Our 'Ladies Tea' Forum, Not Just A Pretty Place!

The other night, I was supposed to be studying Custer's part in the CW, but I became distracted, intrigued by his wife, Libbie Custer, instead. She was such a trooper in all sense of the word! Here is an excerpt from a longer, general biography of her life with "Autie":

"Unlike most other army wives, Libbie refused to be left behind and traveled with Custer to his duty areas. She would stay in houses with families whom the General had befriended, and stayed in camp when there were no active operations happening. She did end up staying in Washington D.C. for long periods as the war entered it’s final phase and Autie was in the field for extensive periods of time. It was during this time that Libbie was introduced to President Lincoln at the White House who greeted her with, “So you are the wife of the man who goes into the cavalry charges with a whoop and a yell!”

The intense relationship between herself and Autie is legendary. Their many letters written to each other are full of covert references to their intimate life and love for each other."

The rest of the article:
http://www.general-custer.com/index.php?page=libbie-custer

I continued to read more and more about Libbie; her devotion to her beloved "Autie" is really touching (one can get really wrapped into these powerful lives)

I have numerous books on order, so as I sift through them, I will report more on the lives of the ladies.
 
The other night, I was supposed to be studying Custer's part in the CW, but I became distracted, intrigued by his wife, Libbie Custer, instead. She was such a trooper in all sense of the word! Here is an excerpt from a longer, general biography of her life with "Autie":

"Unlike most other army wives, Libbie refused to be left behind and traveled with Custer to his duty areas. She would stay in houses with families whom the General had befriended, and stayed in camp when there were no active operations happening. She did end up staying in Washington D.C. for long periods as the war entered it’s final phase and Autie was in the field for extensive periods of time. It was during this time that Libbie was introduced to President Lincoln at the White House who greeted her with, “So you are the wife of the man who goes into the cavalry charges with a whoop and a yell!”

The intense relationship between herself and Autie is legendary. Their many letters written to each other are full of covert references to their intimate life and love for each other."

The rest of the article:
http://www.general-custer.com/index.php?page=libbie-custer

I continued to read more and more about Libbie; her devotion to her beloved "Autie" is really touching (one can get really wrapped into these powerful lives)

I have numerous books on order, so as I sift through them, I will report more on the lives of the ladies.

I missed seeing this from months ago, Bee, so sorry! It must have been from a time when other threads were busy. Really happy to see Libby so respected- why? Because she takes a lot of hits. Libby wrote and memorialized her husband so much she came to the notice of the general public. WELL! Once Joe and Josephine Public have a say in one's life, motivations, intentions ( much less blood type, maiden name, whether or not it's ok to dislike Brussel Sprouts and is her hair really blond ) it's all over. Most Victorians wrote with a huge amount of sentimentality. Libby is no exception. I'm with you- am smitten with her devotion to her husband, flat loyalty and lack of critical commentary.

Husband/wife teams to me are a little sacred- and should be left so, living or no longer here. There's a tendency in this country to feel it our business, pulling this bond apart for inspection, you know? Simply none of our business for one thing, for another it's always been lovely, reading of great marraiges. Don't laugh, I like Grant and Julia, too- he adored her and thought her stunningly beautiful. Since we know she was just fine, not quite a raving beauty, this makes me like Grant, the man even more.

Please do report on Libby and any, other of these women. I wouldn't say our ladies are ' overlooked ' as much as they're ' under-reported. Well, see what happened when one wrote a lot on her relationship?
 
Thank you Miss Huson,

I will have to revisit with Libbie. I admit that I am a romantic about such things as devoted couples, and I admire and respect that these women remained loyal to their husbands long after losing them. Of course one is going to see her beloved in the best light, otherwise, the team is not at ONE. Beesides, it is not my nature to tear down, rather, I prefer to build UP :smile:
 
Thank you Miss Huson,

I will have to revisit with Libbie. I admit that I am a romantic about such things as devoted couples, and I admire and respect that these women remained loyal to their husbands long after losing them. Of course one is going to see her beloved in the best light, otherwise, the team is not at ONE. Beesides, it is not my nature to tear down, rather, I prefer to build UP :smile:


How do you not be a romantic about long-married couples? I'm a fan. Or any close couple. It's very nice.

Lovely, and thank you. I'm guessing you'll have other names added here if members with favorites see this, women who did the same. Say what you want of Sally Pickett, she never wavered on George. Less famous couples have become famous to us through letters from the war. I don't think Sullivan Ballou's Sarah ever remarried, for instance. Who could blame her? There's a thread due for another bump, with tissues.
 
The Second Mrs. Longstreet!! She had something like 60yrs of devotion after old Pete's death (notice that both Libbie & Mrs. Longstreet live very long lives? Love must bee good for old age:smile:

* No purists allowed at this table! We talkin' love -- not factual accuracy -- regarding legacies that these women held dear :smile:
 
The Second Mrs. Longstreet!! She had something like 60yrs of devotion after old Pete's death (notice that both Libbie & Mrs. Longstreet live very long lives? Love must bee good for old age:smile:

* No purists allowed at this table! We talkin' love -- not factual accuracy -- regarding legacies that these women held dear :smile:


Ha! So funny. It's a problem. I mean, the responsibility is to represent the women and respect their loyalty, admire the love story while understanding perhaps not all their fond memories were quite, well, accurate. ' Lasalle's' spin on things is still being detangled but you can say that, backwards, on the damage done to Mary Lincoln's ' bio ' , her legacy, by the rank falsehoods left in Herndon's book. He is sourced to this day, too and was used so frequently 3rd and 4th hand sourcing is ridiculously hard, tracking back. Because he was Lincoln's partner it took awhile for anyone to figure out he just, plain had it in for Mary Lincoln- mixed Abraham fact with Mary fiction. A dislike grew into a weird passion of his; she's still paying for it.
 
I mean, the responsibility is to represent the women and respect their loyalty, admire the love story while understanding perhaps not all their fond memories were quite, well, accurate.

I have taken heat in the past (in other venues) when the topic of Libbie Custer comes up, because her writings were, say, rather flattering to "Autie". I know that, My admiration of her was her devotion to Custer. Camp life was very difficult for those who lived it -- the men -- but it was especially hard on the women, but Libbie chose to follow the troops whenever she could. As I have said before: I am a sucker for romance :smile:
 
Hello, Ladies! A kind person on CivilWarTalk has directed me here, and I'm so pleased to find there's a forum for the Girlz. My great-grandmother was a "civil war bride" (back then they didn't marry till the man had made it through the war) and Holy Moly, I can't even imagine living her life!! Privileged upbringing on a plantation in Tennessee, mother died at her age of three, house turned into Union HQ, fell in love with a Confederate guy she'd only known a few weeks, under her uncle's command, agreed to marry him, didn't see him again for more than a year, then upon marriage expected to go live with her in-laws in Richmond, which by all reports looked by then like the Wreck of the Hesperus. Then moved to a tiny backwater in southwestern Virginia, accessible only by river, to bear 11 children with 7 surviving -- not terrible odds for the time. I was raised by people who survived the Great Depression, but the post-war situation sounds like a nightmare in comparison.

Lookin' forward to comparing notes with y'all!
 
Hello, Ladies! A kind person on CivilWarTalk has directed me here, and I'm so pleased to find there's a forum for the Girlz.
Glad you found our little corner of the site. :smile: What an interesting story about your great grandmother! Her life sounds like an adventure.
 
Hello, Ladies! A kind person on CivilWarTalk has directed me here, and I'm so pleased to find there's a forum for the Girlz. My great-grandmother was a "civil war bride" (back then they didn't marry till the man had made it through the war) and Holy Moly, I can't even imagine living her life!! Privileged upbringing on a plantation in Tennessee, mother died at her age of three, house turned into Union HQ, fell in love with a Confederate guy she'd only known a few weeks, under her uncle's command, agreed to marry him, didn't see him again for more than a year, then upon marriage expected to go live with her in-laws in Richmond, which by all reports looked by then like the Wreck of the Hesperus. Then moved to a tiny backwater in southwestern Virginia, accessible only by river, to bear 11 children with 7 surviving -- not terrible odds for the time. I was raised by people who survived the Great Depression, but the post-war situation sounds like a nightmare in comparison.

Lookin' forward to comparing notes with y'all!

Welcome to Ladies Tea! What an amazing life you're great grandmother had. You're sure to enjoy the threads in this section of the forum, especially since you're interested in what her life was like back then.
 
I'm trying it one more time last year while in England me and my wife went to a very upscale tea it was $125 per person the champagne was $75 to 150 a glass. Everything was white leather and silver very clean but very boring. Try again in two weeks our next establishment will be quite old it looks more like a library than a restaurant and I like that hopefully this time I will enjoy the high tea and not feel like I don't belong.
 
I'm trying it one more time last year while in England me and my wife went to a very upscale tea it was $125 per person the champagne was $75 to 150 a glass. Everything was white leather and silver very clean but very boring. Try again in two weeks our next establishment will be quite old it looks more like a library than a restaurant and I like that hopefully this time I will enjoy the high tea and not feel like I don't belong.


Since you're going because you like it and want the high tea experience then you do belong there. What do you wish to bet half of the customers feel the same way? It will be lovely!
 
I enjoy all of your posts, Annie, and these photos speak volumes of the determination and ingenuity of women breaking out of social conformity, seeking their own paths, finding a productive niche to help humanity, rather than harm... as their menfolk fade into the distant plumes of deadly gunfire.
 
Hello, Ladies! A kind person on CivilWarTalk has directed me here, and I'm so pleased to find there's a forum for the Girlz. My great-grandmother was a "civil war bride" (back then they didn't marry till the man had made it through the war) and Holy Moly, I can't even imagine living her life!! Privileged upbringing on a plantation in Tennessee, mother died at her age of three, house turned into Union HQ, fell in love with a Confederate guy she'd only known a few weeks, under her uncle's command, agreed to marry him, didn't see him again for more than a year, then upon marriage expected to go live with her in-laws in Richmond, which by all reports looked by then like the Wreck of the Hesperus. Then moved to a tiny backwater in southwestern Virginia, accessible only by river, to bear 11 children with 7 surviving -- not terrible odds for the time. I was raised by people who survived the Great Depression, but the post-war situation sounds like a nightmare in comparison.

Lookin' forward to comparing notes with y'all!
Could you tell more stories about your great grandmother?
 
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