Tenting on the Plains: General Custer in Kansas and Texas

Tenting on the Plains is the second volume in the History in Words and Pictures Series, a collection of books that bring you back in time, in the words of those who were there, with visions of the world as they saw it. The History in Words and Pictures Series is a thoughtfully selected collection of historical works, edited to a modern reading experience and supplemented with archived and contemporary photography. Written by Elizabeth B. Custer, wife of General George Armstrong Custer, Tenting on the Plains begins in the closing days of the Civil War. Before the victory parades had even finished, General Custer was assigned to lead the occupation of Texas. Texas was at the extreme of the lawless frontier, and had been spared much of the worst fighting. Its citizens hadn’t yet embraced the South’s capitulation, and the 26-year old General and Civil War hero was now charged with the daunting task of pacifying a population still hostile to the Union. From Texas, we follow George and Elizabeth Custer to Kansas, where Custer was next asked to quell the Indians who were up in arms against the westward emigrants. This fascinating story allows us to experience history in the words and visions of those who made it rather than era biased interpretations. Other books in the History in Words and Pictures series include My Life on the Plains by General Custer himself.