b'It is not in my power to express my deep appreciation of the kindness shown meat Ft. Lincoln during those dark days . . . Will you remember me most kindly toMrs. McCaskey and tell her that she has been blessed with God\'s best gift,a devoted and faithful husband. Libbie B. Custerquarters to rouse the maid. But Elizabeth Custer,a little less than $5,000 from the New York Life who had only taken her dress off to lie on the bed allInsurance Company after adjustments) - and those of night, ran out in her dressing gownthe word forthe other widows of the 7th (Smith, Gene, Until the which she had been waiting. She met the delegationLast Trumpet Sounds, John Wiley & Sons, New York, in the parlor, her "family" about her. And these1998, p. 150; Farioli and Nichols, pp. 66-67).women stood up gallantly to the authentication of their widowhood.(There would be another fresh out-of-West Point lieutenant by the name of Ernest Garlington who had Captain McCluskey could never forget howalso arrived in the aftermath of the Little Big Horn Mrs. Calhoun had run after himher brothersdisaster, a young officer whom McCaskey would butt Armstrong, Tom, Boston; her nephew Autie Reed,heads with 30 years later when the Southern-born her husband, JimmieIs there no message for me?Garlington, now a major general and the inspector-she asked. Messagethey had all died fightinggeneral of the U.S. Army would smear and threaten (Merington, Marguerite, The Custer Story, Barnesthe Black soldiers under a then (also) Major General and Noble, New York, 1994, p. 323).(Ms. MeringtonMcCaskey\'s command in the aftermath of the misspelled McCaskey\'s name TWICE, and never gotBrownsville Riots. But we anticipate things.) roamed the plains on active duty. Whatever the it right. Even over 70 years ago, Captain McCaskeyreasons were, they were serious enough to cause was treated with unwarranted obscurity!) He also facilitated the transport of all of the othera strain in their relationship - one that McCaskey units on their way to reinforce Terry and Crookwould only comment about his wife\'s accusations As McCaskey himself remarked, "It was the hardestincluding that of the 5th Infantry, led by a colonelwere "cruel, unjust, unkind and untrue" (Ibid., p. 67). duty I ever had to perform in the service." by the name of Nelson Appleton Miles, who notAnother officer offered to assume command of the only would make a mark for himself as a much- post so that McCaskey could go back East and settle THE AFTERMATH, TROUBLES AT HOME, respected Indian fighter but who, as a major generalaccounts with Nellie, but the captain refused to go - AND NEW ADVENTURES (A DECADE ON) would later become the commander-in-chief ofit was at the same time he was involved in arranging FOR CAPTAIN MCCASKEY: McCaskey and so many others when he led the U.S.the transport of Mrs. Custer, Mrs. Porter, and the The story of McCaskey\'s involvement in the aftermathArmy into the Spanish-American War just 22 yearsother widows, and he felt he just couldn\'t take leave of the Custer disaster didn\'t end with the ordeal of thelater. And he also had to contend with his personalat that time. As in the case of his correspondence meeting of the Custer - and 7th Cavalry widows. Notgrief, for many of those who fell were his friends,with Custer, any further correspondence between by at least a then foreseeable longshot. Colonel Custer, his brothers, Jimmi Calhoun, Cooke,himself and his estranged, temporarily as it would Lt. Porter, his former subordinate, the one-eyedturn out to be, wife did not survive for posterity. There\'s that interesting - and sometimes cuteWest Point "Goat" Lieutenant Crittenden, whoThere was no talk of divorce and the two reconciled expression, "No rest for the wicked." Well, Captainhad transferred from the 20th to the 7th becausewhen McCaskey finally did take leave when Major McCaskey was certainly NOT wicked, nor themundane garrison life did not suit him, he wanted toReno returned to Fort Lincoln on September 22, circumstances of command cute, but there wassee action. He saw it all right, falling right alongside1876, and resumed command of the fort.no rest for him for the rest of the summer. Thehis commanding officer, Custer\'s brother-in-law remnants of the 7th were still out in the field, withCalhoun, the L Company commander, on CalhounThroughout it all, McCaskey showed great tact, Terry, about to converge with Crook\'s command,Hill, a little over a mile from where Custer himselfresponsibility, maturity, and leadership in what which had finally received news of the disastermade his last stand against the screaming, shrieking,might have broken others faced with the enormity and were hurrying north to link up with Terry\'spainted, feathered, arrows flying, guns firingof such a tragedy - and one that was also personal command. That meant McCaskey, not Marcusthundering hordes of Chiefs Gall and Crazy Horse. for him. Yet he never sought out the spotlight or Reno of the 7th who was next in line to commandcalled attention to himself for handling such a grave the fort but was still in the field with what was leftMcCaskey knew them all. They had been his friends.situation with competence and care. He was no of Custer\'s command - (and was already under aAnd now they were dead, their corpses were strewnNelson Miles to be sure - he performed his duties cloud for his dubious activities the afternoon ofall over the slopes of a bloody Montana hillside justquietly and well.the 25th), remained in command of the fort and itsabove the river that bore the battle\'s name. And garrison. The Indian threat was still real, especiallyquite presumably in deference to the grieving Mrs.It remains for the grieving Mrs. Custer to have when he had less than 200 men to defend a fort deepCuster, McCaskey chose to destroy almost all of histhe final say of this extremely sad time - in a letter in Indian Territory with the Sioux and Cheyennecorrespondence to and from Custer, save that onethat has survived to this time, one that she sent to recently victorious. He had to console the widowsaffectionate letter from Custer to him a few weeksMcCaskey from the Monroe home she had returned and the children of the slain, settle their accounts,before the colonel would encounter the masses ofto, postmarked September 3, 1876. arrange for their transfer out of the fort, and arrangeSioux and Cheyenne with tragic results. This was a for the reinforcements that were already on theirpersonal decision, nothing controversial about theIt is not in my power to express my deep appreciation way, including replacements to fill the ranks of thecorrespondence, he certainly wasn\'t hiding anythingof the kindness shown me at Ft. Lincoln during those depleted 7th. - but only that it was quite possible he chose todark days. But I will never forget it and shall ever respect the feelings of Libbie Custer and the Custerthank you with a grateful heart for your sympathy No doubt that it was probably Captain McCaskeyfamily - not to mention his personal feelings towardsand consideration for me in my sorrow. I may never who found accommodations for one of the newa man who had - in the brief time he had known - tosee you again, but I shall pray that you and yours may replacements for the 7th, a fresh out of West Point,be both his commanding officer and his friend. be spared the anguish that makes life so burdensome. newly minted lieutenant by the name of Hugh Scott.Will you remember me most kindly to Mrs. McCaskey Scott, a future U.S. Army Chief of Staff, would findAnd if this wasn\'t enough for the harried andand tell her that she has been blessed with God\'s best himself moving into the living quarters vacated byharassed McCaskey, there was also serious troublegift, a devoted and faithful husband.the grieving Libbie Custer when she finally left thein his home life. Whether it was because McCaskey fort and headed home for Monroe, Michigan about aconfronted his somewhat extravagant wife overSincerely Yours, Libbie B. Custer(Ibid., p.68) month after Little Big Horn, just after McCaskey hadher spending, or that separation did not make the taken care of her insurance claims (she would receiveheart grow fonder, she chafed while her husbandPick up our July issue for Part 4.ArizonaRealCountry.com June 2022 45'