The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-03
ANECDOTES OF CUSTER.
What an Old Michigan Trooper Rt
members-The Generals Hobbies.


writes TO the New York Her
aid: The brigade knew what drill was;
but when Custer took command he put
men through as farmers work to save
grain from an approaching thunder
storm. He seemed to like the officers
and the looks of the men, and while he
worked to make us worthy of his lead we
felt that we must work to be worthy OF
such a commander. Ore month under
Custer made every horse machine and
every man an automatOn.
AS A LoGICIAN.
One day a trooper, whose joints were
stiff and whose bones ached from rid
ing an ugly horse, fell out of his set of
TOURS on drill, and declared he would
be shot before he would drill another
half hour. He was on his way~1o the
guard house when Custer rode up, Or
dered his release, and requested his
presence at headquarters. The sulky-
trooper followed the General.
if he was not to be placed
over against the fence and shot. Gus
ter had far different intentions. Bid
ding the trooper sit down, the General
calmly inquired: -..af
Why do you refuse to drill?"
"Because | am tired out and shaken
up, and i know all about every drill.,'
When took this brigade said the
81 thought knew just how
to command it. Thave learned some
thing new every day; l shall always be
learning. IfyOu refuse to drill all 9TH
ers will soon refuse. Then discipline
will soon relax, men and horses forget,
and in our first action we shall be cut
to pieces for want of intelligent maneu-
vering. l want you to be a man, and
yet you must be machine to obey"
The soldier was silent.
81 ride five miles to your one," con-
tinued the General al sleep three or
four hours; you sleep seven or eight.
| have 1000 men to care for; you have
only your horse. l have a thousand
com plants to listen to; you have none.
rhave five times your work, fare no
better, and will be shot as soon as you
are. If L take all this burthen and
trouble and hard work on my shout
ders, are you not willing to bear trihe?"
The trooper returned to his saddle.
One day, year afterward, he died be-
fore Clusters eyes-died so bravely that
the General said to him;
"An army like that man would con-
quer the world. "
AS A LEADER.
With no notebook at hand to aid me
in recalling exact dates, let me call up
some incidents which no historians
have ever grasped, because historians
write of corps, instead of brigades. Z
ale is a hard worker, but how will
he fight?" asked the officers of each
other. -'i.... t. on.
The question was never asked after
our first skirmish. Drawing his saber
and placing himself where he could
lead the line, and just where the danger
was greatest, the ''boy General" made
a speech. 1t was the briefest appeal
on record. Tightening the reins and
waving his keen blade aloft, he shouted:
.' "coME ONT"
Clusters fate was decided. After
that fight each and every man consid-
cred it worth 81 to get a square look at
the General. All! it makes an old
soldiers heart pain and ache to remem-
Der the long campaigns and the hun
bred battles through which he followed
the yellow ringlets! When Custer was
not in front there was no front. He
asked no troop to charge where he
dared not lead.
AS "UNCLE GEORGE"
Ofthe thousands of officers command
ing the tens of thousands of volunteers,
half dozen, certainly not score, are re-
with any thing like gratitude
by the men who served under them.
Selfish, unprincipled, and tyrannical,
they seemed to regard enlisted men as
and treated them accordingly.
God gave General Custer a noble heart.
He knew that sick men could not fight,
and he walked through his camps to
see that sanitary regulations were en-
forced He knew that fathers, hus-
bands, and sons must yield to the inhu-
ence of inconsistencies when in camp
and at rest, and he helped them drive
the feeling away. Some generals cared
not how soldier Jared if they Jared
well themselves. Not so with Custer
soldiers can not fight well on empty
st0machs, and his care was to see that
the brigade cOmmissary had ratiOnS.
And so it came to pass by-and-by that
hewon the respect and good will OF
every soul in the brigade, and hundreds
of men spoke of him, as " Uncle Georg."
NOT A BOASTER.
l do not believe that any living man
ever heard General Custer boast OF
what he had done or what he meant to
do. Sometimes, after a sharp fight and
a victory, he would ride along the line
and quietly remark: "We rather fixed
'em, didn't we, boys?" but it was not
Boosting. Sometimes, when driven
back after doing our level best, he
would say, Gwen whip that crowd in
less than a month, or Pm Turk" but
he meant it to oil over the chagrin
which ragged in the bosom of every
trooper.
WAITING.
Just as a grand battle is about to be-
gin each army waits for moment as il
to draw a long breath and brace its
nerves for the Struggle. That moment
is like the moment before an awful
storm breaks. Every man knows what
is coming, every horse is watching and
trembling, and the bravest man in the
ranks will turn pale and mark himself
for victim. 1t is terrible moment.
Every soul feels awed; every heart beats
painfully, and it would seem as if the
fall of a musket would stampede a
whole brigade. When the sharp crack
of single musket, or the hoarse bel
low of a cannon echoes from the hill the
spell is broken, and men are eager tc
dash at each others throats.
| have watched Custer while we wait
ed. Sitting like figure of bronze, only
his eyes moved. They glanced here
and there, noting every thing in detail
and before the signal came he knew
where the fight would be hottest. He
was to lead us, and he might have trem
bled without losing respect or any o.
the reputation he had won.
NOT A HOBBY.
1t has been asserted by several. influ
entail dailies since Clusters death tina
a spirited cavalry charge wasa pet hob
by or theory of his. General Custel
had but one theory in war-whip thu
enemy if you can. He often could anC
AID hut II yvas NOT ALWAYS nv q cavalr,