Enlisted as a Private 3rd Infantry Regiment Arkansas 05 Jun 1861. Promoted to Full Assistant Surgeon 19 Jul 1861. Enlisted in 2nd Infantry Regiment Virginia 21 Jul 1861. Enlisted in 42nd Infantry Regiment Virginia 19 Jan 1862, promoted to Full Surgeon 26 Apr 1862.

He was a physician throughout the rest of his life, living first in Bath, Morgan Co, WVA, by 1880 living in Martinsburg, WVA, and had moved back to Bath by 1900.

He and Sophia had 9 children, 7 of whom were alive in 1900. Known children: David, Susan, Clarence, Nannie, Mary, Otho, Marion, Berkley.

The above biographical notes are by Gary Myers, the creator of this memorial.


Father: Dr. David Hunter (1802-1834)
Mother: Rebecca Washington Lane (1801-1895)
1834 - Father, David, died Charles Town, VA (buried: Zion Episcopal Churchyard, Charles Town, West Virginia)
1847 - Pvt., 1st Co., Virginia Foot Volunteers, U.S. Army, Buena Vista (Mexican American War)
1848 - Sgt., Quartermasters Dept., U.S. Army (Mexican American War)
1855 - M.D. degree, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (from: Virginia)
1856 - Practiced medicine, Kanawha Co, VA
04/23/1857 - Married Sofia Forrest Summers (1834-1907), Martinsburg, Berkeley Co., VA
1859 - Served, Randolph Guards, Randolph Co, AR
12/00/1859 - Capt., Randolph Riflemen (militia), Randolph Co, AR
09/10/1860 - Practiced medicine, Pocahontas, Randolph Co, AR (lived with wife, S. F. Hunter and two children - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as J. H. Hunter)
1861 - Served in the line with the Arkansas Volunteers at 1st Manassas
07/19/1861 - Appointed Asst. Surgeon from Arkansas, Provisional Army of the Confederate States
09/01/1861 - "Asst. Surgn. Jno. H. Hunter, P.A.C.S. having been assigned to duty with the Forces in No. Westn. Va. will report to Gen. W. W. Loving commanding etc. for Hospital duty. By Command of Gen. Lee."
09/00/1861 - Established convalescent hospital, Warm Springs, VA
12/00/1861 - Inspected hospitals in southwest VA
01/19/1862 - Established hospital, Romney, VA
03/00/1862 - Asst. Surgeon, 42nd VA Infantry
05/26/1862 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States to rank from 04/11/1862
06/00/1862 - Served in Mechanicsville, VA
07/30/1862 - As Surgeon, 42nd VA Infantry, signed a receipt for a tent fly, Mechanicsville, VA
07/31/1862 - As Surgeon, 42nd VA Infantry, completed and signed a Certificate of Disability for Discharge, "I certify that I have carefully examined the said [Pvt.]Pleasant H. Payne of Captain Richardson's Company [42nd Virginia Infantry], and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of General Debility the result of exposure, chronic rheumatism and being super animated. He has done very little duty during his term of service. J H Hunter, 42nd Va Rgt. Vol."
08/09/1862 - "Badly wounded" in his left foot, Battle of Cedar Mountain, VA
09/26/1862 - Confirmed as a Surgeon from AR by the Confederate States Senate
09/00/1862 - 09/00/1863 - On furlough recovering from foot wound
04/03/1863 - On sick leave
04/16/1863 - Patient, Private Quarters, Richmond, VA
04/17/1863 - "Leave of absence for forty days in Surgeon's certificate of disability is granted Surgeon J. H. Hunter, P.A.C.S." [S.O. 94/11]
04/23/1863 - "Surgeon John H. Hunter will report for duty without delay to Major J. C. Johnston, Commandant of Conscripts, Bristol, Tennessee" [S.O. 95/18]
09/04/1863 - Received a Certificate of Disability from field duty for 12 months because of a gunshot wound of the left foot fracturing the cuboid bone
09/11/1863 - Surgeon, Gen. Hospital, Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, VA
10/01/1863 - Stationed, Montgomery Springs, VA
11/00/1863 - Surgeon, Gen. Hospital, Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, Montgomery Co, VA
12/01/1863 - Stationed, Montgomery Springs, VA
01/07/1864 - Surgeon & President, Medical Examining Board, Bristol, TN
05/00/1864 - Served on examining board for conscripts, Bristol, TN
09/28/1864 - In a letter written from the Office of the Medical Examining Board for Conscripts of Kentucky & Tennessee, Bristol, TN to Surgeon General S.P. Moore, "Sir, Detailed men from the Infantry sometimes present themselves before the Board for a continuance of their details who from various causes are unfit for field duty as Infantry
but would make good Cavalry soldiers or drivers in the Artillery. Is there any regulation by which we can recommend these men to the field in either of the latter capacities? Very Respt, Your obt. Ser. Jno H. Hunter, Sen. Surg/ Board" [Docketing on the back of this letter: Surgeon General's Office, Oct. 4, 1864, "Res. referred to the A.&I.O. for consideration, S.P. Moore, Surg. Gen." ; Further docketing by unknown person, Oct 5, 1864, "I see no objection to a general order allowing a transfer from one arm to another upon proof of disability requiring the exchange. The act of february 1864 ___ men in the service ___ the detail of men for various services of duty. It is not just to arbitrarily change the positions of the men in the various organizations, but when there is sufficient cause such as arises from the disability of the party to serve in the organization to which he belongs the power should be exercised. I would give to the party charged the ___ of ___ in the army to which he belongs" Still further docketing from the Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, Nov. 21, 1864, "Respy submitted to the Sec. of War. There is no order or provision of law by which men incapacitated for duty in one arm of active service may be transferred to a different one in the field. It is true, there are orders prohibiting the discharge or retaining of soldiers who are able to perform duty in some one of the Military Departments. This rule is in many cases not observed. The result is that many who might be made available as teamsters, cavalrymen and artillery-drivers are discharged or retired and become lost to the service. If it is considered that an order to meet the particular cases herein presented is advisable, Medical Examining Boards should be directed to return all men incapacitated for infantry duty, but capable of active service in some other Department of the Army to the Genl. Comdg. the Army in which they belong, indicating the particular service for which they are best fitted, H L. Clay, A. A. Genl."
12/14/1864 - Captured by Gen Stoneman, Bristol, TN, and honorably released
12/20/1864 - "Surgeon Jno. H. Hunter is released from Hospital duty in Tennessee and will report without delay to Commandant of Conscripts for Alabama for assignment" [S.O. 301/11]
03/15/1865 - "Surgeon John H. Hunter is temporarily relieved from operations of [Paragraph XI] Special Orders No. 301, December 20, 1864, and
will report without delay to Surgeon P.E. Hines, Medical Director, Raleigh, NC" Relieved [S.O. 61/23]
03/00/1865 - Surgeon, Church Hospitals, Raleigh, NC
03/00/1865 - Surgeon-in-charge, Officers Hospital, Raleigh, NC
04/07/1865 - Surgeon-in-charge, Officers Hospital, Raleigh, NC
04/26/1865 - Surgeon, 63rd VA Infantry, Greensboro, NC
04/26/1865 - Paroled by U.S. Army, Greensboro, NC
04/00/1865 - Cared for Confederate sick, Greensboro, NC under Union control
05/11/1865 - Relieved of duty, returned home
06/16/1865 - Took Oath of Allegiance, Richmond, VA
08/25/1870 - Practiced medicine, Bath, Morgan Co, WV (lived with wife, Sophia F., and five children - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as John H. Hunter)
1874 - Practiced medicine, Berkeley Springs, Morgan Co, WV
06/03/1880 - Practiced medicine, Martinsburg, Berkeley Co., WV (lived with wife, Sophia F., four daughters, and three sons - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as J. H. Hunter)
1885 - Trustee for town of Berkeley Springs, Morgan Co., WV
1890 - Practiced medicine, Berkeley Springs, Morgan Co., WV
04/01/1895 - Mother, Rebecca, died in Jefferson Co., WV (buried: Zion Episcopal Churchyard, Charles Town, Jefferson Co., WV)
06/01/1900 - Practiced medicine, Berkeley Springs, Morgan Co., WV (lived with his wife, Sophia, two daughters, and one son - indexed in the 1900 U.S. Census as John Hunter)
09/26/1905 - Died at his home, Berkeley Springs, Morgan Co., WV (buried, Greenway Cemetery, Berkeley Springs, WV)
06/26/1907 - Widow, Sophia, died in Maryland (buried: Greenway Cemetery, Berkeley Springs, WV)

Del Groves, Stan J. Hunter, Bob Krick, Harold Michael, Gary Myers and Sylvia Thomas provided input to this biography

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
03/10/2008. Updated 02/13/2017.
Unpublished database.