River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-10
BOOTS AND SADDLES.

seemed fOSAr}tS sui saying
But death had found his quiet ways
And took the Old man praying
- . -
BOOTS AND SADDLES.
Life in Dakota with Gen. Custer, as
Described by His Wife--Army Life
on the Frontier.
Barely CHANGING at the life of Gen.
Custer from the day he graduated at
West Point just in time to take part in
the battle Of Bull Run, and just touch
ing his part in the civil war, his visit
to his sisters home in Mrs. Clusters
native town, Monroe, Mich, during
| the winter of 1868, when the writer
/ first met him, their marriage in Febru-
airy, 1864, and her own first experience
ION the extreme wing of the Army OF
4 the Potomac, in an isolated Virginia
farmhouse finishing my honeymoon
alone where the general S old colored
servant Eliza comforted her, Mrs.
! Custer begins the detail of her book
with the order that sent Custer to
Dakota in 1873, and closed it with the
reception of the news of the battle of
the Little Big Horn in the summer OF
1876. So the story told in this book
covers only about three years OF
! Clusters life. And in her account OF
these years Mrs. Custer writes as an
earnest, buoyant, all victorious woman
would modestly talk-not in stilted
detail or in mounting formality at
tempting to magnify the facts, but Civ
ing quick vivacious chances, as things
naturally recur to the memory in talk
ing, leaving all the while far more
unsaid than told at all. The East will
read the book with the strangess sort
of admiration and surprise, and the
west, especially the people of Dakota
- notably the old residenters-will
give it most enthusiastic welcome. 1t
is a breath from the praires, frank and
beautiful, with the chaste dignity of a
woman's pure and exalted affection.
Mrs. Custer says that when orders
came in the spring of 1873 for the 9Th
caIvalry TO 90 into the field again Gen.
Custer was delighted. The regiment
was stationed 10 various parts of the
South on the very disagreeable duty OF
breaking up ilhcit distilleries and sup
pressing the ku-KluX. and not an hour
! elapsed after the official document
announcing our change of station had
arrived before our house was torn up.
In the confusion ] managed to retire to
corner with an atlas and sur
reptitiously look up the territory TO
which we were going. From the first day
of our marriage Gen. Custer celebrated
every order to move with wild demon
STATIONS of 10Y. His eXuberances of
spirit always found expression in some
boyish pranks before he could set to
work seriously to prepare for duty. As
soon as the officer announcing the order
to move had disappeared all sorts OF
wild hilarity began. had learned to
take up a safe position on the top of
the table, that is, if had not already
been forcibIy placed there as a specta-
tor Occasionally at such times the
general would accidently break weak
/ chair or two, when Eliza "wOoly
/ head would thrust itself through the
| door to reprimand her master and say
Chairs don t grow on trees in these
we're parts gen |. But the hilarity
went on all the same till the household
goods and gods were gotten into few
gunnv sacks and barrels. So began
/ the move for the summer campaign
arainst the Indians. In all
the confusion nobody was cross. To
| the general it meant a reunion with his
regiment and a new activity, and also
a good deal more than that. To Mrs.
/ Custerit meant new and vigorous life,
alternately with months Of loneliness,
anxiety, and terror. Fortunately,
there was too much to do to leave leis-
ure for thoughts. ;
After some days in the cars Mrs.
/ Custer says, they were glad to stop on
an open plain about mile from Yank-
| ton, where the railroad ended. 1t was
on the Missouri bottom land east of
/ Y4nkton. The long trains were un-
/ loaded Of their freight, and the plains
about them seemed to swarm with men
and horses" Mrs. Custer was ''helpcd
down from the Pullman car, where in
! laid woods, mirrors, and plush sufg
rounded them, to the ground perfectly
bare of every earthly comfort. The
other ladies of the regiment went on to
/ hotel in the town. The general
and Mrs Custer undertook to hire and
| tit up little frame shanty found near
! the hating ground. as night came
on there came also one of Dakota's
worst billiards. The household be-
| longings were gathered together. the
general 5 dogs feeling the storm in adj
! vance crowded into the shanty. There
was family of little new puppies, a
| a cage of mocking birds,
and another of canarics. The
general himself grew sick The biz
zard came; the shanty rocked in the
roaring winds. Mrs. Custer was fright
cned at the change from the mild
southern weather to this inhnman cold,
and for once 10 her life gave up to tears.
/ While the storm ragged the adiutant
came for orders. ard the general or
! dered the breaking Of the camp, and
| directed that the regiment should go
/ into town, and seek quarters among
/ the citizens. As the eight came on
| sturdy herd OF hogs came granting
about the shanty, crowding against the
door. and it was altogether a fearful
night, which with its bitter experiences,
are well described. OF course it wore
away. Some soldiers had their feet
frozen. But Yankton people, always
noted for their generous hospitality to
strangers, made up for this bleak in
PRODUCTION by giving the regiment
ball, and the Clusters had delightful
time before starting on their way.
When the day came for them to begin
their march the sun shone and the
townspeople wished them good luck
and good-by. The march was taken
up the Missouri river valley, and the
book is full OF charming descriptions OF
incidents that occurred on the way.
The well-known figure OF Gen. Gus
ter was famous enough during and af-
ter the war. But no hand has ever
sketchcd him as clearly as he is pic
tured in these pages. During their
Dakota marches the general used often
to break away from and ahead of his
regiment, tempted by the fine game
that abounded in the northern Missouri
river country in those days. At such
times he was at his brightest and best;
cares all laid aside; hearty, delightful.
companionable man. And at such
times. Mrs. Custer says, with the pref
test. unaffected admiration:
never tired Of watching the start