The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-30
GENERAL CUSTER'S DEFENSE.

The Sandusky (0hio) Register of the 2Sth con-
faiDs a four-column letter from Brevet Major
General Custer, of cavalry fame, in which he
xamines and refutes the charges on which he
was recently suspended from service for one
year. Its material portions are as follows:-
There. was but one specification which even
implies cruelty on my part, aud upon this the
eVioence OF the medical officer, DR.. Coates, the
only witness examined on this point was clearly
and decidedly against such an assertion. His
testimony even proved the contrary, viz. that
had been extremely solicltous regarding the
welfare OF the men whose treatment was to be
proved ''cruel" DR.. Coates also testified that the
substitution of government wagon for an am
bulance was male upon his request and recon-
mendatiOn for the reason, as given by him at
the time, that the ambulance was unservlceaOle,
worn out, and unit for the purpose for which it
was intended, (said ambulance, for the fore
gong reasons, having since been condemned.)
Upon this specification, the only one involving
or implying cruelty, the finding OF the court is
one which is regarded as equivalent to acq1ittal.
AS follows:-The court finds me equity" of di-
rectiug the men to be placed in a wagon and ''of
the facts as charged, except the words" and
here is excepted every word of the specification
which could have made my conduct appear
cruel. And the court adds to this finding, "dnd
attaches no CTinLndiuy bereto."
The next allegation to be noticed Is as fol-
lows:-
cit is asserted that on one occasion, when on a
some soldiers dropped TO the rear as Is the case In all
these
tended TO desert and sent back an OGicer with In
structons 20 shoot the tired men,"
The circumstances which probably furnished
The foundation of this slanderous item were
ihese:-My command, after resting one day and
two nights on the Platte river, set out at O'Clock
In the morning, and in six hours made fifteen
miles, being two and halt miles per hour, or one
mile less than the average march per hour of
cavalry, when moving with the utmost delbe-
alton. AS this march of fifteen miles, under
the circumstances first related, was the only
hpfOTp
which gave rise to the falsehOod published in
the journal before mentioned, it will readily be
seen that the 'long marches" and tired SOL
diersn had only an existence in the imaginative
but not truthful brain of the Times editor.
After completing the march of fifteen miles, the
entire command was halted for rest and re-
tTeshment, and the horses were unsaddled and
graZed. This continued until 4 o'clock in
the afternoon, when it was determined to
march some ten miles further to point where
we should find good camp and abundance of
water, it being impossible to Aud the necessary
amount of the latter at a less distance. Boots
and saddlesn was sounded preparatory to
marching. This took the enlisted men by sur
prise, as they supposed 1t to be the intention to
remain where we then were until the following
morning, and scheme had been organized
among them to desert in large numbers during
the night, return by our traIl to the settlements
along the Platte, and from there make their
way to the mining regions. My command orr
ginally numbered about three hundred men.
o these, thirty-iOur had deserted the previous
GERS and reliable enlisted mon, OF the eX-
istence of a scheme by which the desertioa
of the thrty-iour men was TO be followed
mp by that of large proportion of the re.
malnder of the command. To Illustrate
this movement as well as for the reasons hrst
given, determined to increase the distance be-
tween the command and the settlements, and as
we were then In an Indian country, surrounded
by hostile saVages, | trusted the increased dis
taDce to be travelled over and the attendant
dangers, would preVeLt any further at,emot at
despTtion. Soon after "Boois and Saddlesn ha
been sounded, an officer reported 10 me that
thirteen men OF the command were then To he
seen making their way as rapidly as possibIe in
the direction of the Platte, and that no doubt
they were desertpg. The men could still be
seen between one and two miles from camp,
leaving in a rapid manner, portion Of them
being mounted, the remainder on foot All
were armed, and, as was afterwards learned,
each man, by Iobbng comrades in camp
had supplied himself with double the
usual allowance OF ammunition. As yet ne
organized portion of the command WAS saddled
thereby preventing immediate pursuit. Int
deserters had evidently taken advantage OF thi:
circumstance to effect their escape. only por
tion of them, however, managing to secure pos
session OF their horses. The drst horses saddle
were those of the officers aud poI tiOn of th'
guard. To the first who reported mounted
Instructions we're given to pursue the deSerters
then passed beyond view, and bring them bact
~ all hazards, the order given being 30 wOrdeJ
shat the officers who were 70 execute II WeT'