The National tribune., 1884-04-17
BOB CUSTER.
A Graphic account of the Capture of tho Noted
Guerrilla.
CENTREvILLE, La.

Gnefr1lia.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
While lying in camp at Winchester, Tenn,
learned that the noted Bob Custer, as he was
called, had boosted of having killed twenty
Yankee soldiers and had taken part in the
murder of General r. L. McCeok in Alabama.
] determined TO see what could be done toward
stopping this noted bushwhackers career, the
mention of whose name at that time was sutfi-
Gent to cause the stoutest heart to quake. So
/ ran the picket-line and found no trouble
through the aid and assistance of All intelligent
contraband-in finding his whereabouts, and
then returned to camp, Well-pleased with my
information.
] called on Lieutenant S. P. Genason, then
acting adjutant of the ID Minnesota volunteers,
and assured him that the rascal could be cap
tured, and that / would volunteer to accom-
plish the feat if I could have the privilege of
picking ten good men to assist me.
Wei, " said he, we will 90 and see what
General Steednan has to say" ] was ushered
into the presence OF the general with a good
deal of fear and trembling ON my part, for |
expected he would order me to return to my
company and report myself under arrest.
He said: Well, young man, what do you know
about Bob Custer?"
GENERAL sTEEDMAN CONSENTS.
] related my plan. He said You cannot
capture him, for had whole company after
y
even then he gave them the slip"
But, said |, . expect 70 find him at home
with his family, and If he does not come out /
viii burn the house, and then he will have to
come out or burn"
Well, said the general, get your men and
report TO the colonel's tent at sundown.1
l thanked him, and proceeded to pick ont
my men. Some declined, thinking it was
foolhardy expedition and would be failure,
but at last secured ten good fellows who were
not afraid to go. At the appointed time, all
being III readiness, / marched my men up to
headquarters to procure the counfersign, dc.
We marched out very carefully with orders
that If by any event we should chance to get
separated we should find our way back 10 camp
as best we could.
We marched out about two miles from camp
and halted. then sent two men in advance.
and leaving some in the rear, so that we should
not be surprised from that quarter, we marched
steadily on till we reached the Widow
GrisWods house, about six miles from camp
beyond the Elk River when / again brought
my little command to halt just inside of the
garden fence, and gave orders for the men to
stay by the fence and watch the road while I,
with two of the men, went into the house for
the purpose of procuring the services of a
negro, that | expected to find there, as
guide. We were some time pefsuading the
negro to give US his services. and we found in
the house two girls about the ages of fifteen
and seventeen years, and boy about thirteen
years ola, as well as the old lady. hardly
knew what 10 do with them, fearing that some
OF them would slip out and give the alarm, SO
made up my mind to take the boy and negro
with lie. But just about this time I heard one
of the men at the fence say Keep quiet
there are some men coming down the road"
THE GAME BAGGED.
The night was clear and STILL and we all got
quickly back under cover of the fence, and by
the light of the moon could clearly see three
men approaching. ] gave my men orders to be
ready, and as the party came up opposite us
ordered them TO halt. One of their number
gave the order Halt also, but instead OF
doing So they gave us a volley with their
double-barrelled shotguns- with
out effect whereat | drew bead on the leader
and let him have the contents Of my SPRING
field, which was the signal for the Others to
give them shot. Just how many Of the bows
fired / can't say now They evidently thought
that the garden was full of Ianks, as they put
spurs to their horses and ran. Bob Custer
however, who was one of the three. fell from
his horse about six rods from the place of start
ing, and we found him with his knee badly
torn to pieces. We picked him up procured a
| sheet, and bound up his wound as best we
could, and a team having been hitched up mean
while to wagon with a bed in it. we placed
our prisoner in it and started for camp. We
No1is hoo SOO DaSh " Stilip tlie same route
that we had come, but went through the city.
and found the army all in line of battle They
had heard the firing and mistaken the rum
bling OF the wagon for rebel artillery We
finally reached camp with our prize, which we
duly turned over, and then turned in for sleep
and rest, thinking we had accomplished big
feat But at o'clock the next morning Bob
Custer had escaped us-he was dead. He had
been shot through the right knee.-an ugly
wound, and although he did not complain
had failed very fast during the night and died
about z o'clock A. IN. Just as we had dug
grave for him, his wife and mother came in to
camp. 1t was trying scene. His wife said:
Just seel They are going TO bury him with
his boots on" But his mother never shed a
tear She said that she had told her son that
if ne wanted to help the South he ought to
enlist in the army and fight like man Upon
their request his body was given to them. and
! saw his grave about a year later near his
fathers house, just east of our camp in '63,
which was called Camp Thomas
HENRY VEssEY,
Co. d, I'd Reg, MINI. Vols.
ELDRIDGE, OAK.