, 1863-01-30
General Hunter Resumes His
Command,
HIS FIRST ORDER TO HIS
TROOPS.

HIS FIRST ORDER TO HIS
TROOPS.
The Negro Regiments Movements
&C., &c, &o.
correspondence Of the New York Timee.]
PoE7 RorA1, Saturday, Jan. Fl, 1863.
After months Of weary waiting and watch
ing for signs of an active movement against
John Eeccsh in this part Of Uncle saul's do
main-when at last 1t was almost like hoping
against hope that anything would be done
NC have suddenly been lifted out of the deeps
Of dependency to corresponding elevation
Of enthusiasm and Hail Columbia joy fulncss.
The first indication that our longings were to
be- gratified came last Sund..y whcn, carly in
the day, tho uncouth. bu1gy looking but for
midable battery New Ironsides, came slowly
up the harbor and dropped anchor near the
Wabash. Before the flush Of excitement and
curiosity, resulting from the coming Of this
great, unwicldy thing had passed away, the
! up to the pier, flying at the fore the flag Of
| loMs-cxpectcd Major Gen. Hunter. The sat
| istaction and promise Of good time. com
| ing" which these distinguished arrivals
| awakened, was intensified and made certain
| on Monday BY tho appearance Of the fanlous
| Commander Worden, with his scarcely less
| famous Monitor Montauk, and it only needed
| the advent Of third iron: clad on Wednesday,
when the Passafc, Commander Drayton's YES
| sci, was towed into the harbor, to excite our
enthusiasm to ! pitch which cannot be toned
down for days to come.
Gen. Hunters return to this department, as
far as | am able to Judge, is welcomed sin
| cerely by the troops.
On Thursday, Admiral Dupont, accompan.
led by Fleet Captain Rogers and other mem
to Gen. Hunter, af which Gen. Truman Soy
mour assisted, and At which the general basi.
Of the future joint land and naval operation:
was agreed upon. Of course cannot tel
anything certainly about the programme.
only know that among US outsiders there !:
Joint expedition will head when leaving tn
iarbor-whethernor to Charleston or soutt
to Savannah. Some persons, protesting Il
be well informed, say that Charleston is to b.
the point Of attack, and there are not few
who have cone to the conclusion that saEan l
from all the preparations I can sec
aud the vast number and amount Of store
| now being shipped to Fort Pulaski, my ow1
:. guess, if we're at liberty to guess, wonld b
That Admiral Dupont and Gen. HnnteT ar
resolved to do nothing rashly, but to max i;
/
fortified city. Admiral Dupont Is Of opiniu1
t that the torpedoes md other obstruction
which lmye will SO much pains been place
in the Savannah River and Charleston Harho1
will prove Of little avail An ingenious Ya1
+. kee down here has invented M apparatu
| which will prccede our iron n-clads, -pilot{n
9 | each expedition, and which will explode IN
= torpcdoes that may be submerged, either
! | the river or larbor, at distance Of not le!
! than sixty yards from the bow Of the fir
: vessel.
!, The following General Order, issuel |
General Hunter, will doubtless he found il
teresti1g:
J. GEN. HUNTERS GENERAL ORDER.
HEApqrAnTEn4 DEPARTMENT or THE SouTu,
II Huron Head: PolT RoIAI, s. c., (
No. 3.-Agrccab1y 10 special instructio
Il from the Government, the undersigned hc'
j. bv resumes command Of the Department
"A the South.
:, 1t is with sincere pleasure that the Gene
d Commanding returns to this Department!
]c the brave men Of the North, whose desti
has been here cast, having never G,lled,
S. though without many opportunities for gr'
distinction, to do their whole duty when ca
ed upon-as witncss Port Royal, Pulas
II james Island and Pocotoliso, names to Whl
=. every soldier Of the command may look ba
es with pride. Although not always success
is "a thing depending on causes often beyo
their control-they have the fully equal NE
AL Of always having deserved success
IN In view Of the active operations about
r. commence in this department, the Gene
~ Commanding would remind officers and enl
at ed men Of the absolute necessity OF 4 str
is- | prompt and unquestloning obedience to
orders. Without implicit, complete I
al hearty obedience, an army u mere III
his With discipline, there IS satety, honor:
Ii, the full assurance Of being able to render
n'7 stantia1 service to our country. The Gcn
Commanding would deeply regret shoul
single man be killed willie bascly desert
his colors; but he would remind all OIL
,,o | that it is their lmperatirc duty instantly
n1e mt to death any officer or enlisted man
the Shall be found desertlug his brave comr
cd who arc doing their duty in the front.
~0' officer who may find 1t necessary to exc
cry this prompt punishment Of cowardice
en- TREASON viii as soon after the act as the
gencics Of the service may permit, re
ahd what he has done to these headquarters,
and | fny the name Of the traitor slain and OF
~ witnesses rs can prove the Justification o1
penalty. T..
and No officer or soldier will leave the b:
md field for thedurpose oftaking of the NO
cd, who will he much better attended I
the ambulance-men and the nurses.
wounded men, helpless In the hands OF
L. torturcrs. arc often lnanglcd to death
tic | being improperly carried from the batl1e
raa5 by rynegades, who use the pretense
"a" humanity as a cloak for their anxiety
cI1 | cure Their Own saletf4 IeSai0lcss VI tAe
nn+e | ferings Of their victims.
The attention Of all coMnandis office
,rces this denartucnt is urgently drawn to Ge
artb. Orders No, 26. from these headquarters,
Il H;3,on Head. Port Royal, s. G., Augu
p OF srr;es nf 1s65. The same will be read
con head Of each brigade, feg1Ment, eonga, u
picnt de&aienment on anc E.a1S a na,,i no,,,,
vho TO-, dpat,..e thot n ri, waTsand t,v every
i53',;s, !n5 thc,r nower rcnimcntal aud cor
szlne' "f1cnrs 1riii ,n,,ress unon their men t
ck 10 porsance Of having perfect mastery 0
to1cn 1ctrnGE ha 1,,punc n namcd officers are IN,
oush ed rs the staff Il the Major General com
;nr and will he obeyci and respected
l;e,n1x. Nv
: and a4 oo,,,o,r rh,er ri 81
thern BI,G; Gen; in Iratoan oss iuoa' e'''' - 49,
MI. fsr, % q ri tsh,e q Halptnc. Assistant i,
'eco5 General.
ice in Lieut.. Col J. II. Wilson, Assistant In
h3va1. general. ,,n, c,,of cor,.,,,
ulsAl. Lieut.: Col. Il H. Aorear' Chief conn'''
a'su,e Surgeon Charles 2. Crane Medical Diree
a aa39r lanes m t:a pnale. % chsef o Engineer
ooWn CAPT. John ". Todd. Chief Of Ordnance.
apply Col. James D; Fes;endcn, az ID -de.camp. ~
.e has Major EdMa1a 1o, n,gns, Aaa9esS Hpttnc
70 A"7 laN. H. ". 'noh'pso"' a. Ny
lcdges 1u}r't vrn, r Dole. Aid.de~Camp,
ia f,r cant cp; VolneY HicSox, Aid-dc-Camp
:, 'o4 Capt. samuel y. Stockton. id-de:camp
le best capt Arthur y: Kinz.c, Abide Camp:
~ ,:,, Lieut. Chn5leB i. Hoy. Acting Atu-dc!Ca