Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-07-21
A Letter from General Hunter, which
Explains his Arrests OF Editors and
Several Other Things.
HEADaUARTERs Dept OF W

HEADoUARTERs Dept OF west VAL
CuMBERLAsb, Nd, July IL, 1854.
To he EEteAeney A. ]. foreman, Governor Of Wtd
sIR have the honor TO acknowledge the
receipt of your communication dated July 10,
1864, relative to the case of James L. Wharton,
ESQ.,, editor and proprietor of the Parkersburg
Gdzette and have drst 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 he had
been released before your letter reached my
hand.
And now 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) conduct -
In which Mr.. Wharton INDUCED, and to which
you refer, agree with you that there was, of
course, no offence whatever. 1t was merely a
matter Of taste on his part, nor was 1t noticed
by me until you called my attention thereto as
one Of the possible causes for my action.
But Mr.. Wharton, in the editorial which led
to the suppression Of his paper, stated, first,
that Gen. Hunter with his command have
principally passed through our city (Parkers-
burg) on their way east" This was contra.
band news, and was utterly untrue. Much less
| than one tenth Of my command had passed
through Parkersburg, and was detained there
for some time after the appearance OF the ar.
ticle hurrying forward the balance.
to say, In the same article; "We were sorry 10
see SO much suffering among them. They
were completely worn out, and many in the
division had died Of starvation"
"The sutierings Of the soldiers In their move
ment from Lynchburg to Charleston were tor
ri6le, and they half require rest and surgical
care"
That there was some suffering amongst tho
troops 10 true. The business of the soldier il
one In which suffering forms an inevitable
part. But on careful inquiry, personally and
through many officers employed for the pur'
pose, / have failed to discover even report ol
any one case of death from hunger; while, on
the other hand, my medical director, Surgeon
Thomas b. Reed, an officer of large military
experience and excellent judgment, assures mt
that, despite the certain limited priVations and
great fatlgues Of the march, tho health Of thC
command was throughout far better than thI
average health Of soldiers quietly resting IL
their camps.
The worst enemies TO health are not prlva
tions and fatigue. The RIGHTEOUSNESS OF al
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 mel
suffered In their march from near Lynchburl
| 10 near Gauley Bridge, where abundant supple
met us-supplles which ] had expected TO hnC
much earlier at Meadows Bluff, but which haC
been removed from there without authorit!
under the influence Of q stampede created by
few score OF guerrillas, operating against ten
fold their own force of State militia.
Apart from the falsity Of these allegations
= therefore, could any statements be more calcu
lated 10 give "aid and comfort TO the enemy,
than the announcement that my whole com
| mand was "worn out, ;" and that they "hdlf Te
quire rest and surgical skill2"
It ismy pleasure TO believe that no troops il