The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-07-27

6uuc, uO HAL COuiu ever Do lOuuu VIII
heard note. By and by shell came
screaming over their heads, and, while
all squatted," the bass drummer went
one better, and stayed down. The very
next missile went plump through his
abandoned drum, taking out both heads.
"That beat was out of time" laughed
Custer, and he permitted the band to re-
tire.
Trevelyan Station was probably the
fercest cavalry fight of the war. Men
on both sides charged and cut and
hacked as never before or after. 1t was
man to man and horse to horse, and a
charging squadron had no sooner re-
formed than they were compelled to meet
a charge. The Cenfederates had infantry
to back them; they were superior in
numbers, and, while the day was drawing
to close, Custer found his command
surrounded. The Confederates counted
on bagging the entire force, and they
had good reasons for SO believing. There
was only one way out; that road was to
be cut with sabers. In council with his
brother officer, Custer pointed to bat
terry which had just opened fire, and
said:
There is our road, right over
that battery?" Ordering up the
band, he asked for "' Yankee Doodle
the best you know how" and his
tory tells how the troopers followed
their leaders out of the trap. It was
years ago; if one were to look over the
list of men reported with "saber cuts on
the head" his blood would tingle as he
realized how hot it was.
1t was strict justice, Judged by the old
Persian law. but no soldier of the brigade
can recall the affair at Front Royal with
out feeling of regret that it should
have happened. Quite large number
of Michiganders were detailed to guard
property belonging to Confederates, and,
while in the exercise of this duty, about
a score of them were killed by Mosby's
troopers. It is claimed on the one side
that these men were caught foraging,
and on the other side that they were
shot down on their posts of duty, or
snatched off and hung by the inhuman
portion of the irregular cavalry. At
any rate they were killed, and their
taking off aroused the indignation of
both men and officers. AtSheppardstown
we captured twelve or thirteen Con-
federates, who were identified as be-
longing to Mosby's command, and there
was a fierce cry for retaliation. The
prisoners were turned over to the men,
five or six of them were at once swung
up, and the rest, after being turned free
in field, were saot down as they ran
for their lives. 1t was an eye for an
eye and tooth for tooth !" but retalia-
ton lisa terrible thing.
There were few officers in the army
who had such bright side for every
thing. A reverse stung him for mo-
ment, and then, to use his own words,
That's all right; they haven't seen me
for the last timep His hearty laugh,
floating back to weary men, seemed to
revive them, and there was new reason
for loving him. While he was strict
disciplinarian, he was neither a martinez
nor did he regard it necessary to shut his
jaws together, scowl fercely and seek to
make his men tremble with awe in his
presence. Some Generals pursued that
policy, and some troops were whipped
every time they formed battle line.
General Custer could hold his dignity
and distance and yet speak personally
with rank and file.
When men have pounded the saddle
for days at time without any let-up,"
when horses are worn down, riders clear
tagged out, and no prospects of a rest,
then a good man may do.a desperate
thing in his despair. Such an instance
came under the writer's observation one
day in the Shenandoah Valley. Custer
was killing men and horses in his desire
to locate each and every one of Early's
outposts, when, as we rode along turn
pike, a hungry trooper suddenly spurred
his horse to the front, rode up beside
Custer, and, drawing slice of pork
from his hayersack, thrust it out and
fercely asked:
" General Custer, where in damnation
is your commissary?"
"Here she isl" shouted the General in
reply, fishing up rusty" hard tack !"
from his pocket" Here she is, and I'll
trade you some of my hard tack for some
of your porklp
That trooper is still living, and, when
he heard of Clusters death, he wept like
child.
The old brigade was at Gettysburg,
and of those left behind in hospital nine
cut of every ten were reported "saber
cut on the head" Reduced down to
half regiments and lower, they followed
Custer against three times their strength,
and no saber could be found unstained
with blood. When it was known that a
charge would be made a lot of horse
farriers and company armorers mounted
to the ridge of long matched roof log
stable to become spectators. Just as
they had got nicely seated the Confeder.
ates opened on the forming cavalry from
new point. The first missile was solid
shot. Itstruck the old stable under the
caves and near the center, and there
were six thousand men watching it
Splinters, straw and men filled the air
and the way each man made for mother
earth nearly killed the cavalrymen with
laughter. General Custer laughed till be
nearly lost his seating, and when he
} could speak he gasped out, "Well
that's worth a farm and all the live stocl
thrown in"
WHILE a construction train on tn,