King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Letter dated 2 May 1901 from the War Office to Hunter regarding appointment as Lieutenant General in command of Troops in the Scottish Division.

“Private and Confidential
War Office
2nd May 1901
Sir,
Will you be good enough to let one know confidentially whether it would be agreeable to you to be appointed a Lieutenant General on the Staff to command the Troops in the Scottish District for a period of 3 years with power of extension to five.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant.
Coleridge Grove

to Lieutenant General Sir A Hunter, KCB, DSO
22 Half Moon Street, W.”

The Military Secretary was Major General Sir Coleridge Grove.
Accession Number: KO2686/029

Letter dated 4 May 1901 from War Office concerning the appointment of Hunter as Lieutenant General on the Staff to Command the troops in the Scottish Division.

“War Office
London SW
4th May 1901

Sir,
In confirmation of my telegram of this date I am directed to inform you that the Commander in Chief has approved of your being appointed a Lieutenant General on the Staff to Command the troops in the Scottish District with effect from the 6th instant, and I am to request that you will proceed and take up your duties accordingly, and report your having done so to this office.
The appointment is for three years with power of extension to five years.
I am Sir
Your obedient Servant
J H Laye DAG

Lieutenant General Sir A Hunter, KCB, DSO,
Naval and Military Club
94 Piccadilly, W.”
Major General J H Laye was Deputy Adjutant General, the Adjutant General at this time was General Sir H E Wood VC.
Hunter replaced Lieutenant General E F Chapman in Edinburgh.
Accession Number: KO2686/030

Appointment of Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter was President of the Soldiers and Sailors Help Society for the County of Edinburgh, 20 May 1901.
Accession Number: KO2686/171

Letter dated 25 Jun 1901 from Lord Stair to Hunter regarding the opening of the Drill Hall, for Artillery Volunteers, at Stranraer.

Lochinch
Castle Kennedy
Wigtownshire
25 June 1901
Dear Sir Archibald Hunter,
I understand that a Drill Hall now in course of erection at Stranrear for the Artillery Volunteers will be ready for opening in September and I know that Captain [ ] who is in command will with his officers and men feel highly honoured if you will perform the ceremony. May I mention that Captain [ ] joined as a private on the formation of the Company 40 years ago. In the event of your being able to accede to this request it will give me very since pleasure if you will [ ] and be my guest for the occasion.
Believe me
Yours most truly
Stair

Lord Stair, of Castle Kennedy, Wigtonshire.
Accession Number: KO2686/031

Letter dated 6 Aug 1901 to Hunter regarding the opening of the Drill Hall at Stranraer.

Lochinch
Castle Kennedy
Wigtonshire
6 Aug 1901
Dear Sir Archibald Hunter
I have received your [ ] fixing the date for opening of the drill hall at Stranrear and as …..
Stair

Lord Stair, of Castle Kennedy, Wigtonshire.
Accession Number: KO2686/032

Letter dated 27 Aug 1901 to Hunter regarding the opening of the Drill Hall at Stranraer
Accession Number: KO2686/033

Letter dated 22 Oct 1901 to Hunter from ? regarding item in the Glasgow Herald newspaper.
Accession Number: KO2686/034

Confidential letter from the Adjutant General at the War Office to Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter, dated 16 Dec 1901 concerning an extract from the ‘Scotsman’ newspaper.

“War Office, London, SW
16 Dec 1901
Confidential
Sir,
I am directed by the Commander in Chief to enquire whether the enclosed extract from the ‘Scotsman’ of the 6th December gives a substantially correct report of the speech you made when opening the new Drill Hall of the Highland Light Infantry at Glasgow.
2. Assuming that you admit the substantial accuracy of the report Earl Roberts awaits your explanation concerning two points therein, viz: how it was that you gave public expression to your opinion on the subject of compulsory service, and secondly regarding your reference to a burning question of party politics to which Principal Story had made an unmistakable allusion.
I am, Sir, Your Obedient Servant,
T K Kenny
AG”

(Lieutenant General T Kelly – Kenny KCB was Adjutant General)
Accession Number: KO2686/035

Copy of confidential letter sent to the Adjutant General of the Forces, from General Hunter (General Officer Commanding, Scottish District) dated 17 Dec 1901
“Sir
In reply to your letter dated 16 Dec 1901 No 67455/63 (AG4) I have the honour to state that what I said in a speech at Glasgow on 5th Dec as reported in the Scotsman of 6th Dec is I believe correct.
2. As regards the 1st point of the 2nd paragraph “Compulsory Service” it was introduced by a previous speaker. I did not regard it as a subject included in the terms “question under investigation” referred to in para 423 of the Kings Regulations and I submit it is not a question under investigation in the sense meant by para 423; it is a subject which officers have been invited to study and express an opinion upon, eg [ ] matter for a Prize essay and discussion not long since in the R U S Inst. [Royal United Services Institute].
I was quite unconscious that it was a subject to which public[] by officers was forbidden.
Indeed, though I do not profess to read newspapers much except the war news, I [ ] a recent public utterance on this subject by an officer, and I confess it did not them strike one as a transgression of duty on his part.
To speak on the spur of the moment as I always do, and nothing was further from my intention than to trespass on forbidden ground.
3. The second point is defending men in the army against untrue accusations of cruelty to women and children.
It was Mr Broderick who [ ] the speech of Sir H Campbell Bannerman at Dunfermline. It is true as I then told Mr Broderick that I was making no mental reference to Sir H C Bannerman. As one who has seen service in South Africa with British Soldiers it struck one as only fair to make some references to the point raised by [ ] Storey.

- I disclaim any intention of encroaching on a political presentation when I demurred to the false reports about the inhumanity of soldiers.
I have the honour to be Sir,
Your most obedient servant
Sir Archibald Hunter
Lieutenant General

*Right Honourable St. John Brodrick MP, Secretary of State for War.
*Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman a liberal politician who openly condemned what he called ‘methods of barbarism’ used by the British in the concentration camps used in South Africa.
Accession Number: KO2686/036

Confidential letter from Adjutant General to Lieutenant General Sir A Hunter, Commanding the Troops, Edinburgh, dated 21 Dec 1901.

“War Office, London, SW
21 December 1901
Confidential
Sir,
I am directed by the Commander in Chief to acknowledge the receipt of you letter of the 17th instant, and in reply to inform you that it is very necessary to repress a tendency which appears to be somewhat prevalent among Officers to allude in writing to the Press or in speeches to various matters affecting the Army, which are the subject of political controversy.
2. Earl Roberts feels sure that you will perceive that you can do your part, in discouraging Officers under your command from alluding to subjects of political controversy, by yourself setting them an example of reticence.
3. I am further to desire that you will exercise great caution in expressing on any public occasion your personal opinion on questions of the organisation etc, of His Majesty’s Forces which may be connected with questions of policy.
4. I am to add that the Commander in Chief accepts your explanation regarding your speech at Glasgow as satisfactory.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant.
T K Kenny,
AG”
(Lieutenant General T Kelly – Kenny KCB was Adjutant General)
Accession Number: KO2686/037

Letter to Hunter from the War Office dated 30 Sep 1903 about the appointment of Lieutenant General Sir C Tucker to succeed Hunter in the Command of the Scottish Division.

War Office, London
30 Sep 1903
Sir,
I am directed by the Commander-in-Chief to inform you that sanction has been given for the appointment of Lieutenant General Sir C Tucker, KCB, as Lieutenant General on the Staff to succeed you in the Command of the Scottish District, and he has received instructions to take over the duties accordingly.
I am, Sir, Your Obedient Servant.

To Lieutenant General Sir A Hunter, KCB, Commanding Scottish District, Edinburgh.
Accession Number: KO2686/040