The National tribune., 1892-04-28

| ~ 1EetSsN as q soldier and pari-
| GNlW q e <SyEEssgE, otto man, brings 10
| &rSXfsSSxkAIlSsA MUD recollections Of
n e. my service under Gen.
| q rHExg< Custer, and evidence of
| -S%-@.TEE his weakness of char
"NT---~--@= acter as an lndepen-
dent commander and
| man above reproach.
The close of the rebellion found Gen. Custer
| with q name made famous throughout the land
by his deeds of gallantry performed during the
| war as cavalry officer. Gen. Custer was the
| ideal cavalryman; his brilliant career from
the time he left West Point up to the close of the
war, his dashing appearance when at the head
| of his troops. cast tinge OF romance and chlV-
| airy around him that won the praise Of his men
and the people-at-large. Gen. Custer was the
"Murat" of the American armies. The great
est of men are but human and the weak points
| in mans character will appear when the test
| is made; the qualities which man should
possess to mako him successful in tho control
| of independent command are not always
found in men who have been highly success
| ful while serving directly under their superior
| officers, and circumstances show that Gen.
| Custer was no exception to this rule. His
| record from the time of his first separate COM
| mand in the Texas Column in the Summer of
1865 up to that fatal day on the Little Big
| Horn where he and his gallant 9TH Cav. suf-
| fercd disaster at the hands of Sitting Bull and
| his warriors show fata! defects in his charac-
ter, and cast q shadow over his former high
| reputation.
Looking back with retrospective view, my
| mind travels over the eight months timo that
/ We served under Custer in Louisiana and Texas
| in 1866. / feel positive i'll saying there
/ is not man of that command but who Will
| say this eight months service in time of peace
was attended with more suffering to Us of mind
| and body than that of any equal length Of time
|
Aud this suffering was caused by the 1ncom-
petence Or criminal negligence of our Com
manding General in not having the division
properly supplied and fitted out and properly
managed on this long march nto central Texas
This division, of five regiments, lay at Alex
andra, on Red River, for seven weeks, and
notwithstanding that repeated acquisitions
were made out by company and regImentai
commanders, and forwarded to Headquarters
| when the command marched from Alexandria
on the Sth of August, 1865 there was lack
of verything-ratioDs, clothing, medicines
transportation horses, and horse equipments.
Two hundred men of our brigade were COM
PEELED TO march through to Texas on foot, carry
ing their arms and Announcements, blankets, and
rations, and keep up with the column through
the dust under that hot southern sun; and
/ quito a number OF the men who had horses
were not furnished with saddles, and their
horses became ruined by sore backs caGsed
by being ridden without saddles, when with
III 80 miles by boat, at New Orleans and other
points on the Mississippi River, were thou.
sands of horses and other Government stores
lying idle or being sold. The Surgeon Of orr
regiment bought with private funds $i86
worth Of quinine for the use of the regiment
on that march.
The inconsistent and tyraunical orders gov
erning that march | don't suppose were ever
known TO any other command. Companies
we're kept closed up to half distance in the
column. The men were required to keep their
jackets buttoned Up close, the carbines were
carried on the sling over the mems shoulders,
and no officer or soldier was allowed to leave
the ranks of his company with his horse. Ono
of our Lierienants, being left with Il sick man
| by the roadside 10 wait for an ambulance while
on the march, got behind the regiment, and
his horse WIS taken from him, and tho Lien
tenant was compelled to march tho balance Of
the day on foot When man was taken sick
the march he was left by the roadside, alone,
to wait until the ambulance-trajn came up.
and he would be taken in, providing there was
room. The orders regarding the sick were
such that a sick mans comrades or his officers
mad no chance to care for him.
The writer himself was ordered to report
| with his company to act as rear-guard for enc
day while on the march through eastern Texas,
and in tue morning while We were waiting by
the roadside FOR the pontoon train 10 get started
on the road, being OH my horse, / rode out back
through the woods, where the cam pfres were
still smoking, and ! found two sick soldiers
who had been overlooked, and were left be-
hind. A Sergeant was sent forward to over
take the trains and bring back an ambulance,
which he did, and the sick men were put into
it and taken along Had it not been for this
delay, which gave me time 10 ride through
these woods, these poor fellows would have
been left there to die.
Gen Custer took with him to Texas a race
| horse and a pack OF hounds. Revcille would
sound in our camp every morning at o'clock,
and when ready the division would move
out Of camp get straightcned out on the road,
! then halt, and wait there until the General,
| with his attendants and headguattcr ambulan-
! ces, would pass the command, which they
would at fast gait, and tie General would go
| on to the next camping place, 20 into camp at
an early hour, and the balance OF the day he
would spend i'll the woods chasing deer with
his hounds, leaving the management of the
| division to impertueut set of young staff
| officers who wcro strangers TO the troops. i
never knew Gen. Custer to enter our camp or
pass through tho command except while on the
! line Of march, and then he would not look to the
right OR 10 the left.
While the division was cncampcd at Hemp
stead, Tex, six men OF the command were ar
rested by Gen. Clusters orders, and without a
trial were given % iashcs Oh the bare back, and
then their heads were shaved. Ono of these
men belonged to the lst Iowa Cav, two to the
| 18th Ill. Cav, and three Of them to the 9TH
Ind. Cav.
Gen. Clusters race-horse was 10 be seen al
most daily on the race-track, running races
| with enlisted men or negroes, and either Maj.
| Tom Custer or his father WAS present nlauasiDg
the races.
While we were encanped at Hampstead q
race was run between Jack Rucker the GEN
! erals horse, and horse belonging to our reg-
| ment. This horse of OURS was ridden by q
| Mexican, an enlisted man of the regiment.
The main bet was &, 900. Besides that amount,
nearly every one Of US had money bet this
race. Capt. Earle one of Clusters staff officers,
rode the Generals horse, and this Mexican
rode our horse. When ready to start the
! riders mounted. made the start went through
the poles, our horse easily taking the lead.
When Capt Earle saw how the race was going,
he jcrked his horse up, and turned out of the
TRACK. came back to the stand, and claimed a
foul start Gen. Custer proposed to run the
| race on the next Saturday. Before that day
came around some of Jack Rucker's friends
had bought our rider, giving him 500 to
jockey the race, which he did, and Gen. Gus
ter and his staff cleaned our regiment out OF
about s.. 900.
Gen. Fred Steele, who commanded the Sew
enth Corps, was often seen OH the race track
which was near our camp. When We served
under him in Arkansas Gen. Steele took an
interest in the races, but he did not keep q
race-horse. While on the march to Texas a