Western Kansas world., 1886-03-06

about my daughter Clara, and went from
here to Washington, and by his influence
got her in the mint, where she now is He
once acted as pail l-bearer when member
of my family died, and he has always
been more than kind to me.
Clusters Cruelty
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Feb. % Spec
ial. eve were in nothern Alabama at
the close of the war when orders were re-
ceived calling troops north for discharge y
said ex-Marshal Francis, of this city
"When we reached Memphis the boys
were in good spirits. We had drawn
little pay, and upon discharge each pri-
vate was to receive about $500 including
bounty money. Through the long weary
marches and the many trials of soldier
life strong friendships had formed, and
now that the war was ended and we were
to separate in few days, never again to
meet as a military body, never again to
live over those experiences which had
made us band of brothers, the future
of each seemed the concern of all, and
plan making was mutual. We were all
heartily glad that the end of the bloody
contest had come, yet loath to separate.
Shortly after our arrival at Memphis an
order was issued creating three divisions
of cavalry, nine regiments each, for the
southwest campaign, under Gems. Custer,
Torbert and Merritt. Our regiment,
with eight others, rendezyoused at Alex
andria, La, under Gen. Custer. We had
gone through the war, had camped in
Missouri with foot of snow on the
ground, had lain down in the mud in
Arkansas at nighttime to find ourselves
frozen to the earth next morning; we had
wrestled with vermin in southern trenches
and doubled up under the discomforts of
cold and the pangs of hunger, but until
after the war had ceased and we entered
Clusters division the real hardships of
camp life had never stared us in the face.
Despite the fact that to desert was to
forfeit ones pay and honorable discharge,
numbers of the boys, rather than submit
to the rigors of camp life at Alexandria,
left under cover of darkness on their
lonely journey northward. When
deserter was captured he was tied
to his coffin and shot, although the army
regulations forbade this punishment in
time of peace. While we were lying at Al
without pay an orderly sergeant
of the Third Wisconsin drew up petition
asking the colonel of that regiment to re-
sign, that the lieutenant colonel might be
promoted before being mustered out of
service. The orderly was called up be-
fore Clusters court, and tried on charge
of mutiny, convicted, and sentenced to be
executed along with three deserters. The
four men were blindfolded, placed upon
their coffins, and the firing squad drawn
up when Custer held consultation with
Captain Moore, one of his staff, who
walked to the coffin of the orderly, united
the cords, and led the prisoner out of
range. General Custer had been notified
by the Third Wisconsin regiment that in
case of the execution of the orderly, him
self and staff would be slaughtered, and
had the sentence been carried out Gen
eral Custer would never have lived to tor
ture his command as he did on the march
10 the Rio Grande. The mutinous Or
lerly was sentenced to the Dry Tortugas
or life, but released at New Orleans on
IN order of the president.
''When about to begin the march west
ward from Alexandria soldiers we're Or
lered to report in ranks with coats but
oned and to carry carbine, revolver, sew
,nty rounds of cartridges, and saber.
The temperature was about 120 degrees,
When the division reached narrow
,ridge that had to be crossed single file
Juster and staff stood on either
ide the line with sabers drawn, and
rhere soldier overcome with heat had
astened his carbine, revolver, or sword to
be saddle they clipped it off and let it
all into the stream. The arms were
harged to the soldier, and OF course
here was an actual money loss to him of
hat amount. We marched forty miles
lay in the sun. The beef cattle followed
nd were eaten the next morning before
aybreak. The flesh fairly crawled after
ooking and put the soldiers in condi-
ion unfit for the march. Plenty of beef
night have been picked up along the
me. Foraging was strictly forbidden In
special order, on penalty OF shaved head
nd twenty five lashes. The conclusion
t this infamous order read something
Ike this: Owing to the delay of court
,artial proceedings orderlies are charged
nth the execution of this order Many
oor fellow have seen with head shaved I
0 the scalp, tied to a wagon wheel and
7hipped like dog for stealing piece
fresh meat, or peach from an orchard
y the wayside. Search of camp was
1ade every morning, and woe to the un-
ncky regiment which left evidences of
oraging. One member of our regiment
7rote letters to northern newspapers
of the treatment received at
he hands of Custer and the young staff
fficers that influenced him. Every eff
ort was made to discover the identity of
be correspondent, but IN vain. In 1867,
owever, when Custer was court martialed
t Leavenworth and relieved of command
nd pay for year, that correspondent,
a the person Of Dr. Lathrop who now
ives at Lyons Iowa, proved ono Of the
witnesses of Custers cxuelty. 4