Escapees May-June 2023

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for the house in order to personalize it. For example, they doubled the size of the parlor and added a bay window and pocket doors. Many items on display were original to the home. There were three things that most impressed me; such as a piano, violin and guitar being available for the use of family members and guests with such talents. Also, the indoor bathroom, complete with commode and a tub seat to soak the bottom. The study was fi lled with mounted bison, elk and bear heads for which the General was especially proud. The home would have been an appealing place for a fellow of fi cer, distant relative or visiting dignitary to be entertained. Battle of the Little Bighorn This era of Fort Abraham Lincoln came to an abrupt end, in June of 1876, when General Custer and his 7th Cavalry were dispatched to Montana to join other federal troops in the ill-fated Battle of the Little Bighorn. Tobrie fl y summarize this complex subject: thousands of Sioux Indians, angered by yet another broken treaty, had gathered along the Little Bighorn River to join their leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to fi ght back. Federal troops were vastly outnumbered but chose to attack anyway. On June 25, Custer and his entire cavalry company of some 200 men were annihilated. Elizabeth Custer never remarried. Over the course of her long life, she wrote several books including Boots & Saddles which includes chapters on her time in North Dakota. It was interesting, reading her views on her husband, her home and military life on the frontier. This book, as well as many others, is available for purchase in the commissary building. The commissary also had something we had never seen in a state park before: a full service coffee bar! A person could order an espresso, latte, cold brew or just a regular cup of Joe like we did. I ordered mine heavy on the cream and enjoyed it out on the shady deck. The fee to enter the park was $7 per vehicle which included access to most structures of the Mandan village and the entire fort with the exception of the Custer home. To enjoy the guided tour of the Mandan village including the furnished earthlodge and the guided tour of the Custer home there is an additional cost of $8 per person, well worth it, in my opinion. We stayed at Hillcrest Acres Campground. It was convenient to all things Bismarck with full-hookup sites and a laid-back vibe. Sally Fritzsch #148862

SALLY AND HER HUSBAND TOM have been full-time RVers since 2019. Her book, “Retiring to Full Time RV Living- Exploring the Country One Campground at a Time: Our First Year” is available on Amazon. Her original RV-related music videos can be found on You Tube.

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ESCAPEES Magazine May/June 2023