Letters from Libbie

Additional Information

In May of 1876, the regimental band of the 7th Cavalry played “The Girl I Left Behind Me” as they marched from Fort Lincoln, and General George Armstrong Custer led his command toward Montana and the Little Bighorn River. This would be the last time Elizabeth (Libbie) would see her beloved “Autie”. George and Elizabeth Custer shared a love and a friendship that spanned the entirety of his military career. Both were ambitious individuals, yet equally devoted to one another. The two wrote incessantly, and on several occasions, Custer risked being court-martialed to be with her while on duty. Libbie would often join her husband in the field whenever it was reasonably safe to do so. She hand stitched the personal battle flag which he carried by his side for the rest of his life as a symbol of the valor and patriotism shared by him and his beloved ‘Libbie’. After her husband’s death in 1876, Elizabeth Bacon Custer fought for the rights of military widows to receive higher pensions and devoted the remainder of her life to defending her husband’s legacy. - Kyle Polzin

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