278 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



Custer, then a rough, flaxen-haired lad, coming home 

 one afternoon, his books under his arm, was passing 

 Judge Bacon's residence, when a little brown-eyed 

 girl swinging on the gate called out to him, " Hello, 

 you Custer boy!" then, half-frightened by the blue 

 eyes that glanced toward her, ran into the house. The 

 little girl was Libbie Bacon, daughter of the Judge. 

 It was love at first sight for Custer, and although 

 they did not meet again for several years, he was 

 determined to win the owner of those brown eyes. 



Having finished a preliminary course of study and 

 wishing to enter West Point, he urged his father to 

 apply to John Bingham, then a member of Congress for 

 the district in which Monroe was situated, for an ap- 

 pointment. This his father hesitated to do as Mr. Bing- 

 ham's politics were opposed to his. The young man 

 was therefore obliged to rely upon his own efforts. 

 He called upon the dignitary himself. Mr. Bingham 

 was pleased with the applicant, promised to lend his 

 influence, and the result was that George Armstrong 

 Custer ultimately received a formal notification from 

 Washington, bearing the signature of Jefferson Davis, 

 to the effect that the recipient was expected to re- 

 port immediately to the commanding officer at West 

 Point. His course there was about finished upon the 

 breaking out of the late war. He went at once to 

 Washington, and through General Scott was launched 

 upon his military career. What sort of a soldier he 

 was the world knows. What his character was the fol- 

 lowing incident may partially suggest. It occurred 

 early in the war when Custer was beginning to feel 

 somewhat discouraged over his affairs. He had already 

 done much that was worthy of promotion and, having 



