The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-26
Caster.
SOME PERSONAL IRREGULARITIES OF THE
I DASHING CAvALRYMAN

Clusters strong points as soldier
were his almost unapproachable bra
very, his dash, ardor confidence, and
his self possession and composure,
that was never shaken in the most
desperate resorts. have seen Gus
ter in circumstances when it was
hard for me to believe that he was
human, and I am confident that
when overwhelmed and surrounded
in that ravine, and staring death
squarely in his face, he loaded the
Remington rifle be always carried as
coolly and aimed it as accurately as
if he had been target-shooting on
the parade ground at his post.
Yet I have seen tears in his eyes
that were drawn out by the suffer-
Jugs of a dog. One of the tender
points in his nature was his sympa-
thy for brutes. He never allowed an
animal to be abused or to suffer in
any way if it was in his power to
prevent it. l have seen him dis
mount robust men from half-starved
horses, and have heard him order
soldiers punished for abusing beasts.
It used to be remark commonly
made in. his command that Custer
would turn a wounded soldier out of
an ambulance to let sick dog ride.
But this is an exaggeration. 49,,
4 Many people have the idea that
Custer was rough, staggering,
swearing, drunken trooper. He was
just the opposite. He was as dainty
a beau in ladies society and as en-
PERTAINING a guest at a dinner table
as one often sees. For years he new
err drank even the lightest wines.
| He used to in the earlier years of the
! war; but to his wife's sweet influence
he surrendered the habit, and became
not only 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 manga
: time for swearing, and for one of his
soldiers to utter an oath in his pres.
: ence was the grossest sort of insubor.
dination. Cavalry and profanity
seem somehow to be essentials, but
it was not so in Clusters case.
: Another anatomy was that he new
er used tobacco in any form. Think
of a trooper without aplug and :
:, pipe in bis pocket! ase q
With one of the sweetest, gentlest
brightest women in the world for I:
wife; in a home on the frontier
: where the gentler arts were mingled
j with the privations and the rudenes'
Of half civilization; with library
where Ruskin lay beside q revolve
and Jean 1ngelow kept companion
ship with a cartridge-box; with
drawing-room where a velvet carpe
J, was strewrl with half-cured bear ant
wole-skins, where delicate lace cur
tains were held in place by antlera
and where elk heads and stuffed owl
ornamented the piano, Custer lived
illustrating in himself the analom.
Of hunter and litterGteur, an associ
!. ate Of savages and a patron of art.
Fl Custer was one Of the best marks
I men in the army, and one Of the bes
y horsemen. Marvellous stories ar
!, told of his feats in both particulars
- He had almost as many guns as ther
- are varieties of manufacture, and hi
stable was filed with the best blood
:; ed horses in the land. During tn
u war Custer always dressed in wha
the soldiers of the old school calle
:. an outlandish fashion. He had a
utter disregard for gold.lace an
- trappings. His saddle was Away
. the most comfortable and not th
4 most snowy he could find. When b
i, went into battle, he always wore
j, loose blouse, such as were used. #
y the ordinary soldiers as an undre'
l., uniform, with the skirts tucked in
:, his trousers like shirt. Under b
collar was always a strip Of red fla
mel for a neckcloth, with long en'
- that floated out over his shoulder
IN he rode. He always wore son
!. slight insignia Of his rank on b
shoulders and that of his branch
the service on his hat, which "
always broad sombrero. Til
.es with heavy, clanking spurs on
rty rough boots, from the top Of each
,p- which the handle of a pistol v
,at always visible, ponderous saber
Ids his side and a rife across his elbc
ia completed his .soutfit." On [