Chapter I: 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 anything pertaining to the cavalry, which is almost invariably stationed on the extreme frontier.

The isolation of the cavalry posts makes them quite inaccessible to travellers, and the exposure incident to meeting 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 without 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 instances so minutely into trifling perplexities and events, which went to fill up the sum of our existence.

E. B. C.

_148 East 18th Street,
New York City._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. CHANGE OF STATION 9

II. A BLIZZARD 17

III. WESTERN HOSPITALITY 30

IV. CAVALRY ON THE MARCH 37

V. CAMPING AMONG THE SIOUX 49

VI. A VISIT TO THE VILLAGE OF “TWO BEARS” 60

VII. ADVENTURES DURING THE LAST DAYS OF THE MARCH 73

VIII. SEPARATION AND REUNION 86

IX. OUR NEW HOME AT FORT LINCOLN 94

X. INCIDENTS OF EVERY-DAY LIFE 104

XI. THE BURNING OF OUR QUARTERS.--CARRYING THE MAIL 115

XII. PERPLEXITIES AND PLEASURES OF DOMESTIC LIFE 124

XIII. A “STRONG HEART” DANCE! 131

XIV. GARRISON LIFE 138

XV. GENERAL CUSTER’S LITERARY WORK 140

XVI. INDIAN DEPREDATIONS 154

XVII. A DAY OF ANXIETY AND TERROR 159

XVIII. IMPROVEMENTS AT THE POST, AND GARDENING 167

XIX. GENERAL CUSTER’S LIBRARY 174

XX. THE SUMMER OF THE BLACK HILLS EXPEDITION 181

XXI. DOMESTIC TRIALS 194

XXII. CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF RAIN-IN-THE-FACE 203

XXIII. GARRISON AMUSEMENTS 216

XXIV. AN INDIAN COUNCIL 225

XXV. BREAKING UP OF THE MISSOURI 229

XXVI. CURIOUS CHARACTERS AND EXCURSIONISTS AMONG US 240

XXVII. RELIGIOUS SERVICES.--LEAVE OF ABSENCE 247

XXVIII. A WINTER’S JOURNEY ACROSS THE PLAINS 253

XXIX. OUR LIFE’S LAST CHAPTER 261

APPENDIX: WITH EXTRACTS OF GENERAL CUSTER’S LETTERS 271

OUTLINE MAP
_of portions of_
MONTANA & DAKOTA

Copyright, 1885, by HARPER & BROTHERS
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BOOTS AND SADDLES.