The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-08-03
NUMBER 5.
Custer.
New York GrapIlir

New York Graphic
Clusters strong points as u soldier We're
his almost unapproachable bravery, his
dash. ardor, confidence, and his self-pos-
session and composure, that was never
shaken in the most desperate resorts. |
have seen Custer in circumstances when
it was hard for me to believe that he was
human. and | am confident that when
overwhelmed and surrounded in that IA
vine, and staring death squarely in his face,
he loaded the Remington rifle he always
carried as coolly and aimed it as accurate
ly as if he had been target shooting on the
parade ground at his post
Yet | have seen tears in his eyes that
were drawn out by the suffering of dog
One of the tender points in his nature was
his sympathy for brutes. lie never al
lowed an animal to be abused or to suffer
in any way if it was in his power to pre-
vent it. | have seen him disrnount robust
men from haIf-starved horses, and have
heard him order soldiers punished for
abusing beasts 1t used to be remark
commonly made in his command that
Custer would turn 4 wounded soldier out
Of an ambulance to let a sick dog ride
But this IS an eXaggeration.
Many people have the idea that Custer
was rough, staggering. swearing, drunk
en- trooper. He was just the opposite. He
was as dainty Il beau in ladies' society and
as entertaining a guest at Il dinner table
as one often sees. For years he never
drank even the lightest wines He used
to in the earlier years Of the war; but to
his Wite'S sweet Influence he surrendered
the habit, and became not OnlV temperate
himself, but the apostle Of temperance
He never swore, nor would he allow an
oath to be uttered in his hearing. | have
heard him rebuke his officers many time
for swearing, and tor one of his soldiers
to utter an oath in his presence was the
grossest sort Of insubordination Cavalry
| and profanity seem somehow to be Goes
sentials, but it was not so in Clusters case.
Another anomaly was that he never
used tobacco in any form. Think of Il
trooper without plug and a pipe in his
pocket
With one Of the sweetest. gentlest
brightest women in the world for Il wife :
in a home on the frontier, where the gen
tier arts We're mingled with the privatons
and the rudeness of half civilization with
Il library, where Ruskin lay beside a re-
volNr1 and jeau Iugciuw Kept compun-
ionship with Il cartridge box; with Il
| draWing-room where Il velvet carpet was
strewn with halfcurcd bear and wolf skins ;
where delicate lace curtains were held in
place by antlers, and where elk heads and
stuffed owls ornamented the piano, Gus
ter lived. illustrating in himself the anom-
| ally Of a hunter and lWcr0te2l, an associ-
ate Of savages and u patron of art.
| Custer was one OF the best marksmen
in the army, and one Of the best horse
men. Marvellous stories are told Of his
teats in both particulars. He had almost
rs many guns as there are varieties of
manufacture, and his stable was filled
with the best blooded horses in the land
| During the war Custer always dressed in
what the soldiers Of the old school called
an outlandish fashion He had an utter
| disregard for gold lace and trappings.
| His saddle was ALWAYS the most comfort
| able and not the most snowy he could
| find When he went into BATTLE he al
ways Wore u loose blouse, such as We're
used by the ordinary soldiers as an un-
dress uniform with the skirts tucked into
his trousers like a shirt, Under his collar
was always Il strip of red flannel for Il
neckcloth, with long ends that tioatcd out
over his shoulder rs he rode He always
wore some slight insignia of his rank on
his shoulders and that OF his branch OF
the service on his hat. which was always
Il broad sombrero. This. with heavy,
clanking spurs on his rough boots, from
the top of each of which the handle of 4
pistol was always visible, Il ponderous
saber at his side and a rifle across his
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