Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Frederick Bothwell
Taken: July 31, 2018
Caption: Tenting on the Plains, by Elizabeth Custer
Additional Description: In Chapters V and VI of the book, Libby describes the highlights of life at the Custer’s Hempstead encampment, en route to Austin: “At Hempstead we halted, and the General made a permanent camp…. The stream on which we had encamped was wide and deep and had a current. Our tents were on the bank, which gently sloped to the water. We had one open at both ends, over which was built a shade of pine boughs…We encamped on an unused part of the plantation of the oldest resident of Texas, who came forth with a welcome and offers of hospitality….His wife sent me over a few things to make our tent habitable, as I suppose her husband told her that our furniture consisted of a bucket and 2 camp stools. There’s no denying that I sank down into one of the chairs, which had a back, with a sense of enjoyment of what seems to me the greatest luxury I had ever known… the old neighbor continued his kindness which was returned by sending him game after the general’s hunt and protecting his estate. He gave us dogs and sent us vegetables and spent many hours under our shade…. We had long and delightful rides over the level country.”
Submitted: July 31, 2018, by Frederick Bothwell of Georgetown, Texas.
Database Locator Identification Number: p437751
File Size: 2.907 Megabytes

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