The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-01-29
Who is General Blunt /?
A correspondent at Fort Scott, Kans'

Who is General Blunt
A correspondent at Fort Scott, Kansas,
sends the New York Times the following ac-
count Of this hero of the South
James G Blunt is native Of Maine. In
his youth aud early manhood he followed
| the sea, and for some time was captain and
owner Of vessel. Having received liber.
al education he soon commenced the stud"
Of medicine, apd removed to Columbus,
Ohio, where he was for several years sue
cessful practitioner. In Ohio he was iden-
tiied in politics sncceSsiveiy with the old
| Liberty Party the Free-SolerS an1 Repub-
iic.nS. His brother-in-aw, DR.. Gilpatrick,
was among the first and most active Of the
| Free State settlers in Southern Kansas Gen
Blunt naturally, by sympathy and circnm
stances had his attention turned to our
Stste, and emigrat-l hitherwarl in the r i, |
of SO. when he se.tleli in Anderson cou ty.
From the first he was identife with the
anti slavery wing Of the Free State Party
/ He was chosen dele gate to several party
| Conventions, and elected in 1853 toa seat it,
the Constitutional Convention which met at
Wyandotte, and framed the ig*.runent IN
! der which Kansas was adnitte1 into the
Union In that body he was among the
most active members. aud distinguished him
self Ivy unconp omising radicalisrn and stub
born adherence 10 his own policy. even at
the expense Of being called ''mulish" He
I is as blunt in debate as his kilograms sh wv
him to be ia dealing with the rebels Dur-
ing the last movements of Old John Brown
in Kansas, when during the winter Of 1858
so, he went into Missouri and brought out
as prizes to freedom eleven slaves, it was at
the house of Dr. Blunt that t'e old man, his
men and his freed ones were sheltered for
several weeks. until it was judged ,est t.
move North with thea. At the breaking
out of the war, DR. Blunt enlisted in the
ffhir Regimant (Col james Montg nnery).
aud was elected its Lieutenant Colonel He
was at the battle of Drywooa, made bold
4,
after guerrilla band under the trader Math-
ews, (Which sacked and burned the town of
Humboldt killing the leader and twelve Of
the gang, and recantlring large amount of
stolen property. Col. Blunt was with Gen.
Lane through the wllsle of his campaign in
Missouri In March last he was made Brig
adler General. and Immediately afserward
placed in aao%%snd Of the Department of
Kansas.
Gen. Blunt is now about iorty-fiv We years
of age He is ab jut five feet eight or nine
inches in hei yht, aad, p,sse sses arennrks
bly, sttlSs frame. 3 )a,l sioul tered, d eep-
che,t5d, Sturdy-lim hed, his physique is that
Of an athlete lis head is large, with enor
non po"ccp'ipe;, :, All leeo- ct eyes of hazel
gray, overhung by penthouse br,ws. H.
reminds one of ,m,N!f, sturdy, wide
awake, Surly wien occasion seen rs to re.
quire, quick t. bite, not over steady to bark,
eager to fight w'len qnrre's present them
selves, and with a thorough prrtinacity AMI
! stick to-it when aroused. He presents many
traits lik thase>of the sturdy Old Prussian
Blu tcher. whom his men and history. have
nicknamed Marshal Forward" Minus the
pnritanical twang Gen Btintis an antitype
| IN Cromwel's General, Lambert, the butch
! erg The boys" like the rude speech,
dash, oim and courage of Blunt, and many
a good story is retaed nf him over the camp
fires. At the interview with. Gems. Hind
man and Marmaduke, after the battle Q!
Prairie Grove, Blunt was ready and brusque
| Hindman asked for an armistice of 80 hours,
which Blunt peremptarilY refused adding
that he would fight the whole rebel army
with his Kansas regiments, in ten minutes,
if he Yanted." Gen. Hindman remarked
that, il his army was whipped, he Hind.
mani was not, to which came the blunt re-
ply Well, pull off your linen. then. and
you will seea Major General whipped in less
than five minutes" Having succeeded, by
falsehood. and obtained an armistice of ten
hours, the rebel then loft in confusion, prob.
ably consoling himself thai, at least Blunt
was veritabe specimen Of the Northern
mud sills. ~.