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ALS signed “G. A. Custer, Galt House, Louisville, Ky.,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 8 x 10, September 4, 1871. Handwritten letter to "Osborn," offering his own version of the immortal advice to 'Go West, young man.' In full: "Yours of May 30th after following me from place to place overtook me here in Kentucky. I am now on duty here my command which was brought from the plains being distributed over Kentucky Louisiana North & South Carolina. I am located at the Galt House Louisville Ky. In answer to your inquiry I can say nothing which will be satisfactory to you—there is no place or position connected with the government service here which could be made available for you. In fact we have but few unemployed companies with the members kept on the plains. If I was in the West I would be in a position to accommodate you.
In regard to the prospects for a young man in the West—I would recommend all young men whether with limited capital or not to locate West of the Missouri since Kansas offers great inducements to the young man possessing energy and determination. Every one there who is so disposed betters their fortunes. Opportunities for investment in land and cattle are constantly offering themselves. I know of several young men who have cast their lot in Kansas on my advice all of whom are prospering in their worldly affairs. Land can be obtained at very low figures while the issuance and constant flood of emigration pouring into the Western position of the State causes a steady advance in the prices and renders successful sales of land pleasant and easy. The Neosho Valley, the Solomon and Republican Valleys and Southwest Kansas genuinely all offers some opportunities for investment. You can scarcely go amiss in any of these localities.
I am sorry your letter did not give me more details concerning the other members of your family. I would travel a long distance to see Mollie again. My recollection of her is one of the bright spots of my life. I hope she has not forgotten me. I would like to see your mother again. I wonder if she remembers how troubled I was when I thought I was about to lose my situation as school teacher. My experience as a teacher was of special value to me in after life not only in assisting me to control others but It aided me in establishing control over myself. Remember me most kindly to Mollie, your Mother, and to all who remember me." In fine condition, with some toning to the signed page, and professionally silked on the two inner pages.
Just six years after the Civil War, Custer had shifted from his celebrated role as a Union cavalry commander to his controversial post as a lieutenant colonel in the 7th U.S. Cavalry, engaged in Reconstruction-era duties and the ongoing U.S. Army campaigns on the western frontier. Stationed temporarily in Louisville as his regiment was dispersed across the South to suppress the Ku Klux Klan and break up illicit distilleries, Custer’s remarks reflect the era’s powerful cultural and economic pull toward westward expansion. His encouragement to seek opportunity “West of the Missouri,” particularly in Kansas, echoes the popularized ethos of Manifest Destiny and Horace Greeley’s famous exhortation to 'Go West, young man,' while also revealing the speculative optimism surrounding land, cattle, and migration in the postwar years. At the same time, the letter offers a more personal glimpse of Custer—only five years before his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn—balancing his frontier military responsibilities with nostalgic reflections on his earlier life.
The Western Americana auction of Jochen Zeitz.
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