Post by elisabeth on Jun 18, 2006 11:04:12 GMT -6
A nice little book, this -- somewhat in the mould of Annie Gibson's "A Summer on the Plains", and almost as well and wittily written as Libbie Custer's own books. (Published by the Texas University Press. Out of print now, I think, but easily enough picked up.)
It's the story of Cornelia Wadsworth Adair's trip out west in 1874 to see buffalo-hunting. There's no direct 7th Cavalry connection, but plenty of indirect ones -- and lots of people we know. Sheridan's involved; her cavalry escort is led by Colonel Dodge; she meets up with Dr. William Bell (of Wyllyams-corpse-photograph fame) when she visits Colorado Springs, the town he'd founded as a health spa; and the whole party is hospitably entertained by Two Lance's band of Oglalla Sioux, including High Bear among others. And she herself is a pretty remarkable connection. She's the daughter of General Wadsworth, who was killed in the Civil War, and a sister of Craig Wadsworth -- who was one of "Buford's Boys" alongside Keogh, and then on Sheridan's staff, so thus well acquainted with Custer.
Interesting lady. Her husband, John Adair, became one of the great Texas cattle barons, in partnership with Charles Goodnight (of the Goodnight-Loving trail). And I've read that Cornelia was so shocked at the rapid decimation of the buffalo that she and Mrs. Loving insisted on a nucleus breeding herd being rescued and transferred to their land in Texas. So it may be to her that we owe the fact that there are any buffalo left at all. And after her husband's death, she continued to run the JA Ranch herself with great success.
None of that comes into the Diary as such; however, it's her observations and descriptions, as a gently-nurtured lady from Upper New York State and an adopted European, that make it so interesting to read. Above all, she's terrific on the realities of travel in the 1870s. An eye-opener. Worth reading, I think.
It's the story of Cornelia Wadsworth Adair's trip out west in 1874 to see buffalo-hunting. There's no direct 7th Cavalry connection, but plenty of indirect ones -- and lots of people we know. Sheridan's involved; her cavalry escort is led by Colonel Dodge; she meets up with Dr. William Bell (of Wyllyams-corpse-photograph fame) when she visits Colorado Springs, the town he'd founded as a health spa; and the whole party is hospitably entertained by Two Lance's band of Oglalla Sioux, including High Bear among others. And she herself is a pretty remarkable connection. She's the daughter of General Wadsworth, who was killed in the Civil War, and a sister of Craig Wadsworth -- who was one of "Buford's Boys" alongside Keogh, and then on Sheridan's staff, so thus well acquainted with Custer.
Interesting lady. Her husband, John Adair, became one of the great Texas cattle barons, in partnership with Charles Goodnight (of the Goodnight-Loving trail). And I've read that Cornelia was so shocked at the rapid decimation of the buffalo that she and Mrs. Loving insisted on a nucleus breeding herd being rescued and transferred to their land in Texas. So it may be to her that we owe the fact that there are any buffalo left at all. And after her husband's death, she continued to run the JA Ranch herself with great success.
None of that comes into the Diary as such; however, it's her observations and descriptions, as a gently-nurtured lady from Upper New York State and an adopted European, that make it so interesting to read. Above all, she's terrific on the realities of travel in the 1870s. An eye-opener. Worth reading, I think.