The New York herald., 1876-07-17

Custer approached his horse began cbamping his
| bit and tossing his head II the ssht Of so many
"srayoacSs" reminded him that charging would soon
be IA order All eyes upon him. and as he
passed tue eroup OF rebel generals he raised bis hat
and bowed politely which civily promptly re-
| peated by every member Of his stan. The effect was
electrical General Kershaw said, In the enhu-
saslic manner, "By God, that is the embodiment
ol chivary. Let's give him three cheersir
THREE CONFEDERATE CHEERS.
And from ten thousand throals burst forth three
hearty cheers followed By the well know srebcl yelv
The boys of the Third division replied by three rousng
cheers and tiger and, as the cheering subsdcd tho
frantic with jov that they forgot for time that
| they were prisoners Of war Yes, that Custer,
the brave the chivalrc the generous Custer the flower
| OF the American army
when tho above written little did we think that
the heroic soul would be called away and the form
we loved TO see be mutated by the scapng knife of
the mercess and brutal savages of Dakota am glad
however. tha, his memory is to be perpotuaed by a
suitable monument JAMES H. STEVENSON,
Late Captain Company C, First New York u.incoln)
cavalry, No. l2l South Fifth street, Philadelphia
AN EX-CONFEDERATE ON CUSTER
To THE EDroa or THE WASHINGTON STAR
well remember tho Incident mentioned in your
edition OF yesterday in General Clusters cavalier
conduct before his engagement with the squadrons
under the command OF General Rosser. happened at
the timo TO be serving on temporary staff duty with
Rosser and recollcct seeing Custer ride far the
front OF his troops in gallant STYLE with his King
Charles hat and enormous plume and approaching
almost within pistol range OF Rosser, who stood
rounded by his san watching him intently. waved
him graceful salute. Custer then rode back to
his command, and, whlrlng his sabre in the air,
ordered the charge. We compelled retire
against repeated mpeuous charges Nine distinct at
tacks. think, made before line was broken.
But when broken, and Custer got in among our men
with the sabres of the Sixth United States regulars
there no ralying them, and the retreat became
rout Even Rosscr with all his GOODNESS and dauntcsa
courage length up the task and slowly retired
guarded by his avore regiment the Fifth Virginia
cavalry. know much Of the almost David and JON
athan friendship which existed between Custer and
Rosser. They chums and constant
COMPANIONS AT WEST POINT,
and this personal attachment ceased up to the
day OF the hero's death. Rosscr, though usually tac
urn, would in camp always brighten up when Clusters
name was mentioned, and he In n better
mood than when relating bIvouac fire some
wild prank in which he and Custer engaged al
the Point When Lee was holding the line OF the Rapi
dan against Meade in the fall OF 1863 alter
the battle OF Gettysburg, advance was
made bv the Concderates along the whole
line, and Meade, refusing to givo battle, fell
back to Centrevile. In this advance movement thero
was little or no lighting by the infantry, but very
engagements by the cavalry on tho TANKS. On
Custer. The troops opposing this force were under
Jcb stuart and F,zhugh Lee whom Custer humorously
wrote Rosscr he had whipped at Chantil!y.
AT BRANDY STATION
Pleasonton, after rcircatng slowly all day, made
stand and there very sharp and stubborn lighting
the entire day. In charge made directly the
station upon light battery that cutting up our
with shrapnel very severely | unlucky
enough To be cut oil from my command, and, discover
ing my mistake too late to remedy IT, put spurs to
my horse and galoped through mistake directly
the ranks OF squad from regiment whose troops
made up OF desericrs from the Confederate army
was treated outrageousy, literally stripped OF every
thing and about to be shot, when General Custer
rode up with his stall and body guard. Seeing HIM
rank on the arm, supposed him of officers
and hailed him. lie up me and seeing my
piiiu condition and being informed my captors
had threatened To shoot me- called his orderly
ing:-'Herc, orderly. this n fellow Dcing and
not brute; have him put under guard at headquar-
tcrs and then, turning to aid he said, Put those
men under arrest" renamed under guard at Gus
tcrs headquarters during tue whole of the retreat and
TREATED
and kindly by the General and ali around him. When
he discovered that knew Rosser well and mad
with him. he sent Tor me, and never seemed TO tire of
interrogating regarding his great friend. l
met n young who my mind bore the stamp
of the hero visbly impressed on his countcnapcc;
aud though daring and dreadful in the charge and IN
the heat Of the combat almost merciless. his MILD
gentle kindly manner TO me when the fight
plainly shows what vast amount of human kndress
beat beneath that brave dragoons breast To him l
my life while still an enemy, aud to his memory
humbly add my testimony TO those noble attributes
which those who have met him knew ho possessed
to remarkable degree. He was, indeed p,ar,
sans reprochc W. C., Jr.