The Coolidge examiner., 1934-12-07

political foe and had been the Academy =
chronic insurgent Ills nature was bright and
volatile. yet durable past the power even Of war
to alter"
II was during these two years that the tradl.
ton OF Clusters luck began For nothing else
but luck could have made him brigadler- general
at the age OF twenty three. the youngest IN the
army. At least. the historians have never
been able 10 find any good reason WHY in is3e
he should have been advanced from a first lieu
tenancy ia the Fifth cavalry To the command of
the Second brigade Of the Third division rocket.
lnE past the ranks Of captain. major lieutenant.
colonel and colonel True. he distinguished him.
self In a Wild charge at Gettysburg but at least
twice thereafter be narrowly escaped annihila.
ton at the hands OF that cavalry genius In gray.
Jeb stuart.
The appointment OF Phil sheridan as chief Of
the Union cavalry gave Custer his chance for
fame. 1T was sheridan who overlooked insubor-
dinations by Custer with unwonted charity
Here was no strateglst but a tireless body and
mind as hungry for war as a bent bow Custer
a weapon that sheridan knew how 10 use =
tie used him In the raids which devastated the
Shenandoah valley where Custer seems to have
learned willingly enough the lessons OF ruthless
ness 50 necessary TO those who engage In the
dirty business Of making war
BY the spring OF 1856 he had become n ma ior-
general and II was Custer luck" again which
enabled him 10 be ~in at the death" For II was
Custer and his cavalry who swooped down upon
Appomatfox Station and slammed shut the door
20 Lees only avenue OF retreat After Lees sur
render Custer issued the oft-quoted congratu-
atory general order 10 his Third division. whose
record. he declared. was unparalleled In the
annals OF war"
This is more ornate but scarcely more accu-
=
bis blographer. whose calm analysis OF the rec
ord shows that II was much less remarkable
than the hero worshIpers would have us believe.
While admitting that Custer a fair tactlclan
and smart discplinarian and physically
valiant man as ever drew sword" a summing
up OF the evidence leads inevitably TO the con
clusion that George Armstrong Custer had few.
II any. OF the qualities which make a really great
commander and II is doubtful II be can be set
down as an outstanding cavalry leader In the
same class with Stuart and Forrest OF the Con.
federate army or Sheridan. Merritt and Torbert
OF the Union army.
His weaknesses as commander became even
more apparent in his Indian fighting days than
In his Civil war career. When he became lieu
tenant-colone OF the newly organized Seventh
cavalry and busIed himself with molding that
outfit into what he believed a cavalry regiment
should be. the strict discipline which he en-
forced and his callous disregard for the vel
fare OF his men brought him close TO disaster.
In September 1867. he court martiaed at
Fort Leavenworth on seven charges the most
serious being that he had deliberately disobeyed
orders Of his superior officer, General Hancock
had deserted his command In the midst OF hos
tile Indian country to hurry to Fort Riley where
the cholera was raging and from which his be
loved wife was writing letters filled with loneli-
ness and terror and that he had ordered some
~ his officers to shoot down without mercy de
serters from the regiment
Former Custer biographers have either ignored
nr passed lightly over this court martial, but the
fact remains that Custer was found guilty on
all seven charges. suspended from rank and com
mand for u year and his pay for that time for
'eited. But before the year had passed Sheridan
who had more than once overlooked Custer in
subordination, came 10 his rescue.
The result was the battle" Of the Washlta
fought on November IL. 1868. when Custer at
tackled the sleeping camp of the Cheyenne chief
Black Kettle killing that chief and slaughterine
men, women and children indiscrimnately. There
Is every reason to believe that Black Kettle and