Issues with figure numbering and\ContinuedFloat command

Question

I am having an issues with the subfig and \ContinuedFloat command. I have a figure that has 4 subfigures. They are too large to fit on one page. I have tried using the \ContinuedFloat command to split it over two pages. It makes the images look correct and do what I want, but it is changing the figure number. I.e. the figure is supposed to be 3.4 (when I don't use the \ContinuedFloat command it is, but consequently runs off the page) but when I use the \ContinuedFloat command, it changes the figure number to 3.3 So now the figure looks right, but I have two figure 3.3. I am at a loss. Here is how I am coding it (I realize you don't have my images so it can't be run by someone else). If there is an issue with the coding, I would greatly appreciate if someone could point it out.

\documentclass[botnum, fleqn]{unmeethesis}

\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{subfloat}
\begin{document}
\listoffigures

\begin{figure}[!htpb]
\centering
\subfigure[a]{
\includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_1_load}
}\\
\subfigure[b]{
\includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_1_unload}
}\\
\subfigure[c]{
\includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_2_load}
}\\
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\ContinuedFloat
\subfigure[d]{
\includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_2_unload}
}
\caption{This is my caption}
\label{ML_contour_2}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Answer 1

Your code snippet does not include a caption for the first figure environment, and therefore you technically don't need a \ContinuedFloat. Or, in a more general setting, a call to \ContinuedFloat is only needed when you have a caption on all the pages of the broken up float.

If you don't want a caption for the first figure, then don't include \caption and also drop \ContinuedFloat from the second.

I'm therefore guessing you must be after:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
\usepackage{subfig}% http://ctan.org/pkg/subfig
%\newsubfloat{figure}

\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[!htpb]
  \centering
  \subfloat[a]{%
    \includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_1_load}%
  }\\
  \subfloat[b]{%
    \includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_1_unload}%
  }\\
  \subfloat[c]{%
    \includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_2_load}%
  }
  \caption{This is my caption}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \ContinuedFloat
  \subfloat[d]{%
    \includegraphics[width=4.5in]{figures1/ML_cycle_2_unload}%
  }
  \caption{(continued) This is my caption}
  \label{ML_contour_2}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

You didn't mention anything about hyperref compatibility, or List of Figure entries, although these can be compensated for/incorporated.