The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-24
CUsTER AND HIS MEN.

Poor Custer!" said one of his men.
81 followed him through great part of
the war of the rebellion as private sol
der. / followed him afterward in va
rious capacities during his warfare on
the froatier. Yes, and to-day, if should
see the general astride his Kentucky
thorough bred, seated as no man ever sat
on his horse before or since, should |
catch the CLINT of the sun on the mighty
sweep of that sabre of his, and see the
yellow hair flying straight as he dashed
along, could not resist the temptation to
seize poker or Ratchet or an ax-han-
die, jump astride that old mare of mine
and follow him for better or for worse.
And no soldier of Clusters ever did
more than follow him. He was leader
of his men-not driver-a cavalier gen
eral, who asked no man to go where he
dare not take the lead-and as the dan
ger became greater Custer was sure to
be just SO much further in front of the
column. Tacticians have censured him
for that, and perhaps he would have
been with us to-day had he abandoned
it. But he was a dashing soldier, and
would rather charge upon an enemy out
numbering him twenty to one than seek
vantage ground or lay siege. He be-
lieved it TO be his business to fight and
ne let but rev opportunities 60 by, pro-
vided he thought the enemy worth the
metal of his troopers.
"Custer had the most unbounded faith
in the rank and file of his regiment, but
never reposed the least confidence in his
subordinate officers. He gave his per-
sonal attention to the minutest details of
his command, saw that every trooper
had his f1ll allO,uanon nf nd
clothing, and saw, too, that the men at
tended just as carefully to the physical
wants of their horses. He would never
take the word of captain or lieutenant
on such matters. For that reason the
subordinate commissioned officers hated
him just as heartily as the men loved
him. He insisted always on being abso-
lutte IN his command.
But how the boys loved that mani
Their devotion was fittingly demon
strated in an inciden in the generals last
battle on the Little Big Horn. The 200
troopers of the Sc enth cavalry knew
they were hopelessly outnumbered by an
enemy better armed than themselves.
Eight cavalry men broke through the In
dian lines and gained neighboling bluff
They were practically out of danger, fer
the fine horses which the seventh were
then equipped with could laugh at the
best Indian ponies. But they halted on
the bluff, and, looking back, saw their
leader hemmed in ON all sides by the
savage enemy. One said: Boys. we
can't do this? and alighting, placed his
carbine against his horses head and shot
him dead. Then he quietly released his
revolvers from the saddle, and, thrusting
them into his belt, started down the
slope. The remaining seven followed
suit, and the little band was annihilated
in an attempt to gain their leaders, side
on foot All but one was killed, and he,
being a half-bresd, the second son of
Theophile Bruguier of this country by
his first wife, the daughter of War Eagle,
escaped slaughter, the Infatuated Sioux
paying no attention to any but palefaces.
Bruguier and | were friends, and he told
me the incident the second day after the
tight. "-Siour City Journal.