The Portland daily press., 1892-04-16

kM Fg-S n DduUl6. CuSU6T' 8
~ tx \; old command, the
Michigan cavalry
brigade, made fame all it's own and might
have done so under another leader than
Custer, but he it was who first took it into
action, and he continued at it's head until
good fighting became second nature to the
Wolverines and the laurels won under
him couldn't get away from them. For
soldiers with reputation for fighting
never lack opportunities to keep it up.
Next to Phil Kearny among the minor
lights of the eastern army Custer was the
best talked up man among the troops at
large. In fact he seemed to succeed Kear-
ny as the idol of the rank and file. Each
possessed striking personality, yet Gus
ter had it in him to be remembered best
and longest, not because he appeared last,
but rather because once seen he couldn't
be forgotten. Kearny's empty sleeve was
= unique in his day, but empty sleeves soon
grew common. Custer carried figure, a
mien stamped with royal marks of indi-
viduality. With. his tall, 1.-THE form, his
golden hair waving behind face that.
though young, was eager if not intense
with the passion for activity, we who
caught but passing glimpses could as soon
lose our impressions of Lincoln or McClel-
Ian or Grant.
Clusters association with Michigan troop
ers had a romantic beginning. He was
sent to the West Point academy from Ohio,
but when the war broke out his people
lived in Michigan. While serving as aid
to Gen. Mcclellan ON the Peninsula he led
Company A, of the Fourth Michigan cav
airy, in a gallant attack on Confederate
post across the Chickahoniny. He staid
in Little Macs family until the general
was relieved in November, 1862. After
McClellan's departure Custer dropped back
to lieutenaney in the Fifth Regular cav
airy, and was called out again by Gen.
Pleasanton when that officer became chief
of the cavalry corps of the Army Of the Po-
tonaac, May, 1868. He served on Pleasan-
TOMS staff until June 90, 1868, when he was
given a star and installed over the Michi-
gan cavalry brigade. The army was then
closing on Gettysburg The brigade COM
prised the First, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh
regiments.
Clusters famous charge upon Stuart's
column on July 3 is familiar history. The
Wolverines and their new leader were well
brought together and Custer divided with
Hancock the honors of Gettysburg. The
Sixth regiment was not in the great charge,
but two affairs of it's own during that rec
ord making epoch let it in for a share of
the glory won by Custer and the army
AT Hunterstown, Pa, July 2, Capt. b. A.
Thompson, of the Sixth, led Company A
in charge on one of Stuart's brigades, los
ing ~ killed and wounded, but winning
position for battery that finished the
business by driving Stuart from the field
Custer rode with Thompson and his horse
was shot under him. His life was saved
by the quick shooting of Michigan boy.
At Failing Waters, Md, July IA, while
Lees army was crossing the Potomac in
retreat, Clusters Michigan men ran into
Heth's division of Hill's corps, acting as
rear guard and covering a pontoon bridge
over which Lees trains were passing.
Four companies of the Sixth were advance
guard of Kilpatrick's cavalry division, and
early in the morning they rode up to the
Confederate line with a stealthy tread.
Gen. Pettigrew's brigade was on outpost
and lay in bivouac behind series of de-
tached earthquakes thrown up for defense.
The Confederates, worn out with their IA
tiguing march, were asleep. Gen. Heth was
startled by seeing about forty-five or fifty
cavalrymen maneuvering outside the pick
cts. He took them for friends until they
formed for a charge, then aroused his men
to give due welcome to the intruders. Two
companies of the Sixth deployed as Skin
mishers and Companies B and F, led by
Capt. Peter A. Weber, made dash with
drawn sabers, passed through the intervals
between the Confederate works and pushed
on to the second line. Many of the Con-
federates grounded arms in the first sur
I,,1t I. Al
handful at most, they thought better of it,
seized their muskets and opened fire. Capt.
Weber was killed; also Lieut.. G. Z. Bolza
and about twenty-five of their men. A
unique thing about the charge was that
somebody got hurt. First, a Michigan boy
scored bullseye with his revolver that
brought down Gen. Pettigrew, one of Lees
brightest brigadiers. Second, there were
fewer rode back from the charge than rode
in. just how the figures should be it is
impossible to tell, but Gen Heth says that
his men killed all but three of the blue
coats who entered his works. No more
than two companies rode in. and perhaps
not all of them. Cavalry charges into the
jaws of death often look grander in poetry
than in official history. Tennyson says
sadly of the Light Brigade;
Inen tiley fOue OacKs
But noEr-not the Six Hundred,
Two-thirds of the Light Brigade got ont
nnscathed and about one-sixth only were
killed. Capt Webster's squadron lost as
high as in if not in killed, and not
over third escaped injury
In his next fight Custer engaged his
whole brigade, and although the losses
were slight, the affair was brilliant for
both leader and men. 1t was on the re-
treat of portion of Meade's army from
Culpepper, Va, to the Rappahannock, in
October, 1863 Clusters brigade was adj
vance guard to Kilpatrick's cavalry di-
vision, and on reaching Brandy Station,
few miles from the crossing of the Kappa
hammock, the discovery was made that
large body of Confederate cavalry was be-
tween the Union forces and the river.