Arizona republican., 1903-05-18
GENERAL BUSTERS WIDOW
Her Meeting With Friends of Her
 Husband in Washington.

Mrs Elizabeth Custer, the widow of General George A. Custer. was in Washington recently. and met a num- Der of her old friends. some of whom served in the old Seventh calvary. which Custer. as lieutenant colonel commanded. Mrs. Custer was here try ing to befriend some men who were friends or her husband. one an old ser geant who was out Of employment. She is still a decidedly young looking woman. and without knowing her ex- act age, one must consider that she was old enough to marry during the civil war. As a matter of fact. Custer on leave in the winter of 1S63 met his future wife in Michigan. In Feb ruary, 1864, they were married Sha came to Washington with him, and ac- companied him to the front when he went through the great campaign of that year. Custer was then a brigadier general of volunteers, having received that grade when he was only 23 years old. He was brevetted a major gen eral. but in the regular army he was never more than a lieutenant colonel. Had he lived he would still be on the clNllNt iANls NAAil eA ANhNNiAeliAA SNiiCi sAA . commission in sight as soon es Miles retires.
 Among those whom Mrs Custer met was General Weston, now commissary general. Weston served under Custer in the Seventh cavalry. and has many pleasing recollections of him. His gen erOus praise of his old commander and the many touching anecdotes told more than once brought tears to the eyes Of the widow, who cherishes the gallant soldiers memory as fondly as if he had died but yesterday.
 We were going across the Staked plains one day" said General Weston. 'I was a first lieutenant in command Of Mike Sheridan's troop. Yates was commanding another troop. He died with Custer in the last battle. Yates and I thought we would branch out a bit and avoid some of the dust that the head of the column was making. We had rot gone far, keeping parallel with the regiment, when Clusters adjutant came over with an order to close up. which we did. That night. in response to a call to meet in the tent of the com manding officer, we were all assembled and Custer at once began to talk about our side movement, talking to Yates, who was my senior.
 Captain Yates, without orders or even a request. you branched off from the command today. requiring an order for you to return. Will you kindly ex- plain yourself?'
 Yates was a modest fellow. and was embarrassed. but I was always ready to use my vocabulary. so I broke i'm Why. general said I. i've kept in sight of the column and parallel to it. By branching off We avoided the aikaH dust. which made it better for both horses and men
 Indeed said Custer. T suppose MT. Weston. you think you could com mand the regiment better than it is commanded al present?'
 No doubt about that I replied and can get the affidavits of 45O men to prove it.
 Custer laughed and so did the others and that ended the matter. Custer was a man who invited repartee, and never became offended at replies to his sal lies"
 How was it you were not with Gus ter on his last expedition ?" General Weston was asked.
 ''I had been made a captain and com misoary. and had other duties then. Of course. I would have been in the fight if l had still been in the regiment met Custer at St. Paul just before he started on the expedition.
 "'Come along with me, Jack he said I'll detail ten men from each troop, and that will give you a command
 But 1 declined: I'll tell you what it is. general, I said. if any hostiles shoot at me this summer, and miss me. they'll hit a government ham Washington Post.