The National tribune., 1906-10-04

| tEtDutc. nc was hhPuiS'VS
Methodist. and staunch, uncompro-
missing Democrat. People who did
not believe as he did in either way he
| would not even argue with, unless the
. argument was all on his side.
| His boys liked to stir their father up
by predicting political disaster. in
i spirit of fun, but they were soon COM
PEELED to show their true colors. or hear
a convincing and forcible statement of
the situation, given with the power and
charm of a native orator.
His positive character would brook
no weakness of profession-he was out
spoken himself and had the courage of
his convictions. and he expected all the
members of his family to be equally
sincere.
u He cast his first vote for Andrew
Jackson. and his last for Mr.. Cleveland.
riding a distance of five miles in the
cold. bleak weather for that purpose.
i saying he could not die happy if his
party did not elect it's candidate.
i His death was consistent with his
life. and he felt sure in his last hours
that his actions were the result of an
honest belief that the course he pur-
sued was the right one
i When Father Custer was seen away
from home there was always someone
to point him out and say. There is the
/ father of Gen. Custer" / remember
seeing him at the Cyclorama of the Lit
tie Big Horn when it was here in De-
troit. That terribly real semblance of
the battlefield had so overcome ordi-
nary spectators that they had tainted
from the effect.
| Yet this brave old man regarded the
scene of carnage with calm and state-
I ly courage that was truly wonderful.
| While he sat and watched the scene q
man who wore the badge of a Michigan
cavalryman touched him on the shoul-
der:
1 Excuse me, comrade. You are Gen.
Clusters father
yes" said the fine old man with a
glow of pride at his hero's name; "he
was my son.
! Il was with Gen. Custer when he
4 made that raid out of Winchester and
broke through Early's lines" said the
| cavalryman.
i Il was with him in the 1st Mich.
/ Cav" said another, when his brother
Tom was wounded in the neck"
4 II remember that engagement" said
Mr.. Custer, as if repeating a matter of
1 history.
/ tom brought that necktie home and
I have it yet"
/ Let me speak to Gen. Clusters faith
! er. My son fought under him. said
an elderly woman in black, coming for
ward.
/ He fought under a good man, then"
said Mr.. Custer. in his quiet way.
AS he passed out some men wearing
/ Grand Army badges gave him almost
an ovation.
] knew him and as saw his face
paling said:
"oh. Mr.. Custer. they are glad to see
you-how pleased they are"
| "It isn't for me-" he said, and no.
ticed that his voice was husky: they
are thinking of him-and so am II
He was very fond of his only daugh-
ter, Mrs. Margaret Custer Calhoun, and
| Gen. Clusters widow, Mrs. Elizabeth
/ Bacon Custer, and these ladies were
/ with him when he died, Mrs. Calhoun
going from Lansing, Mich, where she
is State Librarian, and Mrs. Custer
from her home in New York. When
| the two lived temporarily here in De-
! troit, Father Custer used to come to
| visit them, and 1t was amusing and
pathetic to see the interesting trio en-
| gagged in the amusements of an even
| ing.
i However much they smiled or talked
| when their attention was concentrated
i on what was around them, there was
| always sad preoccupation or fever
i ish restlessness when the attention was
/ withdrawn.
| Then it was that those who knew
bowed their heads and felt the infinite
| pity OF it-and looked upon these as
i National loss and sorrow.
I But they could be very jolly, too, at
/ times, and perplex staid. practical
/ Father Custer with their Jokes at his
| expense, and even make merry over
i occasional "reminiscences of greater
| Jokes perpetrated by "Artie," their pet
name for the General.
1 1t is not generally known that two
4 brothers of Gen. Custer We're killed
4 with him. One only is mentioned par
/ ticularly. Tom, the younger brother
| The other one was Boston Custer. The
| youthful Artie Reed was a grandson of
/ Mrs. Custer by former marriage. Bos-
ton Custer and Artie Reed were not in
i Gen. Clusters command, but We're West
| for visit and for their health, and ac-
/ cOmpanied their gallant relative as vol
/ unteers, having entire confidence in his
\ ability to engage safely in the conflict.
4 Lieut.. James Calhoun, the brilliant
i young officer, was the husband of Gen
Clusters sister, Margaret. or Maggie. as
her fond brother always called her
| Thus five of the Custer family perished
in that brief and bloody battle.
| 1t was then that the strong religious
nature of Father Custer asserted itself
most valiantly, and while he mourned
for his boys it was not as one without
hope. He loved to recount their noble
deeds; to dwell on their home life, and
the days of their boyhood.
That he was proud of his yellow
haired laddie" was not to be gainsaid
for he saw in him all his fondest hopes
realized
George made himself what he was
without anyOne's assistance he said
once to the writer of this paper. HE
asked me once to see Congressman
Bingham about getting him an appoint
: ment at West Point. Bingham and
: were opposed politically and 1 didn't
. want to ask him to do anything for me
or mine. But the first thing / knew
George had the appointment. He stole
a march on his father and asked Bing-
, ham himself. And / knew that Bing-
ham was always glad and proud that
he gave it to him. 1t makes me sad
every time l look at this picture and
think of my three boys who were killed
in one day."
| If Father Custer had lived until Dec
Z 10. 1892, he would have completed his
seth year.-Myrtle Custer.
i Our Honest People.