Hunt was born in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to being a member of Congress, Hunt was district attorney for New Orleans, member of the state House of Representative for sixteen years, and later a judge. During the American Civil War, Hunt was the colonel of the 5th Louisiana Infantry in 1861-62 and later a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. After New Orleans fell into Union hands, Hunt, who had opposed secession, resigned from the Confederate Army and became Adjutant General of Union Louisiana.[2]