, 1874-06-18
Formation Of the Illinois Anti-Slayery
Society.
Candidate for Governor in 1874.
LID to Runaway .Slaycs---Incidonts Of
Escapes.
His Persona! characteristics.

Id thore, but will bo rcad with interest, ro'aing
sit docs to q rnan no well known In this State
Cl1ANLEs ". HUNTER.
Charles Williams Hunter, like 70 mnny Of tho
hrly AbotiouiHts, sleeps with his fathers. His
hmo, though historic, will. ovon at this COM
hrativoly recent period, awaken llttlo In tho
}nds Of tho present generation, Bavo that tho
pble band Of patriots, tho Liberty party Of ILL
tDs, selected HIN tlloir standard.boaror, ttotr
hndidato for Governor, III Tho campaign Of
BAL.
Ho was not mn editor, that Ills thoughts ahonld
ave hoou broadcast over the iand, and himself
tporsonal memory In oyory household. lilo Was
rot statesman in ofllc1al position, whore hiH
cta should be widespread rs tho laud In which
70 liyod. Ho waB, during MI tho lato years OF
lis aifo, private citizon. u MIN Of property
md Htanding," rs tho phrhac current III those
lays has 1t; but, unhapri!y for those sosf-com-
Ilaeent men Of "proporty and standing" dis
lngutahcd from them by loyo Of universal JUS
!co- prompt sacrifice of tiuo, Of ofrort, OF
honoy; certain renunciation Of porsonnl popM-
Arity and Bocinl considoration-nnd 1t might
more than possibly bo, the devotion Of life
asolf-nll these were Involved III tic position
shich ho took, that Right might triumph mid
hs county be roloenled. In community slavo-
lodtn1 In It's sympaehtes, with tho tics Of carly
Hu.panionehpe mud Friendships binding him to
tavo-hollers, he burst MI bonds, and not ftfully
Hpasmodically, but with ono continued oar-
pastefrort of eolf-lovoton labored on to tho oud.
Ills PARENTS.
%. ". Hunter. nH lio alw.yB wrote his namc.
ras tho son OF Robert aud Anno uuulor, Will
Inns his second namo, was givcn by Ills mother,
}er own maiden name. Robert Hunter camo Of
family OF some wealth III holland, aud was of
ootch-Irisl, desccut. Tho exact time nobtrt
funter came to Auaerica cannot bo giyen but lie
kas an officer In tho Revolutionary War. His
pmmisslon ia from s'Tho Uaitcd Statca of
america in Congress assembled" and runs to
'1sobert llnntor, Gontloma,."
That Ereat struggle YaH not without ia ro!ax-
Ioun.ry villago ,oar El.zabet!ltown, n. j., slo
>eing "a resident OF that city. The
adv did what lilo british Army combined
Eo,d not DO, conquered tho hoart Of the Young
tedlous. OIL Feb. Q, 1859, tho twain were mar-
tiod. Tho year following, Ills regiment laY In
kentucky, wlore his rife accompanied lin. aud
ln Dec. ~, 17s9' chnrlos ". 1fnntor was born,
both Hunter, died ut the ago of 1 year. ChnrloB
Ems not yet IL yeara old whom his fathora
hmonted oeath loft him to tho solo caro- Of Ills
mother. subsequently,, sho married an officer
BY the namo OF Webster, but this union WAS
phild. Mrs. Webster ia represented to have been.
woman Of much force Of character, and ono
that inspired great reverence in the minds OF
The young. Tho character OF tho aon makes
tuch faots presumable, but little information Of
lhis period is now at communal.
lie WAS APPOINTED TO A pApTA1SoY
by James nladleon in tho War Of 1872, HiB
commission bears date July Of that year.
Preyioua to this, but at what exact tinlo caunot
be stated, no married, for wo find hin wife waH
with him when ho joined his command ut platts-
burg. He Borvcd with distinction through tho
war; WIS promoted to the rank Of Colonel for
ga1lantrY; held II position OIL Harrison n atnF,
a,'d remained greatly attached to that Ge+leral
through life.
AFTER THE wAH,
probably In 1878, in connection with Col.
Clemona, he went into mercantile bus,lcBs III
6t. Louis. They woro personal friends and
brother officers in the aumo wnr. Each bore the
title Of Colonel. This, in tito transaction Of
business, sometimes brought about little mis-
takcB, 10, to avoid confusion, ho being tho
younger man, Col. Hunter proposed hence
forth to bo addressed rs Major. From TINT
time he wus always kuown ns hlaj. Hunter.
In 1920, he removed to Illinois, establishing
himself in that part OF Alton Isllomn tn this tay
III "lInntor's Town." nud Bt1l continued i'll
mercantile business.
His FAMILY.
He hnd good house, With the comforts and
conycnicnccs Ut older States, but this did not
exempt tho family from the ,niaamatio foyers of
9 now country, and, in common with othors, they
~ero rroarrated with sicknoHs 10 the great
grief md rfepalablo io7s of hor hus-
first yoar Of their residence III thia
State, moro than fifty years ago. Tut I
huve mot with somo who knew hor, and who
epeaL IN high torlns OF ilor vigorul,s intellect,
tue peraos,, mud ladyliAe lnanuers. her m,uidor,
Martin n1nltIrSnl n1iff ft1n roHifnf in
6omeryi!lo, N. J. aLnior Hunter was tnus left
nloue. No. not alone. for thrco motLerlesB oncB
clung around linn, their only .paront: Tho ed-
est, Bloohlio!d, called after Guy. Bloomfield n
sucond Bo1l was named by hin grandmother
Hunter, Hampton. NJ silo hid most jHstitable
pride IN hcr temcto ancestor, tho cousin of Crom-
yolE, hta'snch John ilam1nlon. Tho coat Of arua
hood -marriod, but died several years previous
to his father, His widow and ch!ldlon wero not
long ago. and aro probably still, ros.diug in jack
Honyille, in this StAte.
prominent merchant OF Alton. 1hoy, t!,oir
children, and grandchildren now rosllo in that
city. THO present writer first bccn,uo aeuantod
with Maj. Hunter in December, 1851. llo waH
then living in q second houho OF AiA own build
ing. and 1nany will remc1nber the comnnratyo
elegance Of Tint homo ths opon hospitality Of
the owner mud hiB beautiful daughter, tho uni
vergally beloved Sarah Hunter.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
At this time. eayery hud excited no particular
attention at Alton. 1 do not know tlls taot, but
The probabilities aro that tho Major WAS q
CololizatiouiBt. Strange aB IL may Hoem, most
persona opposed to Hiavory ut tlliB period an
ohored their hopes in that Society. lilo slaves
seomed no rockless, shiftlesB and utterly incapa-
Dig, that mon did not Aco wlnt could bo do.e
with thou, but regarded colonization, it not W
pauacea, still az project that might keep the
popular mind from going wholly 10 sleep over
tho subject. Not much wau said in conversation
Of the matter, but there woro those who consid.
cred slavory ain, aud some few who thought
al countnnanco given to slavery sinful. A foW
could not DO Induced to employ slaye.labor.
~ LITTLE INCIDENT,
somewhat illustrative, occurred soon aflor my
coming to Alton. Blayos, whose owners lived III
Missouri, often hlroa out here. 4 lady chi
Ing, At its close she paid her prize,
which was to go to Lor mistress III
St. Louis. The lady did not feel wholly
at easo about It, and made present Of 25 cents
to the girl for her own benefit. IIcr husband
oame homo, and, learning TINT slave labor latl
boon employed In his family, tho 1natror waa