Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-10-07
LINCOLN'S GLIDING.

r1is Gentle Reproof In Reply to General
Hunters Ugly Letter.
Another remarkable evidence OF the
great kindliness Of heart OF Abraham
lincoln has been brought to light III
the form of a long lost letter which the
martyred president wrote to General
Daniel Hunter in 1861.
General Hunter was in command OF
the department of Kansas at the time
this particular letter was written. 1t
spems he considered himself dishonored
by an appointment to the rather op-
scure military post, and be wrote TO tne
president protesting against 1t. LIN
coins characteristic reply was as fol-
lows:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81 1861.
Major General Hunter:
DE.p StR-Yours Of the 23d is received, and
| am constrained to say it is difficult to answer
| 60 uplv a letter in good temper. am, as you
intimate. losing much Of the great confidence
| 7 plaeed in you, not from any act or commas
| SIGN of yours touching the public service up TO
| th, time you were sent to Leavenwortn, Dut
from the flood Of grumbling dispatches ana leu
| ters have seen from you since. knew you
| were being ordered to Leavenworth at the
| time IL was done, and aver that, with as ten
dor 81 regard for your honor and your sensi-
| bilities as had for my own, 1t never occurred
| TO me that you were being Illuminated IN
| shifted and disgraced," nor have up TO tnls
day heard any intimation that you have been
| 1ronged coming from any one but yourself.
No one has blamed you for the retrograde
| movement from Springfield, nor for the 1nfor-
! nation YOU gave General Cameron, ana THIS
YOU could readily understand II II were not
for your unwarranted assumption that the or
dering to Leavenworth must necessarily nave
been done as q punishment for some fault. !
Thought then, and think yet, the position as
| signed to YOU Is as responsible and as honor
| ahle as that assigned to Buell. know that
| General Mcclellan expected more important
results from it. My impression is that at the
| time YOU were assigned to the new western
department it had not been determined to re,
| Mace General Sherman in Kentucky, but OF
this am not certain, because the idea that Q
| command in Kentucky was very desirable anC
| f-., "a. tie farther west undesirable mad never
occurrei to ne. You constantly speak OF De
ing placed in command of only 5000. Now, tel
} !, me- is not this mere lmpat1enceT Have you
not known all the while that you are to com
r,and four CT five times that many?
have been and en- sincerely your friend
| and if as s:,cil l dare to make suggestion
would say you are adopting the best POSSIBLE
l way to ruin yourself "Act well your part
| There all the honor les ne WIN uoeo 'o.iio
| thing at the head of one regiment will ecllps
. him who does nothing at the head of 100. You
| friond &c ever A. LINCOLN.
Z Nothing could have been better cal
r culated to allay the feelings OF persona
t wrong which must have possessed
j Hunter at the time. That he thought s.
q himself is shown by the following
t words, written by the dissatisfied gen
: eral on the big yellow envelope Ii
y which the letter had been sent:
8 "The presidents reply to my 'ugl
:, letter. This lay on his table mont
l. after it was written, and when final
= sent was by special conveyance, wit
It the direction that it was only to o
n given to me when was in good hu
p NOR. New York Sun.