15. Libbie Custer, the defender of her late husband, published works to exonerate Custer.
In Libbie Custer’s estimation, her husband, her brother-in-law Tom Custer, and all of the slain at the Little Big Horn were martyrs to American ideals, and it was in that light that she presented their sacrifice to the American people in lectures and in magazine articles. In 1885 she published the book Boots and Saddles, subtitled Life in Dakota with General Custer. The book described Custer to the public in terms never before used; a loving and devoted husband, dedicated to his duty as a soldier and officer, solicitous of his men. It was well-received by the public and remains generally considered factual by scholars, though deliberately aimed at defending his reputation as a soldier.
Libbie’s account in Boots and Saddles ended with her receiving the news of Custer’s death at the Little Big Horn. Other authors took up her cause, reporting her efforts to console the wives of the other officers whose husbands perished in the Montana fields. Libbie became a national celebrity of the times and followed up her work with two additional books describing Custer and his military career, Tenting on the Plains (1887) and Following the Guidon (1890). After moving to New York, Libbie continued to offer lectures on Custer and his exploits, and in the chivalric manners of the day was well-received when she called on leading politicians and businessmen.