The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-18

some street; but shadow has fallen upon 1T
which no sunshine can ever brighten. Few
parents have ever beer called upon, when
their heads were frosted with age and their
hearts losing courage, TO bear such blow rs
this. Three sons, q son-in law, and grand
son (the young man Reed), died together,
leaving no tongue to tell how desperately
and how well they fought.
THE FAMILY SURVIVORS.
MIR. Custer is nearly seventy years old,
while his wife is siXty-eight. Each one has
been twice married, and each had children
when this last marriage was consummated. d.
There is son left, man OF about thirty
five years OF age; daughter, the wife OF
Lieutenant Calhoun, and perhaps the late
General Clusters wife may be classed with
the family. She is the daughter OF Judge
Bacon, OF Monroe, and with her, at Fort
Abraham Lincoln, is Mrs. Calhoun, who
went out with her for company's sake. The
young will rally from the blow, but the pa
rents, near the grave at best, will grieVe
and sorrow and soon pass away. The fam
ily are much respected, and in this their
hour OF deepest sorrow they have the SYM
pathy Of all the townspeople, who flock in
to speak words Of kindness and consolation.
GEORGE"
"They were all good boys" said the
crav-haired father as we sat close together
in the darkness, while the band on the pub
lie square sent soft, sad notes to meet the
breeze borne on the troubled lake. "They
were brave, good boys, and my home was
their home. George was soldier when the
war commenced, won promotion very fast,
and of course had to feel proud OF him.
What he got he won by hard fighting, and
we all know it."
HIS CHARACTERISTICS.
,Sitting beside the grieving father l told
him that some OF the papers had charged
his son with being vain and working TO
secure praise, and that others had spoken OF
him as impctuous and reckless.
"They should not have said So" he re-
piled. II am his father, and shouldn't a
father know the characteristics OF his own
son? He was neither proud nor vain. he
fought to whip and not for praise. lie was
not reckless. He had much to live for, and
he would not throw his life away. No,
no. They wrong my dead boy. Ihey
shouldn't say so.''
PLUCKY YOUNG MAN.
After he had passed his fifteenth birthday
Young Custer began to feel the military
spirit move within him, and that spirit grew
stronger as time went on. He desired to
become professional soldier, and he knew
the road was through West Point. 10 Sc
cure an appointment rs cadet he must nave
the influence of John A. Bingham, the
member OF Congress counting HARRISON
county in his district. The father could not
aid him, as his party principles were op-
posed to Bingham, and young Custer mace
his first start and exhibited the mettle IN bis
IL f1,o
Introduce himself to Mr.. Bingham, and this
is the way he did it. Walking up to the
member OF Congress, each one OF whom was
| looked upon with awe and reverence twenty
wears ago, young Custer made respectful
bow and frankly said: -a
"NIr. Bingham, my name is George A.
Custer, and want to go to West Point and
make myself soldier"
Bingham admired the young mans pluck,
entered into friendly conversation, and the
result was that Cadet George A. Custer S
name soon appeared upon the rolls at w est
Point. His history from that day to within
month of his death has been written by
himself and eagerly read by thousands.
WHAT TIE COUNTRY EXPECTS. ...
The country expects that General Sheri-
dan should 60 to the Indian country in per
son and take with him the whole available
force Of the army. Let Congress transfer
the whole Indian question to Sherman, Sherl.
dan, and Hancock, and we shall have peace.
Let us abolish the. Indian Department, and
il we find Il trader selling guns or ammuni,
tion to these savages let us shoot him. A
drumhead court-martial over some of our
Indian traders would be q blessing. Then
let us take all the troops we have in the
northern and southern States and give them
to Sheridan. Here we have post after post
in the great cities where officers doze anJ
drone the hours away; where life consists
of dreSs-parade and mounting guard.-Neu
York Herald of yesterday.
Custer Arraigned for Cownrdice.
General S. d. Sturgis, colonel of thu
Seventh regiment Of cavalry, of which Gen
eral Custer was Northumberland, is re-
ported in the st. Louis Times of Friday
morning as denouncing that fallen soldier ir
the most urmeasured terms, and charging
him with "gross and criminal blunders .
in the conduct Of the action in which he
perished with so many Of his command. Ht
went still further, il correctly reported, anC
imputed not only the basest motives, but &
most disgraceful lack Of personal courage tx
soldier whose name long ago became
in this country popular synonym
with the most untinchlng and, indeed
reckless gallantry. Among the young he
roes who died on that dreadful day wa:
"Lieutenant Sturgis," who may very possi
bly, have been near kinsman or even sol
Of the officer who now assumes the tremen
dous responsibility of this sweeping assault
upon the memory Of General Custer, and i
this should prove to be the case the country
may, perhaps, find in it some palliation o
the literally ferocious temper Of the assault
But it is due to the dead genera
that no time should be lost in re
mindng the public that General Sturgis
who makes this attack, is the sam
General Sturgis who was utterly routed
Guntown, on the Mobile railroad, in 1856
by General Forrest; and OF whom Horac
Greeley, in his 'sAmerican Conflict" yer.
plainly says that when it was determined
to attempt to prevent Forrest from pushin:
on his forces to the help Of Johnston agains
Sherman Maior-GeneraI Samuel D. Stur
gis, in spite of overwhelming proofs OF hi
aggravated unlisness, was intruSted with the
command" Mr.. Greeley, in his accoun
of the disaster at Guntown, attributes i
wholly to the incapacity and folly OF Sturgis
charges him with scandalous lack O
"common sense" and states that aftel
"this most needless disgrace % had beer
incurred General Sturgis "made no attemp
| to reorganize his infantry, or 10 do anything
| effective to mitigate the severity OF the dis
aster." ."-Neao York Wortd.
Mr.. j. P. Benjamin. @. G., the eX-Con
federate Secretary OF State, furnishes strlk