Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-08-10

one Of the very finest officers in mp
pearance and in fact in the regiment.
when he returned to his home in
Indiana he went to work on the old
farm, believing that he could work off
him to return to- the army. One day,
standing in the bank of his county
town, he noticed a young man who
seemed in great distress of mind, but
who came forward to draw out Of the
bank $500. In explanation, he stated
that he had been drafted, that his
mother had been left to his care, that
| both his mother and his wife were
sick, and that If he went into the ser
vice he would probably lose both. On
the advice of the old family physician
and of his friends. he had decided tc
hire q substitute. He said that IL a
course was against his impulse. but In
accordance with his cooler Judgment.
cat this juncture the Captain stepped
forward, explained that he had no
mother, nor wife, no great interests Mt
stake, no fear of a soldiers life, and
that he would gladly go as a substi-
tute for the young man. He declined
to receive the $500, and it was re-
turned to the bank. He went into the
army again as plain John Richards,
and served to the end of the war as u
private in one of the new regiments,
telling to no one his previous cNperi-
ence as an officer. l always felt that
the nan who could do that sort of
thing would succeed in life. And he
has, beyond most of his fellows."-Chi-
cago Inter Ocean.
How Custer Went to West Point.
The late John A. Bingham was, with
ex-senator Sherman, the last of the
many Ohio men who We're prominent
in national affairs in the time of Lin
coin. Judge Bingham entered Congress
in 1850. He and Mr.. Sherman were
sworn in on the same day. Bingham
served sixteen years in Congress, and
for twelve years was minister to Japan.
At the close of the civil war he was
judge advocate in the army, and pros
ecuted the conspirators who murdered
Lincoln. Later he was Il of the man
ayers in the impeachment trial Of Pres
ident johnson.
With all his great achievements,
Judge Bingham was proudest of the
fact that he sent Gen. George a. Custer
to West Point. One day in Washington
before the war, Judge Bingham re-
ceived n letter.
cit was a boys letter. he said, in
telling of it, but there was something
in it which captivated me, and after
forty years l can remember that letter
verbatim. 1t read thus:
"'Dear Mr.. Bingham: I am told you
can send a boy to West Point. 1 am
also told that YOU don't care whether
he is q Democrat boy or n Republican
boy. I am a Democrat boy, aud l want
to go to West Point and learn to be a
soldier SO l can fight for my country.
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE A. CUSTER
81 did not know the boy" added
Judge Bingham, ''but l knew of the
Custer family living at Rumley in my
county. l wrote back that If his par
ents consented l would appoint him,
and IN due time I did SO.
George Custer went to West Point
as my cadet, and I heard nothing from
him until the war came on and I
learned that he had been sent into the
field. Next 1 heard Of him as engaged
most CALAMITY ut Bull Run. A few days
after that disastrous battle there vas
q knock at my door. A tall SOLDIER,
bis shirt open in front, long yellow curls
hanging upon his shoulders, came in
with ~stnmmering speech. He hesitated
q moment. and then said:
""Nr. Bingham, I am George Custer.
the boy you sent to West Point. /
have fought my first battle and have
tried hard not to be n coward. I think
it is my first duty to report to you, SIR
THAT was my first sight of Custer
God bless him! took him in my arms
Indeed, he had not been n coward! He
had been promoted on the field for con.
spicuous bravery. After that l kept
close watch of his movements. and il
reioiced me to see my cadet the young.
est general in the army. In the midst
of his fame he married a lovely woman
Elizabeth Bacon, Of Michigan. Fl.
brought his bride to me. n she de
clared:
"'A1r. Bingham, l want to thank you
for transforming my husband from g
wood-chopper into n general of the Uni.
ted States army
Noble boy! Noble woman! AS j
think how happy and proud they were
that day. my heart is full of anguish
to think of my boy cut to pieces by
those miserable redskins in the Vest
How Grant Ran.
In September, 1915. there was a re
union of the Army Of the Cumberland
at Utica, N. Y, at which Presiden;
Grant, General Sherman, Genera.
Hooker, General Slocum and Governo;
Seymour were present.
Long and loud cries arose for Grant
Grant!" who, slowly rising from hii
chair, expressed his pleasure at beins