The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-09-21
Clusters Family in Camp.

Clusters Family in Camp.
Lizzie w. Cbampney writes in the
Independent: | ask myself TO what this
remarkable social atmosphere was due.
What influence it was that held a band
OF men, hundreds of miles from the re-
straints of civilized life, up to its high
est requirements of decorum and polite
i~ntercourseP How was it that there was
such perfect freedom and safety for
swcet'faccd young girls, with long gold
en- braids Of flying chestnut curls, and
souls as pure as their broad f~oreheads,
in such surroundings 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 Off
GERS were remarkably attached to him /;
to u mar they revercd and admired his
wife. She was with him not only in the
idlcness Of summer camp.life, when the
days passed in n dolce far nicnte re-
scmbling u holiday picnic; but in ruder
and more dangerous enterprises she
was, rs far as he would permit, his
constant companion. In response to
the bugle-call "Boots and saddles"
given nj any time of the night, and an
nouncing n sudden mount and forced
march, she needed only five minutes for
the completion of her toilet. Eight
minutes included the luxury of a bath.
As | looked at this cultivated and re.
markablc lady, so quiet and unassum-
ing, who
--'wniked within n heated glare,
Her presence making cooler air"
| did not wonder at the frankly ex-
pressed opinion of one of the Generals
staff, Il 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-
vcrsing with Mrs. Custer to dancing at.
tendance IN the young girls, and de-
Tended his preference thus:
az don't loike young leddies; they
are so thrilling and frivolous. ! prefer
the society of merried women"
Gen. Clusters staff was u peculiarly
cosmopolitan onc. 1t contained repre-
sentatives from many of the European
nations. Col. Cooke was the grandson
of an English hero. He was Il magniii-
Gently handsome man, though u tritie
Of an exquisite, realizing the description
OF an English officer given by the au-
thor of "Under Two Flags" lie was
graceful in figure, with most expressive
dark eyes, Il delicately aquiline nose,
and chestnut side whiskers
over foot in length. In
reference to his English nationality and
his popularity as IA lady's man, the Col
onel had received the s%obriquet Of "Thc
Queens own" an appellation to which
he was in no way aversc, but always re-
ceived with Il grateful smile. Capt. De
'ti' "bo tu iNhiiihs Will COinplIClt-
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
lie would say, in his delicious broken
English, "the country is nothing. 1t is
10 pr~inciple!" Col. Keogh, of Irish
birth, had served before our war Us one
of the Papal guards. Lieut.. Mathey was
a~Frenchman. Taciturn Capt Mcintosh,
with the sad, expressive face and the
rare intelligence, had a dash of Indian
blood in his veins. The most represent
alive American was, perhaps, Col. Tom
Custer, in his buckskin suit, broad.
brimmed hat and crimson neck-tie, with
long tluttering cnds-gallant Col. Tom,
who possessed more medals for rebe.
flags taken in our late war than any
man in the department.