▁on ▁General ▁McC le ll an ' s ▁staff ▁until ▁that ▁officer ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁St ro ther ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁General ▁B anks , ▁again ▁seeing ▁action ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Port ▁Rich ie ▁in ▁Louisiana . ▁During ▁the ▁G ett ys burg ▁Camp aign , ▁he ▁was ▁back ▁to ▁Washington , ▁un ass igned , ▁but ▁promoted ▁to ▁Colonel ▁of ▁his ▁regiment ▁( which ▁he ▁never ▁commanded ▁in ▁the ▁field ). ▁ ▁St ro ther ▁continued ▁to ▁document ▁his ▁w art ime ▁experiences ▁in ▁a ▁detailed ▁journal , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁Har per ' s ▁Month ly ▁published ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁as ▁" Person al ▁Rec ol lections ▁of ▁the ▁War ." ▁His ▁articles ▁won ▁pra ise ▁for ▁their ▁objective ▁view point ▁and ▁humor . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Col . ▁St ro ther ▁was ▁chief ▁of ▁staff ▁to ▁his ▁distant ▁cousin ▁General ▁David ▁Hunter , ▁a ▁fer vent ▁abol ition ist ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁Virginia ▁Department ▁as ▁Union ▁forces ▁struck ▁at ▁Lex ington ▁and ▁Lyn ch burg . ▁Union ists ▁considered ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Military ▁Institute ▁( VM I ) ▁a ▁cr ad le ▁of ▁se cess ion ▁ide als ▁and ▁Confeder ate ▁officers . ▁After ▁shell ing , ▁Gen . ▁Hunter ▁ordered ▁the ▁institution ▁tor ched . ▁St ro ther ▁sent ▁a ▁bronze ▁statue ▁of ▁General ▁George ▁Washington ▁off ▁to ▁W