The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-05
BOY BRIGADLERS
A Famous Quartet of Cav
airy Commanders.
Merritt, Mckenzie, Custer aud
Upton in the Army.
Services Renjersd During AMI After
the War; Survives.

The transfer and promotion Of Maj
Gen. Wesley Merritt Co the command Of the
department Of the East, with headquarters
at Governors Island, vividly recalls
that historic quartet of brilliant young
cavalry officers Merritt, Custer, Mac
kenzie and Upton, which Louamo famous
the last two years uf the war, lt was
group that found It's analogue In the same
number of equally gallant young generals,
West Pointers all, In many Instances
classmates Of their antagOnists-Stuatt.
fitz Lee, RCsser and Young, In tho Army
of Northern Virginia. IL is the union
quartet that Will be considered here, be
cause their careers were similar, IA they
were promoted together, and the history
of one is a part OF the history Of them
all.
Merritt was tho senior of the "quadrilat-
eral. y OF young union generals in gradu-
alton. He was "a memDcr OF the first and
only Five years class" that ever left
West Point. While Mr.. Davis was secre-
tary of war. he caused the course at ths-
United States Military Academy TO be in
creased TO five years In the class of 90
graduated .loseph Wheeler, member of
Congress for several terms, and a confed-
crate general officer; General Wilson,
chief of engineers and Colonel Whitta-
more, Of The ordinance department
After serving ms adiutant OF the I'd
Dragons under Colonel Philip ST George
Cooke, Merritt became aid -de-camp to that
gallant Virginian, when he was made
brigadier general in 1851, then major
general and given command of all the
cavalry of McClellan's army. Two days
before Gettysburg, Captain Merritt who
had attracted the attention OF ms
superiors of the highest rank py reason OF
his quick military perceptions ana
thorough knowledge of the ayailabllities
of the cavalry arm, was nominated hriga-
dier general and forwarded his acceptance
and mounted tho star on tie very day,
July /, 1853 when Buford's col
umns, suddenly pushing out westward
from Gettysburg unexpectedly ran up
against the advance brlgades of General
"A. II. HILL Merritt WAS given the reserve
cavalry command. From that day bis
fortune was assured He fought u
division under tie eve and command of
General Sheridan. the first cavalry officer
of the union army at Winchester ana
Fishers Hill sheridan showed what hc
thought of his Young subordnate's abl-
ity and conduct when he named Merritt
Tor tho breyet of major general which
WAS given HIM General Merritt has six
breycts, all for gallant and meritorioGs
service From Fishtrs Hin to the close
at tho war General Merritt commanded "a
division OF Saeridan's Cavalry Corps.
second of the gallant four comes
Custer. He was old for cadet whom Ge
entered the United States Military Acpd.
envy. Iwl classes were graduated IN 1851;
tie llrst was that which would have been
tho second five years class: the other
June ~ The latter was Clusters After
serving aS cavalry aiI-dc camp % General
Mcclellan, June ~ he was made lrigddinr
General. His name and Merritt's went %
the Seratc together. Custer vim ana
dash mt BraLdy station and Aide, WhilO
nTi-to-cHEp q General Pleasant u, had
lcen SO conspicuous as To attract general
attention, ana won for HIM his hriLadler
generals commission From GcttysDurg,
In 1853 IN the end, Custer was the typical
hard rider, the ideal light hOrsenan and
dnshing fighter of the cavalry corps oi the
Army OF tno Potomac. Az Fisher HiN
Custer won his blUyet of mai,r general,
tho same day Merritt gained his und hi
the same battles. sheridan gave custer
the second ot his boy general. ~ q Civis-
ION Of his superb cavalry which he com
MaDded until hOstilitics ceased.
Third In the list OF tnis group Of Young
heroes comes Upton lie was Bl man.
- the almost five years class, that re-
0rlved its diplomas May g. Like most OF
those high mp IN class standing, UPTON
was commissioned IN tho artillery. But
he wanted q regiment and that fortune
which over fifvOfs the brave stood Upton *
friend. BY a lucky chance be was COM
missioned colonel OF the l2lst New YORK
Volunteers. aud made brigadiei general
for distinguished gnllantry an an attack
that Will be famous through all history
Upton was brigade commander i'm that
crack corps ot Hancock veterans which
ON the morning OF May II, 1851. advanced
silently upon that faulty horse hoe" in
Lees line of works at SpUttsvlvania.
walked over the gray shirmi,bpis not
firing shot at them Tor fear or giving
the alarm, and lust az dawn drove tho
federal wedge with terrible decisive effect
full into the horseshoe. His story calls it
the bloody angle. T" There IL was that
Hancock the superb" noted the gallant
young Colonel UptOn's bravery aud the
skill hc showed in handling his command
and said 10 General Morgan OF his staff;
"By this and by that, Upton has won "A
star, and he shall have IL. Again that
10th Of October 1864. chat had bccn 80
lucky for Merritt and Custer. brought
good fortune 10 Upton, for then DC re-
s-reived the brevot Of major general When
General James H. Wilson went 10 tic
Western army 20 command all General
sherman's cavalry he took UDton with
him, and gave him the fourth division Of
the cavalry corps, which he commanded
until his volunteers were mustered out
and the war ended
Last, and I'm many respects the ablest,
OF this quartet whose rnffrs VIII live A.
!. l.I - a