Boots and Saddles by Elizabeth Bacon Custer is a riveting account of life on the American frontier during the Civil War era. In this memoir, Custer provides a unique perspective as the wife of General George Armstrong Custer, offering insight into the challenges and triumphs of military life during a tumultuous time in American history.

Through vivid storytelling, Custer takes readers on a journey through the hardships faced by soldiers and their families, as well as the bravery and camaraderie that sustained them through difficult times. Her firsthand accounts of battles, scouting missions, and life at various military outposts paint a vivid picture of the dangers and excitements of frontier life.

Custer's writing is both engaging and heartfelt, allowing readers to connect with the personal experiences and emotions of those who lived through such a tumultuous period. Her detailed descriptions of the landscapes, people, and events she encountered provide a rich context for understanding the challenges and sacrifices of those who forged a new path in the untamed West.

Overall, Boots and Saddles is a captivating and informative read that offers a compelling glimpse into the world of the American frontier. Elizabeth Bacon Custer's account is a valuable addition to the historical record, shedding light on a lesser-known aspect of America's past and illuminating the experiences of those who helped shape the country we know today.

Book Description:
Elizabeth Custer has penned an engaging portrait of 1870’s life on a U.S. cavalry post in the Dakotas, just before her husband and his troops met their tragic deaths in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. “Our life,” she writes, “was often as separate from the rest of the world as if we had been living on an island in the ocean.” Her portrait of her husband, General George Armstrong Custer is laudatory—his intellect, his love of dogs (he kept a hunting pack of 40 at the post); but, Boots and Saddles is more than just a memorial. She observes with keen insight, the varied persons, from Indian scouts, to enlisted men, to officer’s wives, who make up the army “family,” on the post. Her sympathetic story about the regimental laundress and midwife, with its sad ending, should take a place in the army’s history of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”