Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-18

Letter from General Hunter to Gov
ernOF Boreman In relation TO the
recent Editorial Arrests.
HEADQUARTERS Dept OF WEST VA.
CUMBERLAND, Nd. July ID, 1864. !
To His Ercellsney d. l. Boreman,
Governor Of West Virginia:
SIR have the, honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication dated July
10th, 1854, relative to the case of James E.
Wharton, Esq, Editor and proprietor of
the "Parkersburg Gszette;" and have first
to state, in reply, that about two hours
previous to the receipt of your letter
orders had been given to the Provost
Marshal for Mr.. Wharton's release, and be
bad been released before your letter reach
ed my hand.
And now a few words as to the causes
which led to Mr.. Wharton's arrest and the
temporary suppression of his journal.
As to the "criticism on your (my) con-
Duct" in which Mr.. Wharton INDUCED,
aud to which you refer, agree with you
that there was, of course, no offence what
ever. 1t was merely matter of taste on
his part, nor was it noticed by me until
you called my attention thereto as one of
the possible causes for my action.
But Mr.. Wharton 10 the editorial which
leo 10 the suppression OI us BhpeEt 6ldlDug
first: that "Geu Hunter with his command
have principally passed through our city
(Parkersburg) on their way east" This
was contraband news, and was utterly un-
true. Much less than one tenth of my
command had passed through Parkersburg,
and l was detained there for some time
after the appearance of the article hurrying
forward the balance.
In the second place, Mr.. Wharton went
on to say in the same article: awe were
sorry to see so much suffering among them.
They were completely worn out, and many
in the division had died of starvation"
1.-THE sufferings of the soldiers
in their movement from Lynchburg to
Charleston were terrible, and they half re-
quire rest and surgical care"
That there was "some suffering" amongst
the troops is true. The business of the SOL
der is one in which "sutferiug" forms an
inevitable part. But on careful inquiry,
personally and through many officers en-
ployed for the purpose, / have failed to
discover even a report of any one case of
death from hunger; while on the other
hand my Medical director, Surgeon Thomas
B. Reed, an officer of large military expe-
rience and excellent judgement assures me,
that despite the certain limited privations
and great fatigues OF the march the health
of the command was, throughout far better
than the average health of soldiers quietly
resting in their camps. The worst enemies
to health are not priVations aud fatigue.
The RIGHTEOUSNESS of an idle camp, or the
vicinity to soldiers of an i'll regulated town,
will swell the Hospital returns far quicker
and more seriously than all our men suf
fered in their march from near Lynchburg
to near Gauley Bridge where abundant
supplies met us,-supplies which l had
expected to find much earlier at Meadows
Bluff, but which bad been removed from
there without authority under the influ-
ence of stampede created by few score
of guerrillas operating against tenfold
their own force of state militia.
Apart from the falsity of these allegations,
therefore, could any statements be more
calculated give aid "aid and comfort to
the enemy than the announcement that
my whole command was sworn out" and
that they "hdD require rest and surgical
care"
1t is my pleasure to believe that no
troops in the service of the Union enjoy to.
day a better average of health, morale and
spirits. than the forces composing the late
expedition towards Lynchburg. While
many of the cavalry horses broke down
from fatigue and shortness of dry forage;
the men appeared only to harden and be.
come more thorough soldiers. There are
in every army grumblers, malcontents and
alarmists,-not only in the ranks, but,
regret to say, amongst the officers, and
some of a rank that should make them
more prudent That Mr.. Wharton heard
what he reported, had no doubt at the
time of ordering his arrest but even that
was no justification for the publication
of his statements at a time when he knew
that my command was again being push
ed forward with every energy to meet the
enemy.
Having seen statements very similar to
those of the "Parkersburg Gazette" in
certain of the Wheeling and other papers,
l would suggest, if in consnnance with
your judgement, that a copy of this letter
should be furnished to whatever paper you
are in the habit of using for making com
munications to the public. As the greater
portion of my command are West Virginia
troops, i: would seem an act both OF JUS
tice and charity to dissbuse their friends
and families of the narrowing pictures OF
distress and starvation which have been
put forth.
Fully satisfied last evening of Mr.. Whar-
toms thorough loyalty and good service
to the cause of the Union in the past,
/ ordered his release early this morning.
| Mr.. Wharton it is reported 10 me, fully
realizes, on reflection, the improperly OF
| the statements in the article which led to
his arrest.
have the honor to be, sir,
With very sincere respect,
Your most obd't servant,
D. HuETER