Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-14
AMENITIES OF WAR.
How Ms0Iellsn Sna .,,.,.,, Cusser TTeated
Mrs. :. B. Washington in the Philadelphia

n
on Old west Point OOmrade. iH
Mrs. Z. B. Washington in the Philadelphia
Times.l
In the summer of 1862 when
Generals Mcclellan and Joe John
ston were commanding the two OPP
posing armies in the attack and
defense of Richmond, a freak of
fate or decree of destiny ordered a
singular coincidence in the situa-
ton of the Northern and Southern
cadets. Custer was acting on Gen.
McOlellan's staff, and his former
friend on that of General Joseph
Johnston, each as aide to the com
manding general of the Northern
and Southern armies, On the day
of the battle of Seven Pines or
Fair Oaks, the Confederate com
mander was severely wounded by a
shell, and his place afterward filled
by General Lee. The same day
Johnston's young aide WIS captured
by the enemy while in the discharge
of his duty, and taken to McOlel-
lan's headquarters as a prisoner of
distinction. He had been known
to the Federal general when at
West Point, and being courteously
recognized was treated with much
consideration. Here, too, he met
several young officers who had been
cadets at the same time with him,
by whom he was welcomed with
, much cordiality and glee-kindest
and most cordial was Custer. II
was a singular, a striking scene
one that merits description among
the incidents of a sectional war
The blue jackets greeting the gray
foes meeting as friends, hands
clasping kindly that were armed il
deadly strife against each other
Just a small green spot in the dreary
desert of war. To Clusters car,
Mcclellan especially consigned tht
young Confederate officer, with tht
charge, given in a serio-comic tone
that "The prisoner should not b.
treated very severely, but allowed {
cigar, and other refreshments oc
casionally," So that night ther,
was rather a jollifcation in one o
} the headquarter tents which th,
party occupied. Rehearsing scene
at West Point in which they ha(
mingled, "skylarking" at Benn,
Haven's, and other. har-hazar,
! frolics, stories Of study and drill
! mutual inquiries for friends scat
tered North and South amid th
: ranks of contending armies. Al
terward, when the Confederate pris
oner was ordered to be sent to For
. Delaware, in parting with his ac
quaintance again, Custer, his ger
eroas guardian, suddenly strucl
with a kind thought, exclaimel
J impulsively: "You must have som
) money, jim; those pictures in you
pockets Confederate currency
don't pass up there;p and in spit
of the earnest protest Of his frien
| who assured him he could readil
) draw on his relatives in Baltimor
for needed funds, finding it impoi
sible to persuade him to take tn
: money he offered, stepped up an
! stuffed some notes into his yes
!. pocket, nolens yolens. Such act
| are only prompted by a noble heart
! During this detention at Genera
! | McClellan's headquarters, Will
one day the Federal and Confeder
, ate officers were seated under
: tree, an itinerant artist seized o.
the striking effect Of the singula
situation and promptly portraye
, them IN a photograph. AS al
amusing and appropriate addition
to the scene, Custer had a negr,
, boy seated at their feet; putting, a
: he said laughingly, " the irrrepres
sible conflict between them" Thi
picture attracted much motto
. from the press at the time with tn
$ singularity of the circumstance
,, and incidents attending upon tn
meeting of the two young men.