance do distinctly au-
thorize me to employ all loyal persons Offering
their services in defense of the Union, and for
the suppression of this rebellion, in any man
ner might see fit, or that the circumstances
might call for. There is no restriction as to
the character or color of the persons to be en-
ployed, or the nature of the employment
whether civil or military, in which their ser
vices shall be used. I conclude, therefore,
that have been authorized to enlist fugitive
slaves as soldiers, could any such be found in
the Department. No such characters, how
ever, have yet appeared within view of our
most advanced pickets, the loyal slaves evere-
where remaining on their plantations to vel.
come US, aid US, and supply US with food. Ia
Dor and information. 1t is the masters who
have, in every instance, been the fugitives.
running away from loyal slaves as well as
loyal soldiers, and whom We have only partial
~ been able to see, chiefly with their heads
over ramparts, or, rifle in hand, lodging be-
hind trees IN the extreme distance -, ~ 49,.
In the absence OF any fugitive master law.
the deserted slave would be wholly without
remedy, had not their crime of treason given
the right to pursue, capture and bring back
t hese persons, of whose protection they have
been thus suddenly bereft. ID \. 49,, -
10 the third interrogatory it is my painful
duty to reply that have never received any
specific authority for issues of clothing, uni.
forms, srns, equipments, &c., to the troops in
q question. Ny general instructions from Mr..
Cameron, to employ them in any manner
might find necessary and the military exigen-
cies of the country being my only. but in nv
judgment sufficient justification. Neither have
had any specific authority for supplying
those persons with shovels, spades, and pick
axes, when employing them as laborers, nor
with boats and oars when using them as light.
er men, but these are not the points indicated
in Mr.. Wicklife's resolutions, To me it seem
ed that liberty to employ men in any capacity
implied with 1t liberty also to supply them
With the necessary tools, and acting upon this
faith have clothed, equipped and armed, tho
only loyal regiment yet raised in South Caro-
lima. must say in vindication of nv own
conduct, that had it not been for the many
other diversified and imperative claims on my
time and attention, q much more satisfactory
result might have been hoped for, and in place
Of only one, as at present, at least five or six
well drilled, brave and thoroughly acclimsted
regiments should have been added to the
Ioyal forces Of the Union. The experiment.
Of arming the blacks, SO far as have made it
has been complete, and even marvellous sue
cess. They are sober, docile, attentive and en-
.husisstic, displaying great natural capacities
for acquiring the duties of the soldier They
are eager, beyond all things, to take the field J.
and be led into action, and it is the unanimous
opinion of the officers who have had charge of
Them, that in the pcculiarities Of the climate
Ind country they will prove invaluable aux
liaries-fully equal to the irregular regiments
80 long and SUCCESSFULLY used by the British su-
;horities in the West India Islands.
In conclusion would say, it is my hope.
here appearing no possibility of other re.en-
oreements, owing to the exigencies of the
campaign on the Peninsula, to have organized,
~ the end of next fall, and to present to the
Government from $4,000 to $4,000 of these
ord nd kol - Trno L.