Introduction

Elizabeth Custer was the wife of George Armstrong Custer who would be defeated by the Indians at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This letter was written about 7 years before his defeat and death.

This letter is transcribed from Elizabeth's handwritten letter that is on the Elizabeth Custer microfilm collection. There are several libraries across the country that have copies of the full microfilm collection. One is the Monroe, Michigan library.

"Autie" refers to her husband George. This was his nickname. This name came to be when as a youngster tried to say his middle name "Armstrong".

The Letter

          According (P?) (?)
          Camp 7th Cavalry.
          September 19. 1869
My dear Laura -
     It seems to me I must
have written to you within the last six
weeks. In imagination I have written
you several long letters. But I keep a letter
book and on looking over the list of
names your does not occur lately.
I am sure I have forgotten to put the
number down. If I have been negligent
I am very sorry indeed. I have thought
so often of you and really was sure
I had written lately. Nellie Bates
has had several of my effusions as I
have been doing my best to induce
her to make me another visit. I did
enjoy her visit so very much last
winter I was i hopes I could get
her to come again when we get
settled at Leavenworth. In her last
she says her Father objects. I do hope
Autie will be able to bring her back
if he goes to Michigan this Autumn.
We have been passing such a pleasant
summer we dread to hear the first
(?) winds and see the grass turn brown.
Our tents have been charmingly situated
as regards shade & cool air and with
the exception of several freshets and some
most terrific winds nothing has troubled
us. But on finds that a bedoir life
in open air constantly gives such perfect
health that such things as freshets and
winds are quite small matters and
forgotten as soon as (ever?). I have made
cousing Mary Richmond Kendall several
visits at Topeka and the few days in
a house after tent life nearly smothered
me. Had it not been for shocking the
good citizens of the Kansas capital I think
I would have insisted upon sleeping in
the front yard. The very roof seems
to come down on ones head when a
plains woman sleeps in a house after
camping out. There are several ladies
in camp and we are camped near
the post of Fort Hays and have the
advantage of the society up there. It is just
a pleasant ride. Our summer has
passed so rapidly. We have driven &
ridden on horseback as usual. I have
learned to play billiards - as we have a
private table in camp for the officers &
ladies. We have played croquet some
but buffalo huntin has been the real
excitement of the summer. Ladies had
been debarred the sport until the cavalry
ladies came out this spring but Autie
wanted me to so I did and since then
the ladies are expected. I don't ride after
the beasts because Autie thinks it is too
much risk as the prairie is so covered
with prairie dog holes wolf & gopher
holes and buffalo wallows. But (Henry?)
drives me around after the horsemen
and he gets nearly wild. Sometimes even
gallops the carriage horses in harness.
On the late hunt we ladies were (resting?)
some in the carriage and a friend & I
were walking about a little when we saw
a buffalo turning up to us so rapidly we
took flight. But I wasn't quick enough
for I thought the buffalo was old & rather
(lumbering?) like the others I had seen
during the summer but it was only a
two year old and was almost on me
before I knew it. Henry was frantic. He
held the carriage door for me to jump
in but I saw a nearer escape and I
jumped into an ambulance over a horse
gun & N.Y. Times reporter. Safe but just
in time. I imagine I had jumped over
the horse but it seems I fairly leaped
over the feet of the newspaper man!
Don't imagine these reporters usually
accompany us but it so happened the
General was getting up a grand hunt
for the two Enligh Noblemen Lords Paget
& (Wates?) Park when a large excursion
party from Ohio arrived at Hays &
remained to go to the hunt and these Ohio
people had several reporters with them.
When we go on a hunt we usually go
out from here about ten miles and
establish temporary camp so that we
come in from the hunt at night get dinner
and sleep on the ground in tents we
take out. as the buffalo are not much
nearer than twenty miles. We all start
out in the morning and a rare pretty
sight it is. Perhaps twenty officers
and fifty soldiers on horseback, three
or four ambulances & two or three wagons.
The latter are taken out to bring back
the choice parts of the buffalo that are
killed. sometimes we see the buffalo for
miles before the chase begins. Not a
tree is seen out here except on the
streams. the buffalo graze until we
are almost on them. The horse men prepare
for the chase by strapping saddles tighter
loading carbines & pistols. tying on hats
and deciding which part of the company
heads off & which goes in rear of the
herd. It is magnificent sport. Only
a capital rider can shoot buffalo.
For tho' the prairie looks so level it
is actually very hard to ride over. The
three reporters of the N.Y. times, Herald
& a Columbus paper all came to (g?).
but such slight affairs we could afford
to laugh. One was thrown, another shot
& slightly wounded his horse - another
was lost for a few hours. The wagons
& ambulances & my carriage follow
fast after the hunters when the chase
begins and we are in at the death of
many a noble animal. For Laura
you could not but admire them: they
die so bravely. The dogs I forgot to say
are a feature in the cavalcade. They
worry the buffalo when he is brought to
bay. I have a photograph of a buffalo
at bay and the party of hunters around
him while the camp photographer
takes his picture. Isn't it a most curious
idea in this desert and so far out, that
a buffalo hunt should be photographed!
But I think this is the first time that
this art has been called into use at a
buffalo hunt. We were out three days
this last week. Lords Pagent & Waterpack
proved to be charming & unassuming
gentlemen - delighted with every thing
done for them and able to rough it
with any one who had been years out
here. They were such good riders (though
very awkward in appearance - our
own officers looked to be perfect
centaurs beside them) that they killed
thirteen. I was of course prepared to
dislike them & mentally called them
"(suits?)" before seeing them but such
good breeding and genuine kind heart-
edness made them many friends.
The 'took' to Autie as they are so
fond of hunting & horses & dogs.
I wish so very much we could accept
their repeated & cordial civilization to
visit them. I hope we can some-
time. We have had some other
"highnesses" out here before this party
but they were not to compare with
the last. Doesn't a hundred and twenty
six buffalo killed seem a great many
for three days? But we had fine
success and the prairie seemed black
with monsters when the chase began.
You can't dream how quick the
herd will disappear after the chase
begins and how very fast the buffalo
can run. Autie killed seven in one
day without leaving the saddle. Even
such good officers riders as our officers
are get an occasional tumble for they
go at such a break neck speed
but if they do it scarcely ever hurts them
as most of them are hardy healthy
stalwart men. But the penalty of
a tumble is to pay a basket of champagne
and we have had considerable wine
to drink this summer - fofeit wine
I mean - This wild folly free life
is perfectly fascinating Laura. We
don't see much of Mrs. Grundy out
here and we dress as we like and live
with no approach to style. I am afraid
is is entirely unfitting me for the
restraints of Monroe society as I found
the everlasting "they say" hobbled me
some what - on my visit home last fall.
                    (notes?)
Our camping out is almost over for this
season - though we hope the regiment
will be sent out here next summer &
we will come & live in our "rag house"
again. It is expected that the regiment
will begin to march October 15 and
probably reach Levenworth by Nov. 1st.
It is three hundred miles from here and
the railroad all the distance - but on
account of expense the troops march instead
of going by rail. I am glad of it for
I ineted to go with Autie & camp
out every night. I suppose my carriage
is the best for army use out here, and
so easy for marching so I shall vary
my march by driving and riding - (Will
it not be fun?). We intend to camp
one night near Topeka and we expect
to take the band up and serenade
Mary & I mean to tease her to come out
& spend the night in the tented field.
I enjoy having Mary come so near. You
know I am usually so far from all
my relations that it is a privilege to
(strikeout?) feel that she is accessible. Rebecca
intends to spend part of the winter wit
me at Leavenworth. She was so much
disappointed not to be able to come
out in time to march down
with us as she has a fancy for
becoming a bedouin like her cousins,
for a short time. I hear from
Mother often. She was lately at
Patterson (N. J.?) and expected to visit
New York & then go west. She seems to
be well tho. not thoroughly contented
as her home for the winter is undecided.
I will send you a paper soon with
a letter of Auties describing the (late?)
hunt. I do hope you will pardon
my delay in writing - We have had
so much company I have not been
at liberty as much as I expected to be
in coming to camp. Give my love to
(Nellie?) & say a word for me as I do
want her to visit me. And shall I
never have the pleasure of greeting
you Laura in my home? What a pleasant
it would be to greet you and Herbert on
my own threshold once at least in 'the
course of a lifetime'! Please give my
dear love to Mrs Noble. Have you
heard that Eliza has left us? We had
to send her away as she got on a spree
and was insolent. I thought the whole
establishment would fall through on
her departure as she had so long been
supreme as general superintendant. But
fortune favored me. I have an excellent
cook and much less given to company
than Eliza was. She supplied our taable
at the moderate sum of about a hundred
dollars & I am now attending to the
superindenting myself & with my very
economical cook I think we shall
manage to "eat up" considerably less of
the pay than we did while Elize cooked
for us & entertained her visitors. I
expect to get a Virginia servant soon.
At present I am doing well and we are
very comfortable. Autie's regards to
Herbert & Mimi also & to you dear (?).
     Yours till death - Libbie