Grant I applied to you. You responded nobly, by placing your forces at my disposal. This enabled me to win the victory. Receive my most heartfelt thanks."

On the eleventh of March, General Hunter's department was consolidated with that of Halleck's, and, accordingly, he was relieved, but was immediately appointed to the department of the South. He arrived at Port Royal, S. C., at the end of the month, and issued an order assuming command, and also one of thanks to his predecessor, Brigadier-General Sherman, for valuable services and information rendered.

On the tenth of April, General Hunter demanded the surrender of Fort Pulaski from the rebels, and on receiving a negative reply from Colonel Olmstead, the commander, he directed an attack to be made, under the immediate supervision of Brigadier-General Gillmore. Fire was opened upon the Fort, the bombardment continuing without intermission for thirty hours. At the end of eighteen hours' firing the Fort was breached in the south-east angle, and at the moment of surrender, at two P.M. of the eleventh, preparations had been commenced for storming. In his report, General Hunter gives great praise to the various officers directing the several movements, and he expresses an opinion that "the result of the bombardment must cause a change in the construction of fortifications, for no works of stone or brick can resist the impact of rifled artillery of heavy calibre."

On the ninth of May, he issued an order stating that the States of SouthCarolina, Georgia, and Florida were, on and from the twenty-fifth April preceding, under martial law, and added: "Slavery and martial law in a free country are altogether incompatible. The persons in these States heretofore held as slaves are, therefore, declared for ever free." The President, however, disavowed this, on the ground that compensation should attend emancipation. But Hunter's order elicited the sentiments of many people on the subject, and with regard to the policy of the Government.

This induced General Hunter to resign his command, but in a short time afterward he was reäppointed to the same department. On the second of June, he left Hilton Head to accompany the expedition against James Island, as planned by General Benham, but he returned in a short time.

During the period of General Hunter's stay in command of the South, there was not much done in the way of active operations, owing to the small force at his disposal.

On the twenty-third of April, 1863, Hunter wrote to Jefferson Davis with reference to colored prisoners, and threatened retaliation if they were harshly or unjustifiably treated. In May, he addressed the Governor of Massachusetts, and bore testimony to the general good conduct of the negro troops. He had previously caused the able-bodied negroes from the neighboring planta

tions to be formed into regiments and drilled by competent officers, and he now concluded that they could be made excellent soldiers.

On the twelfth of June, 1863, General Hunter was relieved from his command, and on the fourteenth of November was sent on a tour of inspection through the military district of the Mississippi.

On the twentieth of May, 1864, he was appointed to relieve Sigel in command of West-Virginia, and on the twenty-second arrived at Cumberland, taking up his headquarters in the field. Immediately afterward he issued an imperative order in relation to derelict officers of guards and outposts. The occasion of this was, a cavalry officer on picket-duty had allowed himself to be surprised by the enemy and his command captured. This officer General Hunter discharged from the service, and then publicly announced his intention to show no leniency to future offenders, for "any act of mercy in such cases would be a crime against the whole command put in jeopardy by their negligence or inefficiency." On the other hand, he said that "all who faithfully did their duty should be promptly recognized and rewarded." This order was soon followed by another, giving directions for all superfluous baggage and material to be sent back to Martinsburgh, and the whole army under his command to be kept in such an efficient state that prompt and energetic movements could be made. Strict discipline would be enforced, and all brigade and other commanders would be held responsible for any negligence or disregard in this respect.

On the first of June the enemy made an attempt to check the advance of Hunter's army, but were repulsed, and our forces marched on to Harrisonburgh, which was occupied without any difficulty. On leaving Harrisonburgh, Hunter divided his men into two columns, one taking the direct road to Staunton, and the other to Port Republic. This latter there encountered the enemy, who were driven back, while the first or right column of the army got into an engagement near Mount Crawford with the rebels under General Jones. The fight occurred on the fifth of June, and resulted in complete success to the Union cause. Jones was killed, and Hunter's victory was so complete that, after capturing twenty guns, several prisoners, and a large quantity of stores, he was able, without opposition, to enter Staunton, which had been hastily evacuated at his approach. At the same time he effected a junction with Generals Crook and Averill.

From Staunton Hunter proceeded to Lexington, driving before him a large rebel force of cavalry, and thence taking the route to Lynchburgh by way of Buchanan. On the seventeenth of June, the enemy made a stand at about four miles from Lynchburgh, but after a fight of three or four hours were forced to continue their retreat. The next day, General Hunter heard of the enemy having been heavily reënforced from Richmond, and finding himself running short of ammunition, with a scarcity of supplies, it was determined in a council of

war to retreat. Accordingly, he moved back to Salem via Liberty. At both places the enemy, in force, attacked him, but were repulsed, and this, too, under difficulties that most severely tried both officers and men. Want of food, added to a march over wild and abrupt mountains, and through dangerous passes with forest-clad steeps of great height on either side, taxed the forbearance of all to the utmost limits. Still General Hunter contrived to keep his army together until reaching Meadow's Bluff, where more than a million rations had been left by Crook and Averill a few days previous, under charge of two Ohio militia regiments. Great was the disappointment on finding these militiamen had been driven away. by guerrillas, and had taken some of the provisions with them to Loup Creek. Thither General Hunter's forces followed, and at Gauley Bridge was met by the supply-trains he had ordered. Thence, in advance of his command, he reached Parkersburgh, and there, for the first time, heard of the rebel raid into Maryland. Immediately he labored hard to reequip and hurry forward his troops, but the railway had been greatly damaged by the rebels, and the Ohio had not over two feet of water-depth in it. This greatly impeded the sending on his men in time; nevertheless, by great exertions, he managed to despatch ten thousand of them before the sixteenth July.

Meanwhile, however, the War Office had given orders for all his available troops to report to Major-General Wright, and, deeming this virtually a censure upon him, he has now demanded to be relieved of his command, though still actively engaged in directing his forces against the enemy.

M

GEORGE STONEMAN.

AJOR-GENERAL GEORGE STONEMAN was born at Busti, Chautauque County, New-York, August eighth, 1822. His father was a respectable farmer, and one of the earliest settlers in the Western part of the State, to which he removed just after the war of 1812. The son entered West-Point at the age of twenty, and was graduated in 1846, standing thirty-third in a class of fiftynine. McClellan, Stonewall Jackson, Foster, Reno, and Couch were his classmates, and Stonewall Jackson was his room-mate.

On leaving West-Point, Stoneman was attached to the First dragoons, then commanded by the gallant Stephen Watts Kearny, and ordered at once to join his company at Fort Leavenworth. He was put in charge of the first wagontrain sent from that post to Santa Fé, over what was then called the "Santa Fé trail." The animals nearly all gave out for want of grass and water, and Lieutenant Stoneman determined to go on ahead to Santa Fé and procure fresh ones. Taking with him one man, he made the journey of two hundred and sixty miles through a country inhabited by hostile Indians and still more hostile Mexicans, in four days; obtained the animals, returned to his companions, and brought the train through in safety. By this time, however, his dragoon company had started for California with General Kearny, and he was ordered to accompany the Mormon battalion, as Quartermaster, in their celebrated march from Nauvoo through Santa Fé to California. As soon as they reached their destination, in January, 1847, Lieutenant Stoneman joined his company at San Diego, and for the next six years was constantly with it, patrolling various parts of the Pacific territories, punishing hostile Indians, surveying and opening roads, escorting exploring parties, etc.

In 1854, he travelled through Mexico and the West-Indies. The same year he was promoted to be First Lieutenant. Returning to California in January, 1855, he became aid-de camp to Major-General Wool, then commanding the Department of the Pacific, but he did not retain that position long, for having been appointed Captain in the Second dragoons, he joined his regiment, then commanded by Albert Sidney Johnston, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, in September of the same year. The regiment set out for Texas in November, and from that time until the rebellion of 1861, except for about a year and a half, during