Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-05-24
BOY BRIGADIERS.

headquarters aU OOV0EHOE ISlduU vi
wildly recalls that historic quartet of
brilliant young cavalry officers, Mer-
rit, Custer, Mackenzie and Upton,
which became famous the last two
years of the war. 1t was a group that
found it's analogue in the same mum
Der of equally gallant young generals,
West Pointers all, in many instances
classmates of their antagonists Stu
art, Fitz Lee, Rosser and Young, in
the Army of Northern Virginia. It is
the union quartet that will be consid-
! cred here, because their careers were
similar, as they were promoted to-
gether, and the history of one is
part of the history of them all.
Merritt was the senior of the ssqua-
drilateraP' of young union Generals in
graduation. He was a member of the
first and only give years. class'' that
! ever left West Point. While Mr..
Davis was Secretary of War, he caus-
ed the course at the United States
Military Academy to be increased to
five years. In the class of go gradu
ated Joseph Wheeler, a member of
Congress for several terms, and a
Confederate General officer; Gen.
! Wilson, chief of engineers. and Col.
Whittemore, of the Ordinance De-
partment.
After serving as Adjutant of the I'd
Dragons under Col. Philip ST. George
Cooke, Merritt became aid de- camp
to that gallant Virginian, when he
was made Brigadier General in 1861,
then Major General and given com
mand of all the cavalry of McClel-
lan's army. Two days before Gettys-
burg, Capt. Merritt, who had attract
ed the attention of his superiors of
the highest rank by reason of his
quick military perceptions and thor
ough knowledge of the availabilities
of the cavalry arm, was nominated
Brigadier General and forwarded his
acceptance, and mounted the star on
the very day, July 1, 1868, when Blu
ford's columns, suddenly pushing out
westward from Gettysburg, unex
pectedly ran up against the advance
brigades of Gen. A. p. Hill Merritt
was given the reserve cavalry com
mand. From that day his fortune
was assured. He fought division
under the eye and command of Gen
Sheridan, the first cavalry officer of
the Union army, at Winchester and
Fishers Hill. Gen. Merritt has bre-
vets, all for ''gallant and meritorious
service.n From Fishers Hill to the
close Of the war Gen. Merritt COM
manded division of Sheridan's Ca
valry Corps.
Second of the gallant four comes
Custer. He was old for a cadet when
he entered the United States Military
Academy. Two classes were gradu
atedin 1861; the first was that which
would have been the second five
years class; the other, June "a. The
cavalry aid de- camp to Gen. McClel-
Ian, June 20 he was made Brigadier
General. His name and Nerritt's
went to the Senate together. Clusters
vim and dash at Brandy Station and
Aide, while aid de- camp to General
Pleasanton, had been SO conspicuous
as to attract general attention, and
won for him his Brigadier Generals
commission. From Gettysburg, in
1868, to the end, Custer was the typic-
al hard rider, the ideal light horse
man and dashing fighter of the caval-
ry corps of the Army of the Potomac.
At Fishers Hill Custer won his brevet
of Major General, the same day Mer-
rift gained his and in the same bat
ties. Sheridan gave Custer, the Sc
cond Of his ''boy Generals a division
of his superb cavalry, which he COM
manded until hostilities ceased.
Third in the list Of this group of
young heroes comes Upton. He was
a 81 man, of the almost five years
class, that received its diplomas May
6. Like most of those high up in |
class standing, Upton was commits
stoned in the artillery. But he want
ed a regiment, and that fortune which
ever favors the brave stood Upton's |
friend. By lucky chance he was
commissioned Colonel of the 121st |
New York Volunteers, and made a
Brigadier General for distinguished |
gallantry in an attack that will be
famous throughout all history. Upton
was a brigade commander in that |
crack corps of Hancock's veterans
which on the morning of May II, 1864,
advanced silently upon that faulty
sshorseshoe'' in Lees line of works at |