Summary:
Union General David Hunter writes to Ulysses S. Grant in late 1864 to explain the
problems he had in the Valley the previous summer. He mentions a falling out
with William Averell at Staunton.
Lieut. Gen. U. S. GRANT:
WASHINGTON,
December 6, 1864.
DEAR GEN.:
I inclose you one of the telegrams received from Gen. Halleck on the 17th of July, referred to in my last note. You can very readily imagine that the reception of such a dispatch, after I had been working hard, night and day, for two months, would have a very depressing tendency. When I relieved Sigel I found his command very much disorganized and demoralized, from his recent defeat at New Market, and the three generals with it, Sigel, Stahel, and Sullivan, not worth one cent; in fact, very much in my way. I supposed, however, that you were busily engaged with Lee, and that it was important that I should try and create a diversion in your taken it, if it had not been for the stupidity and conceit of that fellow Averell, who unfortunately joined me at Staunton, and of whom I unfortunately had at the time a very high opinion, and trusted him when I should not have done so.
As for occupying all the gaps, so as to prevent the enemy getting between me and Washington, it was a perfect impossibility; I supposed you were fighting Lee before Richmond, and that it was all important that I should push on. I was not informed that I had any thing to do with the defense of Washington, and supposed Gen. Halleck had made ample provision for this purpose. I hope, general, you will do me the justice to say that I have done my whole duty, and I beg that you will give me a command of some kind. If I am, not deemed worthy of a corps, give me a division, a brigade, or a regiment. I have tried to do my whole duty, and if I have failed, I am much mortified.
Sincerely, your friend,
D. HUNTER.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 37, Serial No. 71, Pages 366-367, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
