New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-16

IL,
began most dsorderod flight All this occurred almost
In an instant Of time. No pen or description can give
anything like correct idea of the r0ut and 81 moralza
ton that followed Officers and men joined In one vast
crowd, abandoning, except In Isolated Instances, an AZ
tcmpts TO preserve their organizations. A moderate
force Of good cavalry at that moment could have secured
TO the Confederate. neary every man ana gun t .So
crossed Bull Inh in the early morning Fortunately ,ho
COnf@s rate badly demoralizcd by Ms carrier
reNerses that was IN no mood or cohd''l9 on W NAN
pursuit and reap the full fruits OF victory Inc trpos
that had arrived upon the battlefield so unexpectedly 10
the FceraS and which had wrought such disaster upon
the Union arms Ezcy's brigade oi infantry anu
Peckha's battery OF artillery. the whole under c0nl-
mani of Brighton T.. Kirby smith. being deiachheh
belonging Johusion's Army of the Sheha 9Odh Ius
arrived from the valley. Had this command rvacheu
the battlefield few minutes laer Tue fou' VI t
seemed powciless 10 check the advance oI Tue Union
troops.
The first step in the line of promotion was the
favorable notice OF General Mcclellan, who soon
after assuming the command of the army, was leu
to offer Custer position on his staff. The circum-
stances which won for him such brilliant distInc-
ton at so early period are thus related:-
On the 22d of MAY lSG2l Mcclellan established his
Headquarters at Coal HarbOr about IiIe from Tue
Cme&ahominy and Gen Barnard Inc chlel engineer vi
v0us day he had been down to Bottom Bridge elgt miles
bfDw, aud found no enemy there, while the stream was
forahlc on horseback Barnard judged that II must De
shallower III all probability higher mp ana II IL
could be crossed there the position would he better To
cover the railroad 10 West Point, 10y which the army
drew ts supplies from the sea coast.
Custer being ON sl duty happened to be around, and
Barnard bCckOnCd him To come win nm, moi knowing
who he was al the time left their horses at the
picket line ana went down 10 the river The Federal
out side plckets IN the clear ground, perhaps 200
yards from the edge of the swamp bank. Inc Scheial
and the lieutenant went on past the Pchets but were
warned enter Tie timber, as it was iu OF the
cncny's pckets. Gen. Barnard heard them, but "a no
picket SHOOTING bad taken place from thenl anu ar ms
own experience at Bottom Bridge made hln doubt H.
he passed with Custer reached the swamp peht-
tated H. ana finally The TWO 1pHhd tneisrNvs ", H
on the margin Of the stream the Gark do NOV
OF waich gave no revelation t 0I It's " 'In,
to young subordinate, Gen. Barnard said Jump
bat tue 0idol Wa instantly ODpcd ana Cus'ei Ioio
TIE stream uindug tm bptODll ana aSceHhcd thc "ii"-
,v u" -, n a. c, f rne red a. l,y the eneusy's
pIcke!s the other bank All around hm was quite n-
KNOWN. There VA, every reason 40 suppose Una! ln'
men were III the bushes hey ord, and Custer IN the
open nNcr perfectly exposed. lie nae drawn MS r.
in the middle 81 hc stream, ana MS Iect sun"
seye al inches the soft sticky black mud o TIE no..
bun viii be thai the General diG not wGd
1t himself and therefore his Ideas o. tue bottom mast ue
REGARDED slightly fUimal and technical. However IL
Arrived u, iGc otiirr side Custer pccred through the
bushes ana cautiously assembled the bdh, bcins reward
irt"t I1,g asial,c, of ana II; .lc sight Of llir
nearest sentry, ltzy IasiLg l3 post Iuc tnc"hScJHr
oi the proximity oi any Toe ~ ms tl1 b'rua.1 wa"
hgconin. c Gus Tor Clusters and his Own SAFETY,
and bean TO make silent Signals 10 hun 10 come 't;
bat the Young fellow needed them ti he sad care
! fully examined tho WAOie Oi the cncmy's position ana
had found that their main picket post was 80 situated ia
the midst Oi a ud oi The ,na II might be cas- J.!
owr down Not til he hsd settled tn, i'll h.s nnd Old
Custer r,i't,n ThcH hc waGcd HIS Wai PACK 10 biiiiI
aud br., fly reported toe stream Is beng ior''aoie
The old engineer not much given to COMMITMENTS,
buI even liz expressed certain rrhn approval 90 ihi
deed, and told Caster 10 lolio" MN DAG" W "'' M
| Clclan. ,,,
from the other sd % c hortnefh IdSc %
The valley at the Widow Ganes's house. The Gu"eial
ma his yOIn- suDoIniat mounted dHd roe up Ia tlt
mouse, Whore they found AeCe.lah hDont 10 rue Cua
with ms stan visit different positions. Here lister
the read T must r,mehcr the credit assigned To
officer soldier almost always III proportion 10 HIS
rank TIE soldiers ilit Tie battle ana hc OhcSr GO
III, credit Ia Custer haj made thc TSNy &c
cunnoiss 4ncc. Barnard was t"e c.ti chEi.tf II
icas He was YET only nIInble second cutn"i,' AMI
the riotOus lie he led al Washington the previous
repentance, produced by lis sisecs solemn Wa1i IS
prayers. had cnded 10 sODc ana shIa'' nm hlodl
There aic evidences this time IN lis private COZ
rcspcud, nee he felt times deicssed la in!nd -
80 ey,rnt and tuol.D that he lad lei an unusually
wicked ME TENDERNESS OF conscience was natural
10 MIN. Moreover, hc mad spent mos! oL ms money! Nd7
u1rd M shabby I'D hIs dress. and al litt ~ Mo
IIcovcrcd WA IN bac, mud liz CMckdhoninV He
felt very keeIl5 tie contrast Dc ven Al- own "lpih
nparlc ana lhIt of tn neat and handsome stan Oi he
TeIu yye,c every officer wen brushed and Sawed
and eieIu- witch bright but ous lii Sirl, custer Luhg
mack out OF 81 III, ami dsup"cd tho
still as they rode G b. B.trntd r"ur by hcC,etns
sue Oh way the cthor POSITIONS, aAd iaue as re-
por; III the :lvef - many Iect ~ wi'r
SUI il 4 bottom, The coinIhlider lsteued, asked
few ques lions. and finally II came "ut tnat the Cen f'l
had not gone himself ia iu SEM III sle ou- one,
really co,Dd MOI sag wLO--lad seen ilm loGneinr hti
Northumberland tr vas somewhere hedl-""Glu
tie General like 10 see hiuf
Certainly The General would Ike 10 hin-wentcd 10
IL
passed thaI " Gcu Me- elan WIh'u l" scc i"'
officer VINO uau Gown 10 the r!vei with Gen Bar
La!d" 1t pass rom stately cici oi stan GOV red
with buttons through SUI more Soi -cVS
thence cT aHd another tli II reached the sar
me officer lh4I vent Win Gen. Barnard" Al last
Le was found and brought up dirty ana ma ~,
with unk-lnpt uur coat mol biusHcd, But al creased
from being sept trousers far from gdieas OF r4->
O OF hord nG.nsl, boots more rlsse h''A h'cA Wiz
red !, liccilous once blde. no" pa.i" nom many
I.il'S All, ~, III neral rs away, ndt as a ui-
rpp4 IL
fmt Mcclellan knew bow to conquer nauraiSe honte
lew other ncn cOid He pretended not - notice Gu
i,ls confusion, Todd the lld 70 ride WIKI hIi, mat Ec
wanted 10 ner all dDOnt las Crossing o the river, ana
Ey a FEW bIi1f questions be set the boy at LIS
drew him ON 10 tak, and once IL. king Custer al
-, = rs;,l vivid and corr.o, narrator BET re
he anew how II happened Ae found hinre ielll- az
about tnc position y's pcketN, ana how easily
tn,y lLt be attacked, Org, ,iuG all he"l1ii oi h-
sell, treating MS Own exploit rs hp,hhS Nor'hS u
notice. Inc tabl were turned nov" tuifi " As dvh-
an The talking, Me clian listening suddenly the yoh'S
officer rccc ,ced himself as'ln grey SIiglt ana "'S'
ful. touched ms CAP ri ily and sid Ihii : all H.
Iucn II that Het rlian OoAe nc silence aOrupt{'
"DJ you know youc just uIe young mn rye ne,n look
Ing fOr. III Cuserf How WouiI 80" I.he 10 come Oh
III, stu e.
none. lie palcI ami iisAed, perfectly overcome lie
could not believe III, good lortuht ~
You don't-rcdiIy-inean it-ueneraIF' was all he
~ d." sad tAe General kindly. "How say youi
VIII You acceptr
Chow did you feel when the general spoke TO you"
Il
HIS Tcpi, Jrlrl, as his eyes Hi!cd Win teaIs'
iclt could nave died iOr hin."
The battle Of Aide June TO- 1861 was the hrst
cavalry action in winch the Union forces fairly
defeated the enemy aid was the occasion on which
Custer is said 10 have gained his star. Far aIead
of the Northern riders the young captain with
the floating curls lie rode his fay0rite black
Harry named after the innocent child at home.
Ia his hand II, aue the long, straight blade h. had
fIa (,rtfa hes ore
when he shot him aud took his horse, down IN mont