Crow Agency, Montana--The "Trevilian Station" Collection of George A. Custer objects captured during the Civil War by Confederate Lieutenant Frank Blair will be exhibited at the Little Bighorn National Monument October 13, 2001, through January 1, 2002, according to Supt. Neil Mangum.

The collection was captured on June 11, 1864, at a railroad depot called the Trevilian Station, near Gordonsville, Va, where Confederate cavalry collided with Union cavalry for two days. In the fight, Custer's headquarters wagon was captured. The wagon contained Custer's private correspondence, military artifacts, and personal effects.

Custer commented about the loss of "my all--bedding, desk, sword-belt, underclosing, and my commission as General which only arrived a few days before; also dress coats, pants, and one blue shirt." He jokingly wrote to his wife Libbie ten days later, "Would you like to know what they have captured from me? Everything except my toothbrush."

Custer's military letters were sent to Richmond, Va., his personal "love" letters between he [sic] and Elizabeth Custer were circulated to the Confederate press, and the captured war souvenirs were taken by Blair back to Texas.

The "Trevilian Station" Collection is composed of Custer's dress coat, trousers, and sash, a chapeau or hat, a pair of leather gauntlets, a pair of boots, a document case, two leather bags, a haversack, a Tiffany sword, scabbard, and a Rosewood case, a dress sword belt, and a lock of his hair.

In 1897 Blair sold his collection of war souvenirs to the sheriff of Cooke County, Texas. The collection was later owned by a succession of owners in Texas and Arkansas. In 2000, it was acquired by Cisco's Antiques of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

This historic collection is on loan to the national monument from the private collection of Sam Kennedy and Cisco's Antiques, according to Kitty Deernose, monument curator.

For additional information you can contact Little Bighorn NM, PO Box 39, Crow Agency MT 59022, 406-638-2621.