Creator: Hunt, Philemon Burgess, 1837/10/11 - 1915/04/05
Physical Description: .15 Linear Feet
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This sub-series contains one-hundred and seventy-five correspondences from Philemon Burgess Hunt. In his letters, he writes
to various members of the Hunt family about the poor weather, gossipping about neighbors and acquaintances, the marriages
and funerals of family and friends, passing on news from the family, dull Christmas celebrations, business on the farm, requesting
his sister Mary to write him and the family more often, inquiring about news from extended family, wanting to visit his sister
in New Jersey but being unable to due to working on the farm, awaiting his sister's trip home to Lexington, Kentucky, observing
Comet Donati's rare appearance, hunting excursions with the brothers, Gavine Drummond, Sr.'s search for a new home to rent,
moving into their new house, a fire which burned down their local church, attending local parties and weddings, the conditions
of the family's horses, congratulating his younger brother Gavine Drummond, Jr. on his studies, instances of typhoid fever
spreading in Lexington, attending a trial involving his brother Albert being caught in a street-corner gun battle, giving
advice to Gavine Jr. about schooling, working in the Lexington County Court clerk's office, the election of Leslie Combs to
Clerk of the Court of Appeals in Lexington, joining the Enrolled Militia, the "Lexington Chaussers", voting for John Bell
and Edward Everett in the 1860 presidential election, his hope that Abraham Lincoln will make a good president, accepting
Lewis as a surgeon under his command in the militia, the commencement of the Civil War and joining the army under General
William "Bull" Nelson at Camp Dick Robinson, his appointment to the rank of Major, taking temporary command of the 1st Regiment
"Kentucky Volunteers" after commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel John Croxton fell sick, hoping Gavine Jr. will join the
war on the side of the Union, his pride over fighting for the Union ("I have no idea when I can come home, it may be very
soon, and it may be some time before, indeed it may never be, but if I should be killed in this war my dear sister, you will
have the consolation to know that your brother fell in defense of the flag of his Country"), being transferred to the 4th
Kentucky Infantry, rejecting the idea of marriage, troop movements and positionings, interrogating a deserter from the Confederacy,
offering Gavine Jr. multiple positions in the regiment, defeating the Confederates and killing General Felix Zollicoffer at
the Battle of Mill Springs, giving his opinion on the Mason and Slidell Affair (Trent Affair), taking part in the Battle of
Shiloh, finally convincing Gavine Jr. to join the Union army, preparing for the Siege of Corinth, hearing about his brothers
George and Albert joining the Confederate army, being assigned to preside over court martials, fearing for his family after
Lexington is captured by the Confederacy, criticizing General Don Buell for being unable to act quickly, taking part in the
Battle of Murfreesboro, chasing General John Morgan through Kentucky, Gavine Jr.'s transfer to the 3rd Kentucky Regiment,
asking his family for photographs, attempting to convince the military command and government to turn his infantry regiment
to cavalry, hosting local women visitors at the camp, preparing for the Tullahoma Campaign, hearing of the capture of his
brothers as prisoners of war and General Morgan's defeat, being shot in the leg below the knee during the Battle of Chickamauga
and being sent home to Lexington to recover, Albert's escape from the prisoner-of-war camp, requesting for Gavine Jr.'s body
to be brought to Lexington, attending his brother's funeral and acquiring his possessions, considering resigning from the
military, his glee over the 4th Kentucky Regiment being converted into a cavalry unit, desiring to purchase his own farm,
working with his father to tend after horses for the government, officially tendering his military resignation while volunteering
to continue helping the army, hoping for his brothers' safety after they become involved in the Battle of the Wilderness,
the capture of Paris and Lexington by Morgan's Raiders, and settling into post-war life.
These letters can be found on pages 33, 63-64, 73-74, 79, 88-89, 90-91, 94-95, 110, 116, 122-123, 125, 131-132, 134, 139-140,
149, 156, 157-158, 159-160, 162-163, 164-165, 166-167, 169-170, 174-175, 179, 185-186, 192-193, 197, 202-204, 220-221, 222-223,
225-226, 234, 243-244, 249, 251, 260-261, 261-262, 269, 279-280, 285-286, 305-306, 306, 312-313, 319, 327, 334-335, 378-381,
416-418, 432-433, 457-458, 463-464, 464-465, 468-469, 469-470, 472-473, 473-474, 474-476, 481-483, 483-484, 484-485, 485-486,
488, 494-495, 495-496, 496-497, 501-503, 503-504, 508-509, 509-510, 512-513, 513-515, 527-528, 535-537, 546, 552-553, 562,
566-567, 575-576, 582, 583, 592, 613, 629-630, 631, 634, 637-638, 648-649, 649-650, 658-659, 662, 662-663, 663-664, 664-665,
667-668, 676, 677, 677-678, 679, 681, 683-684, 684-685, 685, 686, 695-696, 696-697, 698-699, 701-702, 707-708, 720, 721-722,
723, 729, 732-733, 733, 737, 741, 747-748, 749-750, 755, 755-756, 756-757, 758, 758, 759-760, 760-761, 762, 763, 766, 767,
769, 770, 771-772, 772-773, 775-776, 776, 777, 778-779, 779-780, 780-781, 784, 784-785, 785, 785-787, 787-789, 790, 792, 792-793,
794-795, 796, 796-797, 797-798, 798-799, 799, 800-801, 801-802, 803, 803-804, 804, 806-807, 809-810, 810, 811, 811-812, 812,
814, 815-816, 819-821, 827-828, 828, 828-829, 830, 834-835, and 838-839, respectively.
Biographical / Historical
Philemon Burgess Hunt was born on 11 October 1837 near Lexington, Kentucky, He attended Transylvania University High School
in Lexington. He was interested in joining a local militia, and eventually became a part of the Lexington Chaussers. Once
the Civil War begins, his militia is placed to defend Lexington from the Confederacy. Philemon is conscripted into the U.S.
Army as an Adjutant for Colonel S.S. Fry's regiment, shortly thereafter earning the rank of Acting Major. He writes home often,
attempting to convince his brother Gavine Drummond, Jr. to sign up with the Union army. He doesn't see battle until the Battle
of Mill Springs in 1862, in which he attempted to rally the troops against the enemy regiment. He later informs Gavine Jr.
that Col. Fry has ordered him into service. Philemon and Gavine Jr., both now part of the same regiment, took part in the
Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Corinth, the Battle of Perryville, and the Battle of Hartsville, until Gavine Jr. is transferred.
In 1863, he temporarily takes command of the regiment for a few months while his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel John
Coxton, takes leave due to illness. Philemon is shot in the leg, just below the knee, during the Battle of Chickamauga. He
is eventually sent home to Lexington for recovery. After helping convert his Infantry unit into a Cavalry unit and mourning
the death of his brother Gavine Jr., Philemon shortly thereafter resigns from the military in 13 April 1864. However, later
that year, he was nearly attacked by Confederate soldiers after returning from a business trip in Louisville, Kentucky. After
retiring from the military, he joins his father in the horse and mule business. In 1866, he moved to Mississippi to manage
a cotton plantation. A year later, he returned to Lexington and became the Cashier of the Internal Revenue Service in Lexington.
In 1874, he was appointed by President Grant to be Supervisor of Internal Revenue of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi,
and Louisiana, holding the position until its discontinuation in 1876. He was later appointed by President Grant to the position
of Indian Agent for the Kiowa, Comance, Apache, and Wichita tribes in Indian Territory in 1879. On 21 October 1879, Philemon
married Margaret Scott Gallagher. They had two children, Winnie on 23 August 1879, and Gavine Drummond Hunt (in honor of his
brother) on 30 December 1881, though Winnie died the same day as her birth. He concluded his service as Indian Agent in 1885,
moving to Graham, Texas with his family and later joined by his brother George. In April 1892, President Benjamin Harrison
appointed him United States Marshal for the northern district of Texas, requiring him to temporarily move to Dallas and returning
to the family farm two years later. In 1897, he was again sought after, this time by President McKinley, who appointed him
Collector of Internal Revenue for the Texas northern district, requiring a permanent move to Dallas. He held the position
until 1912, when the southern district in Austin merged with the northern district. He kept himself a part of the community
in Dallas until his death on 5 April 1915.