b'General William S. McCaskeyParticipant and Witness to HistoryPART 3 By Alan RockmanIT WAS THE HARDESTIn the slight chill of a Dakota summer dawn, Libbie DUTY I EVER HAD asked for a shoulder wrap, then walked outside with TO PERFORM IN the men to help with the painful task of telling the THE SERVICE many other widows that their husbands would not Several hours after midnightreturn. She felt it her duty. The Far West\'s whistle on the morning of July 6,had awakened many in the fort, and men, women, 1876, a veteran Missouriand children were now running down to the dock River steamboat captain by the name of Grant Marshfor news of their loved ones. As McCaskey left the docked his steamer, "Far West" just down the hillhouse, an uncomprehending Maggie Calhoun ran from Fort Lincoln. He had spent the greater part ofafter him, crying out. She had lost three brothers, a the previous week picking up the wounded survivorsnephew, and her husband. There was no consolation of the Big Horn battle - the wounded of Reno\'s andin the answer to her question, Is there no message Benteen\'s command - then ferrying them downfor me" (Donovan, James, A Terrible Glory, Little the Missouri to Fort Lincoln. Shortly after all ofBrown & Company, New York, 2008, pp. 319-320)?the wounded had been removed from the boat and carried to the Post Hospital, Captain Edward Smith,The second, from Farioli\'s biography of Captain whom McCaskey had met just a little over a monthMcCaskey, Last Man Standing, Lieutenant Gurley\'s prior in happier times, walked off the steamer andaccount of what happened that deceptively chilly went up to Officer\'s Row to deliver the shockingDakota summer morning: "The news came to me news of the disaster to Captain McCaskey. Theabout 2 a.m. William S. McCaskey, 20th Infantry, captain then summoned a meeting of his officers tosummoned all the officers to his quarters at once, inform them of what had happened to Custer. It wasand then I read to them the communication he had just before 7 a.m. when he asked the aforementionedjust received - per steamer "Far West," from Captain Dr. Middleton and his adjutant 2nd LieutenantEd W. Smith, General Terry\'s adjutant general. After Charles L. Gurley of the 6th Infantry to join him aswe had recovered from the shock Captain McCaskey he walked up the path from Officer\'s Row to thatrequested us to assist him in breaking the news to large white building in the center of the post - thethe widows. It fell to my lot to accompany Captain home of the commandant, one Colonel GeorgeMcCaskey and Dr. Johnson V.D. Middleton, post Armstrong Custer. surgeon, to the quarters of Mrs. Custer immediately One of the three most dramaticeast of those occupied by myself. We started on our There are numerous accounts of what happened nextaccounts of an extremely poignantsad errand a little before seven o\'clock on the 6th in one of the most dramatic - and extremely poignantof July morning. I went to the rear of the Custer - episodes in American history, and while Libbieepisode in American history. house, woke up Maria, Mrs. Custer\'s housemaid, and Custer understandably chose to omit the narrativerequested her to rap on Mrs. Custer\'s door and say of her meeting with Captain McCaskey that fatefulto her that she, Mrs. Calhoun, and Miss Reed were morning from Boots and Saddles her biographicalhad been rumors and whispers among the friendlywanted in the parlor. On my way through the hall account of life with George Custer, three of the mostIndians at the fort of a great battle. Foreboding to open the front door, I heard the opening of the dramatic accounts will suffice, even though one offilled the air. door of Mrs. Custer\'s room. She had been awakened them from the book The Custer Story totally botchedby the footsteps in the hall. She called me by name up poor Captain McCaskey\'s name - TWICE! In the early hours of July 6, there was a knock at theand asked me the cause of my early visit. I made no back door of the Custer house, then footsteps thatreply but followed Captain McCaskey and Doctor The first, from James Donovan\'s excellent accountawoke Libbie. She put on a dressing gown and metMiddleton into the parlor. There, we were almost of the Little Big Horn campaign and its aftermath,Maria Adams, her housemaid, at her bedroom door.immediately followed by the ladies of the Custer A Terrible Glory: "Since their husbands\' departureIt was Lieutenant Gurley who had knocked, and hehousehold, and there we told to them their first seven weeks earlier, Libbie Custer and the officers\'asked that Libbie, Maggie Calhoun, and Emma Reedintimation of the awful result of the battle on the wives at Fort Lincoln had passed the time worrying,come to the parlor. As Gurley walked down the hallLittle Big Horn. Imagine the grief of those stricken supporting one another, and surviving the occasionalto the front door to let Captain McCaskey and thewomen, their sobs, their flood of tears, grief that false alarm of an Indian attack. But when worddoctor in, Libbie called out to him asking the reasonknew no consolation. The fearful depression that had come ten days earlier that a large Indian forcefor such an early visit. There was no answer. had hung over the fort for the last two days had its had checked Crook at the Rosebud and that he hadexplanation then (Farioli and Nichols, Last Man been forced to retreat from the plan of operations,In the parlor, the three men waited until all threeStanding, p. 67).they began to be filled with dread. Arikara Scoutswomen gathered. McCaskey had been left in charge (presumably the ones Captain McCaskey hadof Fort Lincoln when the Dakota column left in May.And finally, the third, from Marguerite Merington\'s referred to) had been sent west to Terry with theHe had served throughout the Civil War and had1950 The Custer Story: "Captain Smith, Terry\'s news, but everyone knew the trip would take aseen action in 28 engagements. He would retire arepresentative, presented a special report to Captain week or more. The women went to great lengths toMajor General in 1907 after commanding troops inMcCaskell, who was in command. The captain read bolster one another\'s spirits, gathering at the Custertwo of the major battles of the Spanish-Americanthe document to his convened staff. Finally, the home on Sunday, June 25, to sing hymns (little didWar. But the hardest duty he would ever performnews had to be broken to the wives. Dr. Middleton, they know that their men were being slaughteredinvolved these three young women of the Custerthe post surgeon, and two members of his staff at approximately the same time a little over fourfamily. McCaskey told them the news about theaccompanied Captain McCluskey and Lieutenant hundred miles away). Then, a few days later, thereexpedition, and they wept with inconsolable grief.Gurley. They knocked on the back door of the Custer 44 June 2022'