Dakota Datebook: Margaret Calhoun's loss

When Margaret Custer Calhoun buried her husband in his final resting place at Fort Leavenworth on August 3 in 1877, she perhaps felt the magnitude of the 7th Cavalry’s loss at the Battle of the Bighorn more keenly than anyone else.

Known as “Maggie” to her family, she was the sister of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. While visiting her brother and Libbie Custer at their Kansas post, she met and later married James Calhoun, an officer in the 7th Cavalry. Like many officers wives, Maggie followed her husband to each of his duty stations, including Fort Abraham Lincoln.

When news of the Battle of the Little Bighorn reached the Dakota Territory fort in July of 1876, Maggie learned that she had lost five members of her family: her husband, her three brothers George, Tom and Boston, and a nephew Autie Reed.

Dakota Datebook written by Christina Sunwall

“Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.“