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A Summer on the Plains with Custer’s 7th: The Diary of Annie Gibson Roberts

Edited by Brian C. Pohanka

Illustrated, appendices, footnotes, index, 180 pp., 2004. Schroeder Publications, 131 Tanglewood Dr., Lynchburg, VA 24502, $24.95 plus shipping.

On June 12, 1870, after only a day at Fort Hays, Kansas — then on the Indian frontier — Annie Gibson Roberts wrote in her diary: “Uncle drove Aunt, Mrs. Benteen & myself down to Genl. Custer’s camp. (It has) a charming situation on a bend in the creek. The Genl. took me (all) over the camp-showed me his horses, dogs, young antelope and rattlesnakes.”

The summer visit as guest of her uncle Maj. George Gibson, post commander at the fort, and his wife Frances, was to prove a life-altering experience for the 21-year-old. Camped nearby were the officers and men of the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lt. Col. (Annie may have referred to him as Genl., but he was a lieutenant colonel then) George Armstrong Custer. Capt. George Yates, one of the officers she met during her visit, would, within two years, make Annie his bride. His death at the Little Big Horn, after four years of marriage, left her a widow with two small children to raise.

One of the pleasures of Annie’s visit that summer was the four-day buffalo hunt that was arranged for
the ladies of the fort. “Who will forget the intense pleasure of the grand camping out trip and Buffalo hunts,” wrote Annie, “gotten up by Gen. & Mrs. Custer and the officers of the 7th Cavalry.” The small party — including servants in a separate wagon, George A. Custer and other officers — was conveyed the 13 miles to the camp in four ambulances.

“The herd of buffalo which we encountered today is beyond my power of description,” she wrote. “Such a number had been seen by none of the officers for years…After a tightening of saddle girths and bridles, we boldly dashed ourselves into the herd…”

This reviewer found this short volume an absolutely delightful read, and recommends it with enthusiasm. The footnotes, pictures and the appendices add fascinating detail that, alone, are worth the investment.

Willis Kocher

Willis Kocher is a retired American history teacher with a master’s degree in general education. He is past president of the Harrisburg, Pa., Civil War Round Table.

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