St. Landry democrat., 1893-06-17
CUSTER AND HIS MEN.
The Greater the Danger the Further
He Was to the Front.

AO was W the r rOnt.
''Poor Custer" said one of his men.
II followed him through great part Of
the wcr OF the rebellion as private SOL
dier. | followed him afterward in yari-
Gus capacities during his warfare on the
frontier. Yes, and to day if should sec
the General astride his Kentucky thor
oughbred, seated as no man ever sat
horse before or since, should catch the
CLINT of the sun on the mighty sweep Of
that sabre of his, and sec the yellow hair
flying strait as he dashed along, could
not resist the temptation to SEIZE q poker
or hatchet or an axe handle, jump
astrlde 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 a leader
OF his men-not driver-a cavalier
general, who asked no man to 70 where
he dare not take the lead and as the
danger became greater Custer was sure
to be Just SO much further in front of his
column. TactiCians have censured him
for that, and perhaps he would have
been with us to day had he abandoned it.
But he was dashing soldier and would
rather charge upon an enemy outnum-
berlng him twenty to one than seek
vantage ground or lay siege He believed
it to be his business to fight, and he let
few opportunities 60 by, provided he
thought the enemy worth his mettle
"Custer had the most unbounded faith
in the rank and file of his regiment, but
he never reposed the least confidence in
his subordinate officers He gave his
personal attention to the minutest details
of his command, saw that every trooper
had his full allowance of rations and
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 tittingly demonstra;<
ted in an incident in the Generals lS 81
battle on the Little Big Horn. The
troopers of the Seventh Cavalry
they were hopelessly outnumbered by
enemy better armed than themselvt s.
Eight cavalrymen broke through the In!i
dian lines and gained neighboriug bluff,
They were practically out of danger, fos
the fine horses which the Seventh were
then equipped with could laugh at this
best Indian ponies. But they halted on
the bluff, and, looking back, saw their
leader hemmed in on all sides by the saw
age enemy.
Zone of them said, Boys, we can't dc
this.' and alighting, he placed his car
bine agains1 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 were killed, and he,
being half-breed, the second son Of
Theophile Brugier of this county by his
first wife, the daughter of War Eagle,
escaped slaughter, the Infatuated Sioux
paying no attention to any but palefaces.
Brugier and l were friends, and he told
me the incident the second day aftef the
fight"