AUG 5: Buffalo Bill Sends Regrets

Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. (Credit: Library of Congress)

On Aug. 5, 1910, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, pens a letter to Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer while touring in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in Janesville, Wisconsin. The ultimate showman extends his regrets for having missed the dedication on June 4 of the statue honoring the late General George Armstrong Custer in Monroe, Michigan.

Cody wrote:

“How very much I regretted that I could not be there. This show life is as exacting as Army life. Especially when a person is billed as the attraction. Its (sic) impossible for me to get away. But some day I am going to Monroe to salute the grand statue that was erected in honor of Americas (sic) most inspiring General.”

Edward C. Potter’s sculpture “Sighting the Enemy” depicts Custer pulling his horse up before entering battle. Potter, educated at Amherst College, Boston Art Museum, and in France, was selected as the artist because of his reputation for sculpting fine equestrian statues.

President William H. Taft (left) looks on as Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer unveils a statue honoring her late husband, George Armstrong Custer, on June 4, 1910. (Credit: Nat’l Park Service.)

The dedication ceremony featured an appearance by President William H. Taft and Michigan Governor Fred Warner.

In August 2021, the City of Monroe cancelled a plan to hire a consultant to determine the future “of its controversial George Armstrong Equestrian Monument,” according to the Monroe News. One Monroe resident called for the statue’s removal or relocation due to “Custer’s controversial actions while serving in the U.S. Army.” As of this writing, the statue still stands at the junction of Elm Avenue and North Monroe Street.