1862-1888

Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889

Header Record

Title: Collection of Henry Jackson Hunt [Decimalized .001-.233]

Collection of letters, principally received correspondence, military returns, and one military journal. Includes military correspondence during the War, letters concerning Hunt's various post-war publishing endeavors, correspondence pertaining to Hunt's advocation of a bill which would affect his retirement rank and pay, and general discussions of Reconstruction politics. Primarily organized chronologically by sender. GLC02382.136-.204 consist of military returns related to artillery reserves, Army of the Potomac. With collateral material (11 envelopes, 4 clippings, and 1 engraving).

GLC02382

18 October 1862

Morgan, Charles Hale, 1834-1875

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram from Couch's Headquarters. Reports no trouble with officers and plans to fill batteries. Written one week before McClellan finally move the Army across the Potomac, and less than a month before McClellan was replaced. General Darius N. Couch had been in Charleston two days prior.

GLC02382.002

18 October 1862

Morgan, Charles Hale, 1834-1875

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram sent from Couch's Headquarters. Reports arrival of ammunition for French's Division (Fredericksburg). He wonders where to send it.

GLC02382.003

19 October 1862

Morgan, Charles Hale, 1834-1875

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram from Couch's Headquarters. He questions the appropriate number of enlisted soldiers for artillery corps, writes "The rush of recruits for my batteries is tremendous though bitterly opposed by infantry commanders." Transcript available.

GLC02382.004

25 October 1862

Wainwright, Charles Sheils, 1826-1907

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram sent from the headquarters of the 13th Corps. He corrects Hunt, stating that Hall's battery belongs to the 1st Penn. Regiment. The 13th Corps, comprising the Army of Tennessee, was created 24 October 1862.

GLC02382.007

27 October 1862

Platt, E.R., fl. 1862

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram. Inability to report until division reports come in. Platt was an artillery officer.

GLC02382.008

27 October 1862

Bartlett, William C., fl. 1862

Letter

Title: to William Hays

Order for Hunt, Hays, Bronson and Michalowski to meet at 5th Corps Headquarters, per order of Court of Inquiry. Lt. Bartlett was later breveted general. Lt. Col. Hays, an artillery officer under Hunt, was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in November 1862.

GLC02382.009

27 October 1862

Webb, Alexander S., 1835-1911

Letter

Title: to Alexander Doull

United States Military Telegram from the 5th Corps headquarters. Pledges assistance at their headquarters. Identifies Colonel Hays as chief of artillery. Webb had served as assistant inspector general for the Artillery, Army of the Potomac (ca. 15 August 1861 - summer 1862); lieutenant colonel and assistant adjutant general (20 August 1862 - 28 June 1863); assistant inspector general and chief of staff, 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac (September - November 1862). The 5th Corps was in Antietam at the beginning of October,1862. Doull served as an inspector of artillery.

GLC02382.010

1 November 1862

Pitkin, A. P., fl. 1862

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram. Captain Pitkin confirms transport of ordnance to Sandy Hook.

GLC02382.011

1862

Porter, Fitz-John, 1822-1901

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military Telegram. Requests an officer to assist Hazlett. Porter graduated from West Point in 1845, then was posted to the artillery. McClellan appointed him to command one of two provisional corps, and at Beaver Dam Greek, Gaines' Mill, and the start of the Seven Days battle, Porter displayed excellent generalship in defensive fighting. At Malvern Hill he played a leading role in covering the withdrawal of the army, and was subsequently awarded a second star and brevetted regular army brigadier. At 2nd Bull Run he was ordered to attack the flank and rear of Stonewall…

GLC02382.014

22 May 1863

Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Colonel

A pencil note written at a later date suggests this letter was written to Colonel Henry Knox Craig. Mentions the army's demoralization and questions the power of the Confederates. Writes, "As to the Army, I regret to say that the general feeling, of shame, disgust, and humiliation is well founded - I suppose it is very indiscreet to talk this but it is only to repeat all mens thoughts. So far as I can judge there is no earthly reason why the whole rebel army should not have been crushed - ruined... A Fitz John Porter, to shoulder the blame has been sought but so far as known, none is yet…

GLC02382.015

24 June 1863

Williams, Seth, 1822-1866

Letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Letterhead, "Head-Quarters, Army of the Potomac." Carbon copy, with Williams's signature and Hunt's notes on verso. The Commanding General [Meade] requests Hunt to proceed to Edwards' Ferry and prepare to post artillery there in preparation for the Gettysburg campaign. Career army staff officer Seth Williams served throughout the Civil War in top staff assignments with the armies in Virginia. A West Point graduate of 1842 from Maine, he had originally been posted to the artillery. He served with the Army of the Potomac throughout its campaigns and under its successive commanders: McClellan…

GLC02382.016

17 May 1864

Stanton, Robert A., 1839-?

Letter signed

Title: to Charles H. Whittelsey

Ordnance report during the Spotsylvania campaign. With Hunt's notes on verso. Written from the Ordnance Office Artillery Reserve. Charles H. Whittelsey (1832-1871) graduated from Yale in 1853. He served in the Civil War as a lieutenant in the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery in1862, and then on the staff of General Robert O. Tyler and General Horatio G. Wright. He received promotion to brevet major for his services in the 1864 campaign before Richmond and the 1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign; brevet lieutenant colonel for gallantry in the battles of Petersburg; and colonel for gallantry in…

GLC02382.018

23 December 1864

Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox Craig

Writes, "I trust you are right and that their [main?] armies were broken up that the rebels will give in in good faith, and return to their allegiance in peace, and quiet but I dont expect it. People who have sacrificed so much and showed their capacity in that way, who have suffered so much, and who are governed so much more by their passions, pride, and prejudices, than by their interests will not humiliate themselves on a question of conveniences, or comfort, or of easy habits... It will be I think with them, and in a greater degree, as it has been with the Mexicans. Nine out of ten…

GLC02382.019

December 27, 1864

Williams, Seth, 1822-1866

Manuscript

Title: Special Order No. 357

"True Copy" of special order extract. Written and with a signed attestation by Hunt. Assigns the siege train of the armies operating against Richmond, commanded by Brig. Genl. H.L. Abbott, to Hunt. Written from headquarters of the Army of the Potomac.

GLC02382.020

14 May 1864

Burton, Henry Stanton, fl. 1816-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Discusses moving a battery to Belle Plain during the Wilderness campaign. Written in pencil. Career artillerist Henry S. Burton emerged from the Civil War as a regular army brigadier general by brevet. The New York native had received his appointment to West Point from Vermont and was posted to the artillery upon his 1839 graduation. A veteran of both the Seminole and Mexican wars, he had also been a professor at West Point before the Civil War. After a year and a quarter as a prison commander, he joined the field armies and directed the reserve guns of the Army of the Potomac in the…

GLC02382.021

May 14, 1864

Burton, Henry Stanton, fl. 1816-1869

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Reports location near Salem Church with plans to proceed. Written in pencil. Printed date of 1863 is belied by the place of writing: Salem Church was abandoned by Union forces by this time in May 1863, but was the site of a battle in 1864 shortly after this date. Written at Salem Church

GLC02382.022

1864

Hunt, Henry Jackson, 1819-1889

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Notes concerning the Rapidan campaign and Burnside's corps]

Possibly written in May or June, with a later note by Hunt on verso dated Aug. 1882. Written on Artillery Head-Quarters, Army of the Potomac letterhead.

GLC02382.023

17 May 1864

Tompkins, C.H., fl. 1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Report of ammunition during artillery barrage (Wilderness). Written in pencil on letterhead for "Headquarters." Col. Tompkins was brevetted brigadier general and commanded the 6th Army Corps Artillery Brigade.

GLC02382.024

17 May 1864

Stanton, Robert A., 1839-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles H. Whittelsey

Captain Stanton reports a shortage of supplies and insufficient ordnance during Wilderness campaign. The letter was written from the Ordnance Office, probably near Cold Harbor, Virginia.

GLC02382.025

11 May 1864

Williams, Seth, 1822-1866

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Battle note with orders relayed from the Commanding General during Wilderness campaign. Written on letterhead for the Head Quarters, Army of the Potomac.

GLC02382.026

12 May [1864]

Tompkins, Charles, fl. 1864

Note signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Battle note, on scrap of paper, asking for cohorns (mortars). Year inferred based on date. Location was probably the Spotsylvania campaign.

GLC02382.027

17 May 1864

Wainwright, Charles Sheils, 1826-1907

Letter

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

United States Military telegram. Reports the arrival of ammunition during Wilderness campaign. Written in pencil.

GLC02382.028

circa May 18, 1864

Wainwright, Charles Sheils, 1826-1907

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Battle note re artillery: "I have almost no control of firing," describing positions and actions. Contains Hunt's reply on verso, questioning remaining supply. Written in pencil. The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (9-21 May) was the second battle in the 1864 Overland Campaign. Grant, whose force numbered 100,000, suffered 18,000 casualties. Lee, whose army had 52,000 men, suffered 12,000 casualties. Although Grant's losses were more numerous, Lee's army would never regain the initiative it held in early May 1864, and President Davis had to pull units from other theaters to reinforce…

GLC02382.029

17 May 1864

Wainwright, Charles Sheils, 1826-1907

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Jackson Hunt

Reports the status of artillery supplies during Spotsylvania campaign. Written in pencil on a very small piece of paper. Written from the General Artillery Brigade, 5th Corps.

GLC02382.030