The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-07-12
THE PATRON SAINT OF HIS ArMY,

THE PATTON sAlni We lac
and her gentle sympathy and kindness
ara remembered by thousands Of soldiers
to-day. At the close OF the war she went
with him to Texas, and accompanied him
on several severe campaigns. In lS7i
she rode with the regiment from IeIas
to Fort Lincoln, D. T. distance Of 2OOC
miles. Custer had his faults, but If
wife's pure heart and q character that
meets the type of womanly nobility, pur.
ity, and goodness can encircle in its halo
an object loved, Custer can partake
of her salvation, for she, If woman ever
did, has plenty of grace to spare. Long
association with danger, long e1Perlenc &c
with the privstions and annoyances OF
frontier life have sweetened rather than
poisoned her disposition, and she was as
we'll prepared as wife ever could be for
the pain she is suffering to-day.
While l WA the guest of General Gus
ter at Fort Lincoln in 1874 was wit
ness of an incident that impressed me.
l entered his library one evening and
found hlm sitting on low stool bv his
desk, with spelling book in his hand.
Before him were two little girls, one
white and the other colored, the children
of his servants. ApologiziRg Ior my in
terruption started TO withdraw, when
he cried out in his hearty way:
"Don't 60! Come in and see my
school," and found it was his custom
daily to spend an hour hearing the rec
itations of these children, for whom at
the post there were no schools.
cUsTER's PRErENsIoNs TO LITERATURE.
were not great, although he wrote q
great deal for publication aud wrote
we'll. His book, "Life on the Plains"
which was originally published in the
form of monthly papers for the GALAXY,
was q mere pastime, to occupy the lonely
days of winters Imprisonment on the
frontier, and his subsequent publications
were made merely for the same reason.
His life was succession of novel and
interesting experiences, and he had the
faculty of telling them graphically. 1t
was his intention " write q series OF
personal "reminiscences of the war, the
first chapter Of which-a sketch OF the
battle of Bull Run--has already been
printed.
In the army during the war, Custer
always dressed in what the soldiers oil
the old school called an outlandish fash
ion. He had an utter disregard Tor gold
lace and trapping. His saddle was al
WAYS the most comfortable, and not the
most snowy he could find. When b.
went into battle he always wore a loose
blouse, such IS were used by the ordinary
soldiers as an undress uniform, with the
skirts tucked into his trousers like a
shirt. Under his collar was always a
strip of red aanel for a neck cloth, with
long ends that foated out over his shout
ders rs he rode. He always wore some
slight insignia OF his rank on his shcul
der. and that of his branch of the service
on his hat, which was always broad SOM
brero. This, with heavy clank.
ing spurs on his rough boots,
from the top of each OF
which the handle of pistol was always
visible, ponderous sabre at his side,
and rifle across his elbow, completed
his "outfit." On the plains, Custer al.
ways wore handsomely embroidered
buckskin suit. with his read necktie, and
the remainder of his army dress, with
the exception of the sabre, which is never
carried on the plains