Boots and Saddles- OR LIFE IN DAKOTA WITH GENERAL CUSTER by
ELIZABETH B. CUSTER. Preface: ONE of the motives that have actuated
me in recalling these simple annals of our daily life, has been to
give a glimpse to civilians of garrison and camp life about which
they seem to have such a very imperfect knowledge. This ignorance
exists especially with reference to any thing pertaining to the
cavalry, which is almost invariably stationed on the extreme
frontier. The isolation of the cavalry posts makes them quite in
accessible to travelers, and the exposure incident to meet ing
warlike Indians does not tempt the visits of friends or even of the
venturesome tourist. Our life, therefore, was often as separate
from the rest of the world as if we had been living on an island in
the ocean. Very little has been written regarding the domestic life
of an army family, and yet I cannot believe that it is with out
interest; for the innumerable questions that are asked about our
occupations, amusements, and mode of house keeping, lead me to hope
that the actual answers to these queries contained in this little
story will be acceptable. This must also be my apology for entering
in some in stances so minutely into trifling perplexities and
events, which went to fill up the sum of our existence. . B. C.
Contenst include: Change of Station i II. A Blizzard 8 III. Western
Hospitality 21 IV. Cavalry on the March 27 V. Camping Among the
Sioux 39 VI. A Visit to the Village of Two Bears 50 VIL Adventures
During the Last Days of the March 63 VIII. Separation and Reunion
76 IX. Our New Home at Fort Lincoln 84 X. Incidents of Every - day
Life 94 XL The Burning of Our Quarters Carrying the Mail 105 XII.
Perplexitiesand Pleasures of Domestic Life 1 14 XIII. A Strong
Heart Dance! 121 XIV. Garrison Life 128 XV* General Ouster's
Literary Work 139 XVI. Indian Depredations 144 XVII. A Day of
Anxiety and Tenor 149 XVIIL Improvements at the Post, and Gardening
157 XIX. General Ouster's Library 164 XX. The Summer of the Black
Hills Expedition 171 XXI. Domestic Trials 184 XXIL Capture and
Escape of Rain-in-the-face 193 XXIII. Garrison Amusements 205 XXIV.
An Indian Council 213 XXV. Breaking Up of the Missouri 2 1 7 XXVI.
Curious Characters and Excursionists Among Us 228 XXVII. Religious
Services Leave of Absence 234 XXVIII. A Winter's Journey Across the
Plains 240 XXIX. Our Life's Last Chapter 248 APPENDIX: With
Extracts of General Gutter's Letters 258 Fxl and Saddles. CHAPTER
I: Change of Station. GENERAL CUSTER graduated at West Point just
in time to take part in the battle of Bull Run. He served with his
regiment the 5th Cavalry for a time, but even tually was appointed
aide-de-camp to General McClellan. He came to his sister's home in
my native town, Monroe, Michigan, during the winter of 1863, and
there I first met him. In the spring he returned to the army in
Virginia, and was promoted that summer, at the age of twenty-three,
from captain to brigadier-general. During the following autumn he
came to Monroe to recover from a flesh-wound, which, though not
serious, disabled him somewhat. At that time we became engaged.
When his twenty days' leave of absence had expired he went back to
duty, and did not return until a few days before our marriage, in
February, 1864. We had no sooner reached Washington on our wedding
journey than telegrams came, following one another in quick
succession, asking him to giveup the rest of his leave of absence,
and hasten without an hour's delay to the front. I begged so hard
not to be left behind that I finally prevailed. The result was that
I found myself in a few hours on the extreme wing of the Army of
the Potomac, in an isolated Virginia farm-house, finishing my
General
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