American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-23
Clusters Family in Camp.

Lizzie w. Champney writes in the
Independent l ask myself to what this
social atmosphere was due.
What influence it was that held band
of men, hundreds of miles from the re-
straints of civilized life, up to its high
est requirements of decorum and polite |
intercourse How was it that there was
such perfect freedom and safety for
sweet-faced young girls, with long gold
en- braids of flying chestnut curls, and
souls as pure as their broad foreheads,
in such surroundings 1 found my re-
ply in Mrs. Custer. 1t was her presence
alone that made all this possible. She
followed the General through all his
campaigns, her constant aim being to
make life pleasant for her husband and
for his command. Gen. Clusters ofli-
GERS were remarkably attached to him ):
to man they revered and admired his
wife. She was with him not only in the
idleness of summer camp-life, when the
days passed in a dolce far niente re-
sembling a holiday picnic; but in ruder
ANU luOlO daheCiodo SheSi "a ASSS JAW
was, as far as he would permit, his
constant companion. In response to
the bugle-call "Boots and saddles"
given at any time of the night, and an
nouncing a sudden mount and forced
march, she needed only five minutes for
the completion of her toilet. Eight
minutes iHcluded the luxury of a bath.
As looked at this cultivated and re-
markable lady, so quiet and unassum-
ing, who =
-'waked within a heated glare,
Her presence making cooler air"
I did not wonder at the frankly eX-
pressed opinion of one of the Generals
staff, a gentleman whose high social
opportunities and education. had never
conquered his national brogue, and who
was suspected of exaggerating it, out
of patriotic pride, and preferred con-
versing with Mrs. Custer to dancing at
tendance on the young girls, and de-
Tended his preference thus:
| "I don't loike young leddies; they
are so thrilling and frivolous. prefer
the society of merried women"
Gen. Gus er's staff was a peculiarly
cosmopolitan one. 1t contained repre-
sentatives from many of the European
nations. Col. Cooke was the grandson
of an English hero. He was magnifi-
Gently handsome man, though trifle
of an exquisite, realizing the description
of an English officer given by the au-
thor of h" Under Two Flags" He was
graceful in figure, with most expressive
dark eyes, delicately aquiline nose,
and chestnut side whiskers
over a foot in length. In
reference to his English nationality and
his popularity as a lady's man, the Col
onel had received the sobriquet of ''The
Queens Own," an appellation to which
he was in no way averse, but always re-
ceived with grateful smile. Capt. De
l Rudio was an Italian, with complicat-
ed political history, full of plots and in
| trigues, condemnation to death, and
hairbreadth escapes from French and
italian despotism. His wife, a quiet En-
glish lady, interested us much; and it
was altogether delightful to hear him
descant on liberrte.> "The country, -
he would say, in his delicious broken
English, " the country is nothing. 1t is
re principle!'' Col. Keogh, of Irish
birth, had served before our war as one
of the Papal guards. Lieut.. Mathey was
aFrenchman. Taciturn Capt. Mcintosh,
with the sad, expressive face and the
rare intelligence, had dash of Indian
blood in his veins. The most represent
alive American was, perhaps, Col. Tom
Custer, in his buckskin snit, broad
brimmed hat and crimson neck-tie, with
long futtering gallant Col. Tom,
who possessed more medals for rebel
flags taken in our late war than any
man in the department.