New-York tribune., 1890-08-31
ARMY LIFE ON THE PLAINS.
CAPITAL BOOK by MRS. CUSTER.
FOLLOWING THE GrIDoN. Ply Elizabeth B: Gu,
ter. Illustrated. 12mo, pp. 34l' Harper
Brothers


Mrs Custer has already shown peculiar apti-
tude for describing rmv life on the p!ains' ana
her new book. "Following the G,idon," must eN
tend and confirm the popularity 50 well earned ny
her previous volumes. Everybody, it has been
said, can do something well, though not every body
knows what it is that t'ey can do best. Mrs
Custer has demonstrated her ability to paint with
uncommon spirit the military life of garrison,
camp and march. the humors and trials and de-
privations OF isolated posts, the pcris OF indian
warfare and the excitement of the hunt. 1he
American public would indeed have gladly listened
to any recital 10y the widow Of the gallant chival-
rous Custcr--that " beau sabreur,' who reminds us
~ once q Nurat anG Prince PGpcTtbat there has
becn no opportunity or occasion for indulgence.
Size has taken hcr place as by night, ana mas
shown that sac possesses as aiTnble w.t. ~ Keen
N eye and as loyal a heart as were his who went
down with all his men on the Lite Big Horn
The volume before MS is less of narrative than
that which preceded IT, II is rather n collection
Of "reminiscences anu Illustrations of every phase
If army life on tie frontier, from garrison
duty in some border run by bad men, To
the almost stagnant existence of a camp far from
civilization. where for days or perhaps weeks TO-
gether the hungry troopers were sometimes driven
70 subsist upon roast horse.
III ItdtulS tiltbt FAFlu DIllldHb oH''tH'Sf hi
realizing the hardships and dscomforts which even
the best equipped officers and their wives have
to endure, and in perccivinG how much more
severely all these privatons must necessarily fall
upon the rank and file. II is impossible to avoid
the reflection that if the troopers occasionally
a pretty tough lot such tOnghness is in THEN
ease an almost providential shield against the
friction OF circumstances. Sensitive end refined
men never could stand the life. They might fight
well enough, when the time came but the march
ing and camping and tie post and garrison life
would surely dcmoraze them. Mrs. Custer is
rightly tender OF the brave friends OF her husband,
but sac is candid too: and one gathers from her
tnat ia the frontier hamCts where men like W ID
Bill and ! = mates ruled the rooSt, the trooper OF
duty and ~ town was apt 10 be- turbulent and
upon occasion bloodthirsty The attempt Of the
soldier 10 kill Wild Bill" described in this
volume, Is "a Csc in point. The men who cn-
tered into that plot obviously very black
sheep. for it was n cowerdy attcnpt 20 deprive
til intended victim OF all chance Of fighting for
his life. Mrs Custer cannot in this instance
Sympatlilc with the boys il blue. and relates
their discontinue with something like pride in
the prowess Of the border champion who could
not be caught in the trap. Shortly aftcryarl.
however. Wild Bin was assassinatcd-shot I'm the
IN
he had killed, and 50 he dieT with his boots
on" in the orthodox frontier fashion
Tic love that kept officers wives with their
husbands in those autc-ra..aad days must have
been strong indeed, for the lie was a daily and
hourly trial Provisions Of some kind app ar -
have been generally obioinabe. but they were
not always acceptable. and NJ times there was "A
distinct mOnOtony about the menu. All sort. Of
queer shifts had 10 be rcsorcd 10 for the purpose
Of entertaining visitors and eSng out tie very
mea2re accommodations Of the quarters: and but
for the Spirit Of comradcship which made the
officers and their wives one family, and the
lght-heartedncss Which converted every difficulty
into droll incident Ia common experience
must have been lot little eXaSpcrating. FlOols
at time, ratiesnakcs AT another. inya.' ell the
quarters and droYc out the occupants. Tcrrif'
Kansas storms swept suddenly down, blowing
tents down or into the air and drcnching every
body and everything. Once Mrs Custer, Oh
leaving quarters she had cupic all tie summer
discovered that she and the General had been
living all that time directly a nest of pole.
cats, seven in number. As 10 the ratti iesnakes
they were everywhere, and General Custer to-
gcthcr with some of his men. went so far as to
experiment upon thee bush cells S elements of
the cuisine. The troopers used to lay In wait at
their holes, and clip their heads Of with a sabre
the moment they issued forth, then skin and fry
them. General Custer pronounced fried rattle
snake good; and prejudice apart if that be pos
siblc perhaps there is reason why the reptile
should not be as edible 40 the great South Amer
lean lizard, or for that matter, the eel, which is
anything but clean feeder.
capital idea has occurred TO the author II
is to familiarizc the public with the system of
buglc-calls by printing them, music aud when
possible words together at The ends of The chap
ters. Thc words it rced hardly be said, are
simply humorous or quaint doGg~rcl verses which
have been devised by tie men, and handed down
from generation TO generation. Tine variants of
these calls might be made the basis Of quite an
interesting inquiry. Some of the calls are Eng
fish, lor instance but the words supplied 10 these
are quite different from those in use across the
water and there is decidedly a quantcr humor in
the American verses, a rule bCsiGes distinct
local atmosphere. Mrs Custer in preface gives
some curious information about regImental call,
dislodsed from Grosc Military Antiquities and
other venerable and almost forgotten authorities,
but the subject is TOO extensive to be dispOaed of
in few pages. Our readers will no doubt be
pleased 10 see some examples of the authors style
and natter and though there is scarcely page
which does not tempt the critic 10 quotarion,
few excerpts will be enough TO send the ludlcious
reader 10 the book itself
Here is an instance of what had sometimes 70
. be riskcd for the sake OF bath
Officers will run almost an, risk TO get bath, but
the way in which Two Of our brave fellows rd rcatcd
from their toilet also l0r years kept standing
subject o. jestnG Lclevc ta IL Was tlelr irst and
only retreat. In eDn" 4htO the indian country the
officers sometimes rcliAed vigilance for time. Per
haps days would pass wit! no srht Of Indians. AT
such time these two daring fellows went down the
-tplsll kATn I.ln
found water deep enough IN which 10 swim. They for
got everything IN the enjoyment OF clear water for
many OF tie west oi the Missss pp muddy
and full OF nd. Their horse, saved their lives Their
attention Ca!'r' 20 TIE ~. ale quivcrng and
vibrating, the starts and the snOrts that many
old cavalry horses give at sight of Indians lusloe5
Needing thos- warnings. batlurs sprang ihc
bank. Within few hundred yards OF them Indians
approached. There Wa no pause for co,lles for
sadd s. Unfastehirg their horses and with lie that
would have done credit To crci, RIDER. they sprang
upon the bare backs - the terrified horses. aid digging
t',i. naked heels INTO t" -' y the 1rl'nals. they
ran life. fOrtu at"ly The Indians from
direction opposite thar Of the camp, but they had the
temcrty to follow with all the speed Of their swift