The 7th Cavalry’s final march: When Custer left Fort Abraham Lincoln

39 days before Little Bighorn

On May 17, 1876, Fort Abraham Lincoln saw its most tragic goodbye. Lt. Colonel Custer led 600 men of the 7th Cavalry out while the band played “Garry Owen.”

Wives lined the road, Libbie Custer among them, waving bravely but hiding tears.

The tune soon changed to “The Girl I Left Behind Me” as the mood grew heavy. Many women rode part way with husbands they’d never see again.

Just 39 days later, Custer and 263 men died at Little Bighorn.

The fort stands today in North Dakota, where the reconstructed Custer House offers living history tours that bring this heartbreaking farewell to life.

Fort Abraham Lincoln Buzzed with Activity on May 17, 1876

Fort Abraham Lincoln was one of the biggest army posts on the Northern Plains in 1876, with 78 wooden buildings.

Lt. Colonel George Custer led about 650 men of the 7th Cavalry as part of General Alfred Terry’s Dakota Column.

The soldiers got ready for a long march to Montana Territory, checking horses, packing gear, and loading supply wagons.

Their job was to push Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes back to reservations after they missed the January deadline to return.

The Lively Notes of “Garryowen” Filled the Morning Air

“Garryowen” became the 7th Cavalry’s marching tune after Custer heard Irish soldiers humming this upbeat drinking song in 1867. The 7th Cavalry was the only US cavalry group that had its own band.

Musicians played this stirring tune as the cavalry lined up for their parade around the fort. Many folks later said this was the last song played before the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The music helped lift spirits as the men got ready to leave their families.

Soldiers Paraded in Full Military Splendor

Custer and his 7th Cavalry marched around Fort Abraham Lincoln while the band played. Officers and soldiers showed their skills before their families and the troops staying behind.

Several family members traveled with Custer: his brother Tom Custer (who won two Medals of Honor), his brother-in-law Lieutenant James Calhoun, and his nephew Boston Custer who worked as a teamster.

This parade served as both ceremony and final display of pride before the long journey west.

Brave Faces Masked Breaking Hearts Along the Road

Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer joined other soldiers’ wives along the road to watch their husbands leave. These women waved goodbye with smiles while hiding their true feelings.

They didn’t want their loved ones to see how sad they felt. Though Elizabeth often traveled with the group, this time she stayed behind at the fort.

Many women felt deep down they might never see their husbands again, but they tried to stay positive for their men.

The Band Switched to a Heartbreaking Melody

The mood changed when the musicians started playing “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” a sad tune that made everyone feel down. American soldiers had used this song in goodbye ceremonies since the late 1700s.

The band played this traditional Army farewell as Custer led twelve companies of 650 men and Indian scouts out of the fort gates.

The tune grew popular during the Civil War and now added to the sad feeling of this departure.

Wives Rode Alongside the Marching Column

That May morning, the group stretched for two miles across the Dakota landscape, with 1,700 animals and 1,200 men. Libbie Custer rode her horse next to her husband as they began their journey.

Other officers’ wives joined them, following an old frontier custom that gave couples a few more hours together. The weeks that followed felt endless for Libbie, who treasured these final moments with her husband.

Couples Shared One Last Night at the First Camp

The column made its first camp that evening, giving Custer and Libbie their final night together.

The next morning, George watched as his wife grew smaller in the distance as she headed back to Fort Abraham Lincoln with guards.

Libbie caught her last glimpse of her husband as the Seventh Cavalry continued across the Dakota plains toward Montana.

The wives returned to the fort while their husbands pushed forward toward a fate none of them could guess.

Libbie Felt Something Terrible Would Happen

A feeling of dread came over Elizabeth after saying goodbye to George, something she never felt before during their years together.

She wrote that waiting at home was much worse than going along, as her mind kept thinking up horrible things that might happen to her husband.

After Custer left, she wrote in her journal that hearing the trumpet calls made her heartsick: “I do not wish to be reminded of the Cavalry.

The Massive Military Column Headed West

Custer and the 7th Cavalry moved out as part of General Alfred Terry’s Dakota Column, just one piece of a three-part campaign.

The plan called for troops under Colonel John Gibbon to march east from Montana while General George Crook’s force came north from Wyoming.

Second Lieutenant William H. Low brought along three .50 caliber Gatling guns to support the mission.

The huge line of men, horses, and supplies stretched across the Dakota plains as it moved toward the Yellowstone region.

Tragic News Traveled by Steamboat

Custer wrote to Libbie on June 9, 1876: “We are not in a country hitherto unvisited by white men. ” This would be among his final letters home.

The letters written on June 25, 1876, never reached their destinations. On July 5, the paddle-wheel steamer Far West reached Bismarck with news of what had happened.

The next day, officers knocked on the back door of the Custer House to tell Elizabeth that her husband had died in battle.

The Farewell Song Became a Grim Reality

“The Girl I Left Behind Me” turned from a song into a sad truth when Custer and his men died at Little Big Horn on June 25.

By the end of the next day, 268 cavalrymen and Indian scouts lay dead, including Custer and his brothers Tom and Boston.

When Elizabeth heard the news, she asked for her shawl so she could go with the officers to tell the other women who had just become widows.

She never married again, living as “Custer’s widow” for 57 years while working to fix her husband’s damaged reputation after the battle.

Visiting Northern Plains National Heritage Area, North Dakota

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park at 4480 Fort Lincoln Road in Mandan lets you walk where Custer said his final goodbye before the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Pay $7 for vehicle entry plus $8 for adult tours of Custer House and On-A-Slant Village. Guided Custer House tours run every half hour from 10am-4pm, May through September.

You’ll see costumed guides as 1875 laundresses and soldiers, plus reconstructed barracks and five Mandan earthlodges.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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