The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-06-23
.orrvDs on TIE BATTLEFIELD,
uow Gen. Rosser Sayed Gen Clusters
lite at Brandy Station.

garner. Nominated 10 be Brigad.ef General
# Volunteers Friday, atthe Head OF the
Fifth Virginia Cavalry Had Custer
at his Mercy, but Remembered
His Pledge.
Washington, d. c., Juns IL
Gan Thomas l. Rosser, of Char.
,ottesyille, Va, who was yesterday
nominated to be Brigadier General
Volunteers, has an unusually di'
carsified history. He was nominated
10 West Point from Texas ia 1857,
and would have graduated with the
.laas commissioned June "a, 1861,
Init when Texas left the Union K0s-
ser resigned from the academy and
s.arted for Richmond. Rosser s
father was Virginiau and kinsman
Of Gov. Henry A. Wise and 50 when
Wise WAS made brigadier general,
he took young Roeser on his staff
as ordinance officer.
When the cavalry of Gen. Lee s
army was reorganized into cory
in June, 1862, Rosser was made
colonel OF the 5th Virginia c~ra',..'
While a cadet Rosser, who was the
best horseman in his class, was de-
tailed as his assistant to the cavalry
instructor. One of those who profit
ed by Rosser's teaching was Georg G
A. Custer, aud the two then formed
friendship that lasted until Gus
ters tragic death. When Rosser
left the military he said to Custer.
George, this will be o great war.
Let US promise each other that our
old friendship shall not be interrupt
ed by anything, and if we meet on
the field it will be as friends"
Custer readily agreed.
On June 8, 1863, the only really
great cavalry fight of the war &C.
Cured at Brandy station in Virginia,
or fleetwood, as the confederates
called it. Custer was then captain
and aid de camp On the staff of Gen
eral Pleasanton, who was then COM
handing the cavalry corps OF the
Army of the Potomac.
Gen. Stuart was covering Gen.
Lees movement into Maryland, the
beginning of the Gettysburg CAM
paign. There were about $4,000
hersemen on each side of Brandy
Station. It was the first time the
cavalry of the two armies had ever
met supported by infantry. The
fight lasted all day. In the thickest
of it, as he always was, Custer was
almost surrounded by the 5th Vir'
GINA. At first he had not observed
who was leading it, but in moment
he saw his old room mate and friend
Rosser. The two recognized each
other about the same time.
Hello, George" said the tai
young Colonel OF Virginias crack
regiment, as he dropped his saber's
point in salute
How are you, Ros ser, replied
the other.
Let tina. officer CO. called Ros
ser 10 the men who were pressing
Custer about TO cut him down They
obeyed wonderingly.
You did very right" said Gen.
Stuart, when Rosser told him the
story after the fight. These things
soften the barbarities of war IN q
measure
After the surrender Rosser had
nothing to do il Virginia. lie did
not care to go back to Texas, so he
struck out for the northwest and
for year or two disappeared. The
Northern Pacific railroad was being
built at that time. Gen. Custer,
then lieutenant colonel of the It'll
cavalry, with eight full troops of his
regiment, was guarding the work
ing parties against the Sioux, who
were away out near what is now Fl.
Buford.
One day as Custer wss riding idly
along the long line of excavation he
was struck by the physique of a
section boss, tall picturesque young