Editing David Hunter (section)

==Early life and education==
Hunter (son of Andrew Hunter and Mary Stockton) was born in [[Troy, New York]],<ref name=Warner>Warner, Ezra J. (1964) ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 243. {{ISBN|0-8071-0822-7}}.</ref> or [[Princeton, New Jersey]].<ref name=Eicher>Eicher, John H., and [[David J. Eicher|Eicher, David J.]] (2001). ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 310. {{ISBN|0-8047-3641-3}}.</ref> He was the cousin of writer-illustrator [[David Hunter Strother]] (who would also serve as a Union Army general). His maternal grandfather was [[Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman)|Richard Stockton]], a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]]. 

After graduating from the [[United States Military Academy]] in 1822, Hunter was commissioned a [[second lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] in the [[5th Infantry Regiment (United States)|5th U.S. Infantry Regiment]]. Records of his military service prior to the Civil War contain significant gaps. From 1828 to 1831, he was stationed on the northwest frontier, at [[Fort Dearborn]] ([[Chicago]]). There he met and married Maria Kinzie, a daughter of [[John Kinzie]], considered the city's first permanent white resident. He served in the infantry for 11 years, and was promoted to [[Captain (United States)|captain]] of the 1st U.S. Dragoons in 1833. 

He resigned from the army in July 1836 and moved to Illinois, where he worked as a real estate agent<ref name=Eicher /> or speculator.<ref name=Warner /> He rejoined the Army in November 1841 as a paymaster and was promoted to [[Major (United States)|major]] in March 1842.<ref name=Eicher /> One source<ref name=Spartacus>[http://www.spartacus-educational.com/USACWhunter.htm David Hunter]. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd.</ref> claims that he saw action in the [[Second Seminole War]] (1838–42) and the [[Mexican–American War]] (1846–48).

In 1860, Hunter was stationed at [[Fort Leavenworth, Kansas]]. He began a correspondence with [[Abraham Lincoln]], emphasizing his own strong anti-slavery views. This relationship engendered political influence: after winning election to the presidency, Lincoln invited Hunter to ride on his inaugural train in February 1861 from [[Springfield, Illinois]], to Washington, D.C. During this duty, Hunter suffered a dislocated collarbone at [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] due to the crowd pressing the president-elect.