River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-01

| than the usual difficulties, but after
| long and persistent suit he gained the
| consent of the obdurate father. His
biographer says:
"We cannot suppose that any one
would desire this love-making by
proxy to continue any longer. We
| have brought our hero through his
love troubles, as interesting as those
of novel hero, in safety. Henceforth,
he was formally engaged. The close
of this last letter, is however very
symptomatic of the curious fact well
known to ladies of all time that there
is mo satisfying these men, A little
while ago, his only aspiration was for
an open engagement and permission to
correspond; now that he obtained both,
his petition is changed TO something
else.
81 am glad you incline to my way of
thinking, in regard to my little girl
coming to the army this winter. Why
shouldn't she have been pleading
earnestly with her in my last letter to
tell me when can come for her. |
can come whenever she bids me do so.
Now don't you think she ought to tell
me to come soon You know If |
don't come this winter, it is not prob
able that shall be granted a leave be-
fore next winter. Cannot You threaten
her, or use your influence to induce
her to do as she ought. If / was there,
how | would talk to her! She would
be glad to say yes to get rid of me:
|
His petition was nearer to being
granted than seemed possible few
| he n 10 1,n lou
quiet that winter, Clusters commits
sion was confirmed in the senate, and
he obtained leave of absence to go to
Monroe, where he was formally mar
ried, February 9th, 1864, in the Pres
byterian church, by the Reverend Mr..
Boyd, pastor and scheolmaster, to
Elizabeth, only daughter of Judge
Daniel S. Bacon.
'What wedding that was. Mrs.
Grundy talks of it to this day; and al,
Monroe that could get inside the
church crammed the pews and filleo
the aisles to suffocation. The Monroe
papers were full of the wedding of
our distinguished townsman,' and de-
tails of personal appearance.
"Custer was attended bv his staff,
and wore, perhaps for the first time,
his full uniform as rigadier-general,
sash and all. His hair had been cut,
and he was no more the boy general
with the golden locks of the report
ers. How often he and his friends had
laughed over that name, when they
read it!
1.-The bride, with veil and orange
blossoms, white figure of timid pur-
ity. won all hearts as she came into
church on her fathers arm; the Judge
tall, stalwart, with his grand old
Webster head towering above the
crowd, proud of his daughter, and
now also of his sOn-in-law, yet had a
hard struggle to choke down the des-
plated feeling which comes over ia
ther giving up his only child forever.
sit was beautiful, a romantic we'd
ding, such as seldom occurs in these
humdrum days, and only one such
could then occur, for there was only
one Custer, only one knight of ro-
nance, brave and loving, famous and
tender. No wonder Monroe was proud
of him.
but what was the pride of Monroe
to that of the brigade, a few days later,
when Custer returned to camp, bring
ing with him his timid, child-like
bride, with her innocent dark eyes, de-
lighted and astonished at the novelty
of everything. All, Custer was wise
man, and patient one, to wait for his
, reward as he did, but it was worth all
: of his trials at last, and proved the en-
!, trance, for him, to a life of perfect
happiness thereafter. The gentle,
timid girl, so scrupulously obedient to
: her father, proved to Custer a jewel
above all price when she became his
wife. With a fidelity and devotion
rarely parallelled, she followed him to
front and remained near there just as
long as it was possible, in all his subse.
quent career. Only when the troops
were in actual and fierce campaign, land
her presence might have proved an en-
barrassnent to her husband, did she
consent to remain behind, and then
she was always ready to hasten to the
front as soon as there was the first
sign of long halt.
"Her influence over the state of So
I ciety at the headquarters of the Michi-
I gan Brigade, and subsequently in all
{ the different commands to which Gus
ter was assigned, was traceable in every
instance, in a refinement of tone, an
absence of the usual roistering, scenes
, too common in the army, in a standard
! of morality such as prevailed nowhere
!. else. Before Mrs. Clusters arrival al
! the headquarters of Clusters brigade
4 the presence of respectable women in
the army was almost unknown. While
Hooker lay at Falmouth, after Chan
eellorville, Miss Harris, sister of Sena
|, tor Harris, of New York, with a few
other noble disinterested women, had
: come out to take charge of the hospi
: tails within range of the enemy's shells
! but these were the only exceptions, sc
!. far as | am aware.
"When Mrs. Custer made her appear.
! ance, it was the prevalent belief that
camp was no place for ladies, and
: many were the comments her visit
created. 1t was only after observing
the effect of her presence, that the
sneerers were compelled to admit that
it was altogether, pure and elevating,
and to wish that similar blessed in
|, fluence might extend over their own
! camp.
! Like good angel she came to the
brigade at Stevensburg, like good
! angel she remained with them till
! spring. All that Custer s already noble
J character needed of dignity and re-
: pose, of sweetness and patience she
! gave him. Finding him good, she left
him perfect, and her sweet and gracious
influence can be traced on all his after
/, ife.
stephen Girard.