Morton Craig Hunter (February 5, 1825 – October 25, 1896) was an officer in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

who later became a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, serving four terms between 1867 and 1879.

Biography

Morton Hunter was born in

Versailles, Indiana Versailles is a town in Johnson Township, Ripley County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,113 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Ripley County. History It was decided in 1818 a county seat should be located a ...

and knew the hardships of growing up in a pioneer home. His father John Hunter was a soldier in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and his Scottish immigrant grandfather served in the Revolutionary war. Morton Hunter graduated from the law department of

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

at Bloomington in 1849. After graduating he immediately married and practiced law in Bloomington. In 1858 he was elected to represent Monroe County in the State House of Representatives.

Civil War

In the summer of 1862 in response to Lincoln's call for volunteers, he organized the 82nd Indiana Infantry. On August 27, 1862, he was commissioned a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

by Governor

Oliver Morton Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877), commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th governor of Indiana during the American Civil War, and was ...

. At the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...

when Confederate Gen. Longstreet routed the right-wing of the Army of the Cumberland, Hunter on his own initiative was the first officer to form a new position on Horseshoe ridge that was to become the line that saved the army from destruction. His commanding officer John Connell wrote of Hunter's stubborn resistance on that ridge "which truly and most fortunately changed the fortunes of that disastrous day, and saved the army from worse than defeat." In the

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge, also known as the Battle of Chattanooga, was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union Army, Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on ...

Hunter's 82nd and the 99th Ohio were the first two regiments to attack Bragg's center with orders to halt after taking the Confederate line below Missionary ridge. Not content to be subjected to murderous fire from the high ground, the attacking units charged the ridge, and Hunter's 82nd was the first of his division to gain the summit and occupy the confederate works. The initiative of his and Ohio units collapsing

Bragg Bragg may refer to: Places *Bragg City, Missouri, United States * Bragg, Texas, a ghost town, United States * Bragg, West Virginia, an unincorporated community, United States *Electoral district of Bragg, a state electoral district in South Austral ...

's center was the pivotal moment of the battle. For his gallantry that day, Hunter received the commendation of his commanders. He was later promoted to command his regiment's brigade (First Brigade, Third Division, Fourteenth Army Corps) under Gen. George Thomas and led his unit on Sherman's March to the Sea. On January 13 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

nominated Hunter for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. Hunter was mustered out of the volunteers on June 24, 1865.

Congress

Hunter was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress (March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869). After leaving office for four years, Hunter was again elected to the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879).

Later career and death

After leaving office he operated a quarry in the Indiana limestone district. He died in

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

, October 25, 1896 and was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and