The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-04-12
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General Casters great charge % Gen
Rosssr, familltrly called the Woodstock
Races, Is thus vividly described IN The
Life Of General Caster by Captain Fred.
eriek Whitaker The author himself
was serving Ia the division Of esyalry ad.
jolaing Casters, aud saw, himself nearly
everything be describes
Aud now occurred Que Of those little
incidents that stamp ,he innate romance
OF Casters character on bis biography,
like the echo Of bis famous last speech At
the Academy, Lets have $ fair dgb,,
boys. Here i was, iar aud square aud
no favor, perhaps the irst 10 tho war,
No infantry to bother the horse, Numbers
about equal, his first fight As division
commander, aud Rosser ia sight. Out
rode Custer from his staff, far In advance
OF the line, his glittering figure in plain
view Of both armies. Sweeping of bis
broad sombrero, be threw Il down TO bis
knee In profound salute 10 his honor
able foe. II was Ike The action OF a
knight Ia the lists, A fair Eight aud no
malice.
On the ridge before him be bad seen
Rosser, his clsssmate 1t the Academy,
with whom be had held many u wordy
contest n days of old, and who had been
his great rival at the Point. Rosser bad
bat Just come TO the valley, and was al.
ready hailed as its savior, lie saw Gus
ter, and turned to bis staff, pointing him
ont. You see that officer down there,
said be. That's General Custer, the
Yanks are so proud Of, aud ! intend to
give him the best whipping to-day that
l,e ever got. See II don't.
And be smiled triumphantly as he
locked around at his gallant Southern
cavaliers.
Then Caster lifted the hat aud clapped
II on his head, turned to his line OF men,
aud the next moment the Third Division
was sweeping on at trot, the flaming
scarlet necklie aud bright curIs OF Custer
before all, followed by bis staff, all with
swords out. Now the pace quiokens,
Rosser's and Lomas's guns open furious
ly at shorter range, and the rattling Of
volleys rolls along the Confederate line
The bullets go pattering around, whist
ling overhead, knocking up the dirt, KILL
ing or woundng few horses and men,
but doing surprisingly little damage, all
things considered. The trot has become
a gallop, and as the pattering OF bullets
becomes heavier, wild, savage yell
breaks from every throat in that long
wave Of cavalry, and away they so, the
lines lost in confused clumps of horse
men, with waving sabres, the horses era
zy with excitement, leaping halt out Of
their skins as they race for the Confeder-
ate batteries and lines Of cavalry.
Custer's attack arranged in full sight of
Rosser, yet proved triumphanlly success
ful. One brigade in front, another 10 the
right, the third to the left, they swept on
at charge, not needing the fire, curled
around Rosser's flanks in a moment, aud
before he could tell what had happened, /,
had him enclosed in semicircle Of
charging horse. Vain all his efforts
when bis flsnks were threatened. Had
the attack been made on foot, he might
have had time to think; but the sudden
and impetuous rush OF whole division
completely demoralized the Conieder-
ates. Despite Rosser's efforts, away
they went into the widest of confusion,
driven back at gallop for nearly two
miles.