Custer's Cavalry Brigade

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Custer's Cavalry Brigade

This unit sustained the highest casualities of any cavalry unit of the federal army during the war; 525 killed and died of wounds.
 
[Sorry if you're expecting something new. I moved this from the Quotations area after figuring out that was the wrong place for it.]

Let me preface this long passage that I'm going to post here with the statement that I have heard many complaints about Custer, and I consider his massacre of the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn totally unnecessary, but I'm sure he had his good points. He did after all manage to graduate from West Point, and he was one of the youngest generals in the Army. Actually to me one of his strongest drawing points is that he was a dog lover. But I digress. In digging over the internet for information about certain Iowa soldiers, I came across this section from History of the First Iowa Cavalry by Chas. H. Lathrop. The excerpt’s timeframe is near the end of the war. I wonder if the name of the surgeon in the fourth paragraph is a typo and he's actually the author of the book.

At about this time Richmond had fallen, and the First Iowa Cavalry, the Fifth and Twelfth Illinois, Second Wisconsin, and Seventh Indiana Cavalry regiments were ordered to Texas on June 15th. They were transferred by boat, and arrived at Natchez on the 25th.

At Alexandria, General Custer took command of the troops, and here began a series of abuses and ill treatment on the part of Custer, towards the regiment, which is a lasting blemish to the character of the long-haired hero, who in after years met a terrible fate in the Little Big-horn massacre.

The First Iowa had been recommended to him as the next best in efficiency of any regiment in the United States service, the first being one in the regular United States service.

Yet, notwithstanding the special recommendation of Generals Herron, Schofield, Blunt, Rosecrans, Davidson, Steele, Carr, and others, besides that of the Military Bureau at Washington, General Custer seems for some strange reason, to have visited on this regiment all the indignities and abuses of which the most insolent martinet could conceive. About this time Custer issued an order against foraging, imposing severe penalties against any caught confiscating cattle belonging to the inhabitants of the country. Private Clure, of the First Iowa, was accused of knowing who killed two beeves that had been killed by a foraging party and brought in from the country. He did not know who killed them, yet his head was shaved and he was given twenty-five lashes on suspicion that he did know. The indignation of the regiment was so great that Surgeon Chas. H. Lothrop, of the regiment, states, in his history of the regiment, that good Colonel McQueen, a strict Presbyterian, swore like a trooper, threatening that "if Custer again attempts to lay violent hands on a First Iowa soldier, I will here say his hide will not hold corn, by God!"

Governor Stone laid the case before the Iowa Legislature, and a rousing resolution was passed, denouncing the outrage on the part of Custer. The matter finally went to Major-General Sheridan, who ordered the insult rectified. Custer, in vindication of the act, accused the entire command of infamy and insubordination.

The war was now over, and while the command remained at Hemstead, the time was mostly taken up in horse-racing. Custer was fond of the sport, and had a horse which he called Jack Rucker, on which he and his friends bet a great deal of money; but one day the boys brought into camp a strange nag, which outran that of the general, and the result was that he was out considerable money.

On November 19th General Custer sent Assistant Quartermaster Sam'l T. Craig to Galveston to procure supplies for the troops.

From Hempstead the command was transferred to Austin, where the troops remained until January 24, 1866, when, by a general order, the First Iowa, Third Michigan, and Seventh Indiana regiments were mustered out of the service.

All the troops entertained a wholesome hatred towards Custer. His acts of insolence were doubtless rendered more unbearable from the fact that his command felt that the war was over, and that there was no further necessity for their presence in Texas. Custer complained that he could not induce them to wear pants, but Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. McQueen, of the First Iowa, says that in many instances they had none to wear; some had to go shirtless, and others barefooted.

Previous to the mustering out of the regiments, General Custer and his staff had been mustered out of the service by order of the War Department, and Brigadier-General S. D. Sturgis assumed command, and Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General Wm. Thompson was placed in command of the First Brigade.
 
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