New-York tribune., 1876-05-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
crN c1rsrpR,s RANK AND COMMAND.
1uE INJUSTICE OF CERTAIN CRITICISMS UPON ihh
prK.IDENI's ACTION.

GEN. CUSIER'S RANK AND COMMAND
1uE INJUsrIc. OF CERTAIN CRITICISMS UPON THE
PRESIDENTS ACTION.
TO the Editor Of fhe Trt6une.
SIR: The attempt to place Gen. Ous'cr III
the light OF a martyr because another oIiieer
was assigned 10 the command OF an expcdiuon
that he was expecting to command h'mSei j.
An absurd "a 70 maze few words OF explanation
necessary Gen Custers RANK IN the army ls anu ""'
been since ths war that Of cuienancoicnei' anu no
has never been as gned upon his brevet RANK Wnch eau
only be done by the President Tile actual coma"u "
and has for some years the post of Abraham n
coin with control oysr district embracing three "loin
Ing hosts authority 10 be exercised only IN case VI
emerge cy when there Ia not time to communicate WIN
tle departInent comnandcr A resimental c0inn'huef
has actual command Of only such parts o MS own Ies
,oent as may stationed mt his post ExpedtonS 'o
the field are made W Of detachmens of seVerli rrsF
mepts usually from different posts under an oincer So
lected by higher authority for the special command no
officer can claim it, bu all things being elia ~ u
avohitv thc detail, OF commanders usually made
TO alternate among those officers Of sufficient rank VINO
are available and it is considered marx OF confluence
and favor 10 bo selected. nee den Cu''or "'' o
stationed in that country be has always been gwen 'cS
commands, although a Leutcnani-Coonei' WINE VIC
Colonel, OF The two regiments parts Of which with Ills
own made up the expeditions, were Kept al lher poS
with a mere guard. The impression seemed 10 gam
ground that Gen Custer the only officer stltione1 ID
that region suitable nluct such an expedition anu
that these commands necessarily belonged 10 h' "e'i
Terry only goes with part OF his legitimate co'n'ai
and sboujd G,n Custer go along with cavalry lie SUI
has all lis own Legitimate command
As 70 there being hardsbps attending Gen. Clusters re-
leq from the expedition. had he previously been as
signed 10 IT, this opinion cOuld have como only rom
mis- apprehension Of the circumstances. Gen. Custer
fearing that the OF Impeachment would detaih nun
80 long prevent his joining In time 10 go upon te
expaditiou set himsf about getting released tempo
r,rilv frn attendance at court, subject t. call by teie
graph This step properly taken through the hhi-
tary channels OF the War Department. and therefore
cana 70 the notice President VINO, knowing that
such request was equivalent to asking that his teSt
mony be- dispensed with aoSsth snc5 bv joining the
exndilon he would bc for several months beyond Inc
reach OF kilograms messengers, saw ut once the fr"
priety OF sut requ st, which others had noi p"'e"
ami gave his disapproval to IT, ordering that aho'hrr
officer no detailed command the expedition ihls
was n command which Gen. Custer could under
no circumstances claim right never
tbcIess. after this decided expression OF the
President upon tho subject Custer did 20 In person
npl get temporarily excusrd from appearing "a VII
ness subject 10 call by telegraph, and start to JON MS
command when lac could justly claim TO 30 WIN tHe
troops Of his garron Gni therefore be ont OF reach
any summons by telegraph otherwise. In thus 'hete
appeared the spirit Of nsubOrdnaon, ana the oruer o
stop Linn al Chicago became imperative.
Perhaps the unjust criticisms made by the press upon
the OH dial act on taken in bs dua more Ia the
morbid relations Gen Custer has est1bshed between
himself aud tho press than 10 any other reason FROM
,glaever eau g. the criticisms both undignhci ana
Inaccurate II the President did not wish to see Gen
Cnscr should not be forgotten that Cen Custer had
testified that the lines Of Indian reservations had be
changed (which can he dOno only bf ihc fI1ShV III '"e
i,,orests ,t tr,d,ra BATOSET.
VasHin ,t0n, d. O., May 1G 1876.