Horse Care At Home ...

[Tricia]

All--

No, this doesn't have to do with Comanche's retirement years ... but rather, I have a question regarding the Custers' horses whilst GAC (and other family members) were at home and away from their various stations. Did GAC tend to his own horses whilst on leave or did a local kid help out? I don't seem to remember any remarks from Libbie regarding a groomsman in Monroe, but I might be completely wrong.

Not exactly Tupperware material, but I'd find it interesting if anyone has any information. Thanks in advance!

Trish

[elisabeth]

Just guessing: if they took the horses with them at all, wouldn't they put them in Emanuel's stables and let his hired help take care of them? And/or on Nevin's farm, once the family had bought that. But it would have been easier to leave them behind in the care of Burkman or his predecessor(s). They were zipping about the country on trains so much when on leave that loading and unloading horses would have been a nightmare, I'd have thought.

[rch]

I don't think that Mrs. Custer made any mention of arrangements for horses on the trip from St. Paul to Bismark in Mar 1876. Custer had friends and family at Ft. Lincoln who could have overseen the care of the Custers' horses.

Related questions are did Custer have to give up his quarters at Ft. Lincoln while he was on leave and did Reno move in. From 7th Cav Officers Roster posted on Markland's site, it appears officers on leave had an official station. This may mean that officers retained their quarters and, I would suspect, their stabling arrangemnets while on leave. It is also possible that the order granting leave might spell out those arrangements.

rch

[Tricia]

The only thing I can think of is when GAC returned to Monroe after Judge Bacon's death, I believe he took Libbie out for several carriage rides ... perhaps even one as far as Toledo. At that point, I think Don Juan and Custiss-Lee were about. One thing I did learn whilst in Monroe was just exactly how (relatively) far Nevin's farm would have been from the Bacon residence--in other words, a very long hike--or that of Emanuel. I do know the Bacon's house did come with a carriage house (which is still extant), so you'd think some kind of animal transportation was kept about ... if not for GAC and Libbie, then at least for Rhoda.

--t.

[rch]

Keeping and caring for a horse that you did not need on frequent basis might have been an expensive proposition. I think that most place the Bacons would have had to go to in Monroe were nearby. They could also keep carriages and rent horses when they needed them.

Since today people ride horses and drive carriages for pleasure the Bacons could have kept horses for that purpose. The horses could have been kept on the property or at a livery stable.

rch

[Scout]

Of the subject slightly. Did the Monroe house have indoor plumbing during GAC's day?

[elisabeth]

I don't know for sure, but I'd rather doubt it. I seem to remember reading that one of the grand hotels in New York -- the Metropolitan, I think -- was considered the wonder of its age because it had flushing toilets; I'd be slightly surprised if they'd reached Monroe by then. Interesting thought. Must look into it.


OK, after a bit of swift Googling: it appears that indoor plumbing as we know it was beginning to be available to the middle classes, rather than just the super-rich, by the 1870s. (The first proper bathroom in Seattle was installed in 1870, for instance.) But it wasn't until the 1880s that it really became widespread. They might well have had an indoor water supply, if only via a hand-pump in the kitchen; for other, um, needs, it was still probably a case of a trip to the privy or using a chamber-pot. Sobering, eh?

[Tricia]

You do have to wonder ... wasn't Judge Bacon's death attributed to cholera or complications due to it?