year, a member of your congregation, and take this opportunity of gratefully acknowledging my indebtedness to your teachings. Your letter would have been earlier answered, had not pressing duties too fully occupied my time. Believe me, Sir, very truly, your obliged and obedient servant, D. HUNTER. P. S.—None of the carefully fostered delusions by which slavery has sustained itself at the North, is more absurd than the bugbear of "a general migration of negroes to the North," as a necessary sequence of emancipation. So far is this from being the fact, that although it is well known that I give passes North to all negroes asking them, not more than a dozen have applied to me for such passes since my arrival here, their local attachments being apparently much stronger than with the white race. My experience GEN. McCLERNAND. Major General John Alexander McCLERNAND was born in Breckinridge county, Ky., May 30th, 1812. Upon the death of his father, in 1816, his mother removed to Shawneetown, Illinois, where he acquired his education in the village school. When not attending school, he worked on a farm. In 1827, he commenced the study of the law, and was admitted to the bar in 1830. The same year he volunteered in the war against the Sac and Fox Indians, serving in the ranks as a private until the war was closed by the battle of Bad Axe. Ill health rendered it necessary, after his return home, that he should defer professional practice until his health should be restored by more active life. Accordingly, for two years, during 1833-4, he traded upon the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. With the pecuniary means thus acquired, he was better enabled to engage successfully in his profession. his election to Congress, in 1843. In the mean- In 1836, he was elected to the State Legislature from the county of Gallatin. He was then twenty-four years of age. Politics ran high. Gen. Jackson's administration was violently opposed. The Whigs expected to overthrow it, and with it, the ascendancy of the Democratic party. In this crisis, Governor Duncan, who had been repeatedly elected to In 1835, he established the first Democratic Congress as a Democrat and political friend of press that ever existed in Shawneetown. The Gen. Jackson, made a violent attack upon him, paper published, of which he was the editor, in his message to the Legislature of 1836. was called the Democrat. In the same year he He denounced him or the abuse of executive opened an office in Shawneetown, and com- patronage; for wasteful and increased expenmenced the practice of law in the several ditures; for vetoing the bill to recharter the courts of the judicial circuit. He continued United States Bank; for the removal of the to practice his profession with success until deposits, and for other alleged delinquencies. The friends of the Governor, at home and abroad, predicted that he would be able to revolutionize the politics of the State. The contest became fierce, and the excitement intense. In this state of things, a legislative committee was raised to investigate the charges preferred by the Governor against the President. Mr. McClernand, in behalf of the committee, prepared and presented a report, which thoroughly discussed all the mooted political topics of the day, and defended and vindicated the administration of the President. It is known that the State was finally saved to the Democratic party. During the same session of 1836-7, a system of internal improvements was adopted. Mr. McClernand had been elected, and, after his election, had been formally instructed by his constituents to support such a system. No alternative, therefore, was allowed him, but to violate instructions, or vote for the system if he retained his seat. Accordingly, he voted for the system, and advocated, in a speech, the general policy of public improvements by the States. He has subsequently stated, in the councils of the State, that he regretted the necessity for the part he took upon this question more than anything which had occurred in connection with his political career. Referring to this subject at a subsequent period, he thus expresses himself: great and popular work. Mr. McClernand was an efficient and bold advocate of what is known as the "deep-cut plan," which, with some amendments, was finally adopted. After the controversy had been adjusted, the offices of commissioner and treasurer of the canal were tendered to him, and he was elected unanimously, we believe, by the Legislature. In 1837, he entered upon the duties of this twofold office. In the spring of 1839, the State found herself without adequate means to carry on the work, and Mr. McClernand, deeming it useless to continue his connection with it, resigned the office. His faithful administration of his responsible trust upon the canal was responded to by complimentary resolutions adopted at public meetings. In 1840, Mr. McClernand was elected a second time to the Legislature from the county of Gallatin. A large majority of Democrats were returned to both branches. The most exciting question of the session was the passage of the new Judiciary Bill. The Supreme Court had given great offence to the people of the State, not only on account of its decision on the quo warranto, but especially with reference to the right of aliens to vote under the Constitution of the State. The Legislature went to work to reform the judiciary, and this was done. In the debate upon the bill having this last-mentioned object in view, Mr. McClernand, on the authority of a highly respectable gentleman, made a statement imputing improper conduct to the Supreme Court in regard to a cause involving the exercise of the elective franchise, to which Theophilus W. Smith, of the Judges of the Supreme Court, took exception. The consequence was a chal accepted by Mr. McClernand, who immediately repaired to the place of meeting. But the Judge failed to do so, and the hostile meeting never took place. "If we look to the circumstances of the time, we shall find a satisfactory solution of the matter. Railroads and canals were the mania of the time. Banks had multiplied; paper money had become never so plenty; speculation had inflamed the public mind, and become rife throughout Europe and America. Causes of imperious and world-wide operation lenge from Judge Smith, which was promptly were driving nations and individuals, heedless and infatuated, upon the treacherous rocks of speculation. The extravagance committed by Illinois, was committed, in greater or less degree, by almost every State in the Union, and by thousands of individuals. Her failure, therefore, was not an exception, but a misfortune in which individuals and nations equally shared. The convulsion and the calamity were general; their causes originated in the great and mysterious law which appoints to human affairs the periodical fluctuations which are typified in the diurnal fluctuations of the sea." During the same session of 1836-7, a controversy arose respecting the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which had well-nigh defeated that In December, 1840, Mr. McClernand, Adam W. Snyder, then former representative in Congress, and afterward Democratic nominee for Governor, whose election was only prevented by his death, James H. Ralston, Isaac P. Walker and John W. Eldridge, were nominated by a State Convention for electors to support Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Johnson, Democratic candidates for President and VicePresident. The Whig ticket for electors, pledged to support Gen. Harrison and John Tyler, were Samuel D. Marshall, Edwin B. Webb, Abraham Lincoln, now President of the United States, Cyrus Walker and Buckner S. Morris. The canvass was no ordinary one. It was an energetic struggle, protracted for months: the stake was a State which might, as was supposed by many, decide the election. The result was a majority of about four thousand votes for Van Buren and Johnson in that portion of the State, the majority in the whole State being about nineteen hundred. In 1842, Mr. McClernand was a third time elected to the Legislature, and the year following, while still a member of the Legislature, was elected a representative to the twenty-eighth Congress. Before taking his seat, he married Sarah, daughter of Col. Dunlap, of Jacksonville, Ill. As a member of Congress, he soon won the confidence of his political friends, His first speech, which was upon the bill to remit the fine imposed upon Gen. Jackson by Judge Hall, evinced the warm affection which he had cherished from his youth up for that illustrious man. During the second session of the same Congress, he brought forward, as a member of the Committee on Public Lands, a comprehensive and interesting report, accompanied by a bill for a grant of land to ai din the completion of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. In 1844, in consequence of a change of the usual time, by an act of the Legislature, another election for representatives in Congress came on, and Mr. McClernand was re-elected without opposition. In 1846, he was a third time elected, and again without opposition in 1848 and 1850 he was elected. In 1852 he was not a candidate for Congress, but headed the Democratic electoral ticket. In 1854, Mr. McClernand removed to Jacksonville, and in 1857, to Springfield, practicing law at both places. He was chairman of the Committee on Resolutions in the Democratic State Convention of 1858, which formally repudiated Lecomptonism, and sustained Senator Douglas. In 1859, he was nominated for Congress in the Springfield district, and served until the breaking out of the war, when he resigned his seat, returned to Illinois, and with Col. (now Brig. General) John A. Logan and Col. P. B. Fouke, both members of Congress, raised the McClernand Brigade. The President appointed him immediately proceeded to Cairo, where he secured, during his administration of military affairs there, the respect and good-will of all under his command. He accompanied Gen. Grant to Belmont with his brigade, and in the engagement he displayed great military capacity. The day after the battle, Gen. McClernand issued the following General Order (No. 15) to his gallant troops: BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, CAMP CAIRO, The General commanding the First Brigade of Illinois Volunteers takes pleasure in meeting to-day those who conferred honor upon his command by their gallantry and good conduct on yesterday. Few of you had before seen a battle. You were but imperfectly disciplined, and supplied with inferior arms. Yet you marched upon a concealed enemy, of superior numbers, on ground of their own choosing. You drove them steadily before you for two miles of continued fighting, and forced them to seek shelter in their entrenchments at Belmont, beneath the heavy batteries at Columbus. You drove them from their position, and destroyed their camp-bringing with you, on retiring, two hundred prisoners, two field-pieces, and a large amount of other property. Reinforced from Columbus, they formed in large numbers in your rear, to cut you off, while the heavy guns were playing upon your ranks. Fighting the same ground over again, you drove them a second time. A portion of the command, becoming separated from the rest, made a successful and well ordered movement by another route, and returned to the river. After a day of fatiguing marches, fighting as you marched, having been nearly six hours actually engaged, you re-embarked and returned to your camps. On looking along your ranks to-day, the commanding General has cause to mourn the absence of many of his gallant men-the victims of inexorable war. Some laid down their lives on the battle-field, offering their blood freely, and giving their last and most glorious mowounds, and suffer more than those who died, ments to their country. Others bear honorable yet it is hoped they will resume their duties and win new honors. While mourning the dead and offering sympathy to the suffering, the General commanding gratefully acknowledges his gratitude, and offers the thanks of a grateful country and State to the officers and soldiers of Illinois under his command, for their gallantry and good conduct. equally prompt, and better prepared for battle When again called upon, he hopes to find you and for victory. By order of JOHN A. McCLERNAND, Brigadier General Commanding. Gen. McClernand was present at the capture a Brigadier General, May 17, 1861, and he of Fort Henry and also at Fort Donelson, where, with his noble division, composed exclusively of Illinois troops, he acted a prominent part in its capture. A Massachusetts writer penned the following lines on hearing of the glorious victory: McClernand's division, composed of Oglesby's, Wallace's and McArthur's brigades, suffered terribly. They were composed of the Eighth, Ninth, Eleventh, Eighteenth, Twentieth,Twenty-ninth,Thirtieth,Thirtyfirst, Forty-fifth, Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Illinois regiments. The Eighth, Eighteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first Illinois regiments occupied a position above the Fort. The four Illinois regiments held their ground full three hours. Nearly one-third had been killed and wounded. Yet the balance stood firm. O gales that dash th' Atlantic's swell Bear to the prairies of the West The prayer that springs in every breast: Oh! awful hours, when grape and shell "Stand firm, remove the men who fell, It came at last, "Now lads, the steel!" "Charge, boys!"-the broken traitors reel- In vain thy rampart, Donelson, Thy proudest mother's eyelids fill, And Plymouth Rock and Bunker Hill For gallantry displayed at the taking of Ft. Donelson, he was made a Major General, March 21, 1862. On the hotly-contested field of Shiloh, Gen. McClernand was present, and rendered valuable service in both day's battles. He was constantly in the field with his division from that date until September, when he was ordered to Springfield to assist Gov. Yates in organizing the new volunteer regiments raised under the President's calls for 600,000 men. GEN. POPE. Major General JOHN POPE was born in Kas- at Buena Vista was brevetted a Captain, his kaskia, Illinois, March 12th, 1823. His father commission bearing date February 23, 1847. was the well known Judge Nathaniel Pope, In 1849, he conducted the Minnesota Exof Virginia, who removed to Kentucky some ploring Expedition; having accomplished time before the birth of his son, and after- which, he was entrusted with the conduct of wards settled in Illinois. He was a delegate an expedition sent out by the Government to to Congress from Illinois before its organiza- test the feasibility of boring artesian wells in tion as a State, in 1828, and was afterwards the celebrated Staked Plain, stretching beappointed District Judge. His son was ap- tween Texas and New Mexico, for some pointed a cadet in the West Point Military hundreds of miles in length, and about sevenAcademy, from Illinois, in 1838, having re- ty-five in width, and partially in the territory ceived a thoroughly good preliminary educa- of each. The region takes its Spanish name tion, and acquitted himself so well at the from the fact that owing to its aridity and Academy as to form one of the distinguished barrenness, the Indians were compelled to graduating class in 1842, and was commis- stake out tracks to enable them to cross it sioned a brevet Second Lieutenant in the corps with rapidity and certainty. Not a drop of of Topographical Engineers on the 1st of July water is found throughout its extent, and yet, of the same year. In the Mexican war, Lieut. as it lies directly on the best overland mail Pope was attached to the army under Gen. routes between the eastern and western slopes Taylor. At the battle of Monterey he won of the Union, it was of the greatest importhis First Lieutenancy, the new commission ance that it should be made traversable. With bearing date Sept. 23, 1846; and for gallantry a view to do this, the artesian well enterprise |