Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-08-15
How Custer Went TO West Point.

In national affairs In the time of Lin
coin. Judge Bingham entered Congress
in 1859. He and Mr. sherman were
sworn 10 on the same day. Bingham
served sixteen years in Congress, ana
for twelve years was minister to Japan.
At the close of the civil war he was
judge advocate In the army. ana pros
ecuted the conspirators who murdered
Lincoln. Later he was one 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 a letter
1T was boys letter." he said, in
telling of it, "but there was something
in it which captivated me, and after
forty years can remember that letter
verbatim 1t read thus:
Dear Mr.. Bingham: / am told you
can send a boy TO West Point. l am
also told that you don't care whether
he is a Democrat boy or a Republican
boy. am Democrat boy, and want
to go I'd West Point and learn to be a
soldier so can fight for my country
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE a. CUSTER
Il 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 | would appoint him,
and in due time | dld so.
| George Custer went 10 West Point
rs my cadet, and heard nothing from
him until the war came on and
| learned that he had been sent into the
| field. Next heard OF him rs engaged
most calamity at Bull Run. A few days
after that disastrous battle there was
knock at my door. A tall soldier,
his shirt open in front. long yellow curls
hanging upon his shoulders, came in
with stammering speech. He hesitated
a moment. and then said:
| "Mr. Bingham, | am George Custer,
! the boy you sent to West Point |
have fought my first battle and have
/ tried hard not to be q coward. think
1t is my first duty TO report TO you. sir
THAT was Ii first sight of Custer.
| God bless him! took him In my arms
Indeed, he had not been coward. He
had been promoted on the field for con
spicuous bravery. After that l key t
| close watch OF his movements, and It
rejoiced me to see my cadet the young
est general in the army In the midst
! of his fame he married lovely woman,
Elizabeth Bacon. Of Michigan. He
brought his bride 10 me. and she de-
| clared.
"Mr. Bingham, | want to thank you
for Transforming my husband from
wood-chopper into general of the Uni
ted States army
Noble boy! Noble woman, As
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 West"
Youths Companion.
The Mimic Bullet aud the Mauscr.
! ..The Mimic ball." said the Captain,
| killed mo;>a men than the Mauscr. At
Atlanta, July II, 1864, the Twentieth
| Illinois went into the fight with POO
| effective men; 1t came out with fifteen.
! All the rest were killed or wounded. In
my own company every man was killed
| o. wounded There were no officers or
| serseants or prlyates left. In the South
African war II is officially reported that
! only per cent. e the wounded die.
| The small Mauser bullet. fired at long
range. makes clean eut which heals
| readily. The large Miuie ball, construct
| ed to penetrate. made wound that was
! difficult to handle. and full - per cent.
| Of our wounded died.
I'm the battle of Atlanta | had raised
my sword arm TO point out to a man
/ behind me rebel who. half hidden be-
hind tree. was picking our men Off.
when | was struck by bullet that
| went through nay shoulder Ghe ball
crashed through the shoulder blade,
threw III, hone Of the upper arm out
OF the sock 1. went through the hand
Of the man standing behind me, and
lodgedin the stock Of his gun. My sword
flew ten feet high. and my arm, with
tendon cut. went flying about like a
fail. The surgeon. ! remember, put
the arm in place aud probed the wound
with his fingers. the finger Of the hand
In front meeting midway the finger Of
/ the hand at the back. That shows what
a hole that MIME bali made. Queerly
enough the man shot through the hand
by the bullet that went through my
body died. and | recovered. The fellow
that shot me was Killed two seconds
after he fired by one Of our own men"
chicago Inter Ocean.
\ WeII-Trained Boy.
Mr. Godfather had brought up his
son according to the good old model
which teaches that children shall he