The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-01

not only in the disenthrallmentand en-
franchisement of the negro race, but in
that policy that at last crowned our
arms with complete success:
"HD.Q'Rs, DEPT or THE SourH,)
HILTON HEAD, S. c.,
.G 10 June, 1855.
".I0 The Hon. E. III. Stanton, Secretary
= EofuYGr, R1Snidgt ton, ID. C.7N 2 4 t6
t"SIR;wI have, the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of a communication
| from the Adjutant- General, of the
Army, dated June Is, 1862, requesting
me TO, furnish you with the informa-
tion necessary to answer certain ResO-
| Representatives, June 8, 1862, OuImo-
tioplof the Hon. MrSS Wick life, of Ken
tuckS-their substance being to
inquire:
list. Whether 1 had organized, or was
organizing, regiment of fugitive
slaves in this Department.
't2d. Whether any authority had been
| given TO me- nom the War Department
for such 9Tgapi4ati9ni and
by order of the War Department, with
clothing, uniforms, arms, equipments,
and SO forth, for such d force
"Only having received the letter at a
! late hour this evening, urge forward
my answer in time for the steamer sail
ing otn-morroWp pmorning-this haste
| preventing me CfrOm- entering, as mi
nntely as could wish, upon many
| pOIntssof detail, such as the paramount
Importance of the subject would seem to
cali for. But, ,dn,yieW ofthe near termi-
nation of the present session of Con-
gTess, and the widespread interest
which must have beon awakened by
Mr.. Wicklite's resolutions, I prefer
sending even this imperfect answer, to
waiting the period necessary for the
collection of fuller and more cOmpre-
hensive data.
TO the first question, therefore, 1 re-
ply;pthat no regiment of fugitive
slaves has been, or is being, organized
in this department.. There is, however,
atineregiment ofloyal persons whose
late masters are fugitive rebelsI-men
WHO eyeryw here fly before the appear
ance Of the National Flag, leaViDgtheir
loyal and unhappy servants behind
them, to shift, as best they can, for
themselves. So far indeed, are the
loyal persons composing this regiment
from seeking To evade the presence of
their late owners, that they are now,
one and all, endeaYoring with COM
mendable zeal to acquire the drill and
| discipline requisite TO place them in u
position to go in full and effective pUr-
suit of their fugacious and .traitorous
| proprietors. .sssIE y --E IU
- To the second question, 1 have the
honor to answer that the instructions
given to Brigadier General T. w. Sher-
man by the Hon. Simon Cameron, late
| Secretary of War and turned over to
me, by succession, do distinctly au-
throiZe mo to employ 'all loyal persons
offering their services in defence of the
Union, and for the suppression of this
rebellion in any manner i may see
fit, or that circumstances may call for.
There is no restriction as to the charac-
ter or color OF the persons to be em-
ployed, or the nature of the employ
ments-whether civil or military-in
which their services may be used. 1
authorized TO enlist fugitive slavess as
soldiers, could any such 'fugitives' be
found in this department,
"No such characters, however, have
yet appeared within view of our most
advanced pickets-the loyal negroes
Ieyerywhere remaining on their plRnta-
tions TO welcome US, and supply us with
food, labor and Information, 1t is the
Imasters who have in every instance
been the Iugitives, running aWay
from loyal slaves as well as loyal SOL
diers; and these, as yet, we have only
been partially able to see-chiefly
their heads over ramparts, or dodg-
ing behind trees, rifle In hand,
in the extreme distance. In the abb
lsence'ofany fugitive master law the
deserted slaves would be wholly with
out remedy, had not the crime of trea-
son given them the right to pursue,
capture, and bring back those persons
Of whose benignant protection they
| hnVa- haan TINS EUridenlv md cruaIIv
bsreft. -
ITO the third interrogatory, it is my
; painful duty to reply that never have
received any specific authority for Is.
sues of clothing, uniforms, arms, equip
ments, and so forth, to the troopsl in
question-my general instructions
from Mr.. Cameron, to employ them in
any manner 1 might find necessary,
and the military eXigencies of the de
partment and the country, being my
only, bnt, I trust, .sutficient justifica.
tiop. Neither have had any specific
authority for supplying these persons
with shoVels, spades, and pickaxes
when n!employingt them as labOrers; moi
with boats and oars, when using them
as lighter-men; butthese are not points
included in Mr.. Wiclxlitfe's resolution
To me 1t seemed that liberty to employ
men in any particular apacity implied
aud carried with It liberty, also, tC
supply them with the necessary tools
Z and, - actingi upon this faith, have
: clothed, equipped, and armed the only
loydlregimenL yet raised in South Car.
olina. Georgia, or Florida. zs.lr5f {
1a'tI must say, in svindication of my
Town conducts that, had It not been fol
the many other diversified and frnpera,
, tive claimslon my time and attention
a much more satisfactory result NIGH
have been achieved and thai, in place
of only one regiment, as at present, al
least i've or six well-erilled, brave and
thoroughly acclimated regiments
should, by this time, have been added
o;the loyal forces of the Qnion.ias q.
1.-THE experiment. Of aEmtnR the
blacks, SO far as have made It, has
been a complete and even marvellous
success. They are sober, docile, atten'
, tive and enthusiastic-dis great
, natural ca apacities in acquiring the du,
: ties of the soldier. They are now eager
beyond all things to take the field and
pc led into action and it is the unani'
nous opinion of the officers who have
/ had charge OF them that, in the pecu'
liarities of this climate and country
they wi:l prove Invaluable auxiIiariet
= t-fuuy equAlt to the similar regiments
30 long and successfully used by thC
British authorities in the West Indie
: Isles 4rs-t - =
|, '1n conclusion, would say. II IL nv
, hope-there appearing no possibility o
j other retnforcements, owing to the ex
al igencies of the campaign In the PENN
Z sula-to have organized by the end O
next fall, and be able to present TO thI
! tEgoYernmentI from foTty-eight to fiitJ
! Thousand, of these hardy. and devoted
g soldiers. sis .5ia55 ~. lis,{s ID
: eTrusting that this letter may bt
/ made part of OfyouransWer to Mr.. Wick.
q Iihe'5 resolutions, / have the honor tc
D be, very respectfully, your most obedE.
l. entseETant,F S ltDAVD HUNTER,
fisE Major General C0RInIGslding!,
/ This miSsiye was duly sent, with
i many misgfvings that II would not gei
) lthrough the ,rontine of the War De
/, paTtment in time to be laid before Con-
3 gress previous TO the adjournment oi