Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-04-28
GENERAL CUSTER.

of drums and the blare of trnmpets,
he would, instead of exhibiting fear
as most children do, clap his little
hands and shout with JOY. When
two and-a-half years old, his father
bought, unknown to his mother, ma
terial for "a military suit for the
child, and had it made with long
striped trowsers, "swallowtailed "
coat with brass buttons, and a vest.
These, with a jaunty little cap and
toy gun, gave the little fellow quite
the air of soldier, and he would
strut up and down the road per-
fectly happy and manifesting all the
dignity of a grown up general.
Every day his father took him upon
the green lawn and put him through
a regular drill, and in a short time
the child had learned to handle his
gun and sword with all the ease
and grace of an experienced soldier.
As the years went by his love of
" soldering" grew with his growth,
until by tho time that he attained
manhood it had become the passion
of his life.
His social qualities were as bril-
liant as his military ones. He was
exceedingly witty and entertaining,
and his beauty of person and
great kindness of heart, combined
with his bravery in battle and in the
hunt, made him general favorite
in whatever society he was thrown.
The picture, however, that rises in
the mind of every one who knew
him, upon the mention of his name,
is always as he looked when firmly
seated upon his brown horse Dixie"
his yellow hair clustered around his
neck, and his blue eyes looking
straight ahead. Like Napoleon, he
appeared to greatest advantage upon
horseback, and there was that in his
bearing, when on his favoritc Dixie"
which was calculated to rouse the
widest enthusiasm among an army
of followers. They kept an illustra-
ted journal of daily happenings at
the fort, in the quiet days just before
the awful tragedy on the Rosebud
In this journal, the General would
write some bright, cutting article
and illustrate it, and certain very
bright lady, the wife of an officer who
fell with Custer, would reply, often
getting the better of the General
both as to wit and illustrations. She
was an intrepid hunter as well as
writer, and at different times had
killed six bufraloes with her own
hand. These papers were read and
handed around, adding much to the
entertainment and amusement of the
occupants of the fort. They are still
in the possession of the lady, and re-
garded as among her choicest treas
ures.
Gen. Custer was peculiarly devo-
ted son, and settled a beauti ul home
on his aged parents. This home was
in Monroe, Mich, an antique and
aristocratic little city, as western
cities go, and continuing about 5000
inhabitants The Custer house
stands on the main street of the town.
1t is large gray mansion with long
porches and low windows, covered
with creeping vines and shaded with
poplar trees. After the death of
General Custer one room was furn-
ished as his room had been at Fort
Lincoln. Nailed on the walls were the
shaggy heads of bears, buffaloes, wild
cats and coons, and the autlers of
deer. Over the doors were the
crossed swords of the Custer boys, and
their brother-in-law, Lieut.. Calhoun,
and in one corner stood their
stacked firearms. In another corner
stood an escritoire with writing mate
rials and two exquisite china vases,
with the heads of the General and
his wife painted upon them. On one
side of the desk hung the picture of
Lawrence Barrett, Gen. Clusters IA
vorite actor. and above it one of the
Duke Alexis. A scarlet-covered
lounge stood on one side of the room,
and scattered here and there were
many relics of the brave dead. In
the parlcr hung large bronze medal
lion head of the General, also an oil
painting of himself and wife taken
together on the porch; pertly watch
ing every passer-by lay Frisky,"
Gen. Clusters pet Spitz dog,
The arms have ali been donated to
a society in New York by Gen. Gus
ter's widow. The mother, who never
recovered from the shock of losing
her three sons, her son-in- law, Lieut..
Calhoun, and her grandson, Arty
Reid, is dead. She was tall, fine
looking old lady, with clear cut face,
sweet, firm mouth, aud steady bright
eyes. After her death the home was
broken up. Mrs. Calhoun went to
New York with Mrs. Custer, and the
father retired to the home OF his re-
naming son. On almost any fair
day he can be seen on the street rid
ing "Dixie." He is tall, and out little
bent by age, though his hair and
beard are snowy white. 1t is almost
impossible for him to speak of his
sons. His lips quiver, his eyes fill
with tears, and his head sinks low
with weight of grief too deep for
words.
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