The National tribune., 1900-08-02
ORDERED BY CUSTER.
That Flegging Episode Not SO Terrible as 1t
Seemed.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Under
the heading ''Floggng in the Army"
| Comrade +. ID. Smith, Co. d, I'd Wis.
| Cav. says that while in Texas Gen. Gus
ter had three men stripped to the waist,
| gagged. tied up by the thumbs and lashed
30 stripes each, and another, n teamster.
| branded with the letter Il on his chest.
Now. | was an eyewitness to the epi-
sOdc he tells about. | do not think that
| Comrade Smith would state anything but
| facts as he knew them. but 81 years is
n long time to remember all that hap
pened, and some of us are liable to for
get, so | hope Comrade Smith will not
feel hurt at my corrections, for | am fa-
miliar with the case. The history of the
1st Iowa Cav. says:
",rhe regiment, including the other reg
iments associated with it the I'd Wis.
Cav, 18th Ill. Cav, 9TH Ill. Cav, and
Ith Ind. Cav.), were about to undergo an
ordeal which never fell to the lot of any
other body OF men during the rebellion.
This regiment Ghe 1st Iowa Cav.), which
had proved its prowess on every battle
field, had received flattering commenda-
tions from Gems. Schofeld. Heron,
Blunt, Rosecrans, Davidson, Steele, Carr,
and i'll fact from every commander with
whom it had served. and had been report
I'd as the finest regiment of cavalry in
physique and soldierly bearing in the vol
unteer service 10y all inspectors of caval-
ry and reported at the Cavalry Bureau ut
Washington as being the second best cav
airy regiment in the United States serv-
ice (the best being one of the Regular
United States reSiments). This regiment,
after four years of faithful. hard and ac-
tive service, enduring hardships and pri-
vations, engaged in most dangerous and
diSagreeable guerrilla warfare during its
early service, taking more than 1000
prisoners and killing and wounding more
than 1000 men during a period of II
months of that service. With this most
dence dccrced that it should be put to n
crucial test us to its patient forbearance
and endurance when subjected to abuse,
want, neglect, base ISLANDERS and afro
cious outragcs by one invested with brief
but misplaced authority, such as General
Orders No. = and 10, viz:
Owing to delays of court martials and
their impracticability when the command
is unsettled, it is hereby ordered that any
enlisted man violating any orders will
have his head shaved and in addition will
receive % lashes upon his back well laid
on
Now this is the fosging which Com
rade Smith has reference to. AS to what
| saw and know of this affair:
On Aug. 26. 1860, our command reached
Hemstcad, Tex, after 20 days of the
hardest service our regiment ever did, un
der the hot sun of Louisiana and Texas
in August. Our men We're out of rations
and supplies and many We're barefoOted
and almost naked and many fell victims
to disease. On Aug. % the Commissary
issued five days rations of hardtack and
hogs jowls. The jowls had plenty of
hair on them, and tusks were taken out
of some of them that measured sevena and
a-half inches. The hardtack was full of
worms and bugs. With these poor ra-
tions, and only half allowance at that,
many Of the boys took to foraging, and
some boys with the wagon-train killed a
calf, and because none among them
would tell who did it, were placed
on q hill in the hot sun until they would
tell. Finally three of the boys concluded |
to take the punishment. and volunteered |
TO take the blame They We're brought |
out, their heads were shaved and their |
hands claspcd around a small tree and |
tied, and men We're detailed to whip |
them. Several men refused to obey Or |
'lers in this connection, but it was finally |
for two men to do the whipping |
So they did it, but very lightly. Each |
culprit received % lashes on the bare
back. The men We're not gagged, and |
there was no branding done to anyone.
| saw the whole proceeding and shall
never forget it.
| served for some time in Clusters es-
cort and was promoted his horse orderly
and was serving as such when he left
Texas.-JOHN G. LYON, Co. A, 1st. Cav,
Arroyo Grande Cal.