George Armstrong Custer

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  • GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER


    Born
    December 5, 1839
    New Rumley, Ohio


    Died
    June 25, 1876 (aged 36)
    Little Bighorn, Montana


    Place of Burial
    initially on the battlefield
    later reinterred in West Point Cemetery


    Allegiance
    United States of America Union


    Service/branch
    United States Union Army


    Years of service 1861–76
    Rank Brevet Major General of Volunteers
    Lieutenant Colonel (Regular Army)


    Commands Held
    Michigan Brigade
    3rd Cavalry Division
    7th U.S. Cavalry


    American Civil War
    * First Battle of Bull Run
    * Peninsula Campaign
    * Battle of Antietam
    * Battle of Chancellorsville
    * Gettysburg Campaign
    o Battle of Gettysburg
    * Overland Campaign
    o Battle of the Wilderness
    o Battle of Yellow Tavern
    o Battle of Trevilian Station
    * Valley Campaigns of 1864
    * Siege of Petersburg


    Indian Wars
    * Battle of the Washita
    * Battle of the Little Bighorn


    Mini-Biography
    Full Biography- George Armstrong Custer- wikipedia


    George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876)
    was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander
    in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars who today
    is most remembered for a disastrous military engagement known as
    the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
    Raised in Michigan and Ohio,
    Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858,
    where he was a low-ranked student.
    However, with the outbreak of the Civil War,
    all potential officers were needed,
    and Custer was called to serve with the Union Army.



    USMA Cadet George Armstrong "Autie" Custer, ca. 1859


    Custer acquired a solid reputation during the Civil War.
    He fought in the first major engagement, the First Battle of Bull Run.
    His association with several important officers helped his career,
    as did his performance as an aggressive commander.
    Before war's end, Custer was promoted to the temporary rank
    (brevet) of major general.
    (At war's end, this was reduced to the permanent rank of
    Lieutenant Colonel).



    Custer (extreme right) with President Lincoln,
    George B. McClellan and other officers
    at the Battle of Antietam, 1862


    At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign,
    in which he and his troops played a decisive role,
    Custer was on hand at General Robert E. Lee's surrender.



    Union Cavalry Generals George A. Custer
    and Alfred Pleasonton in Autumn 1863


    ...
    George and Libbie Custer, 1864...........George A. Custer in civilian clothes, ca. 1876


    After the Civil War, Custer was dispatched to the West
    to fight in the Indian Wars.
    The overwhelming defeat in his final battle overshadowed
    his achievements in the Civil War.
    Custer was defeated and killed
    at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876,
    against a coalition of Native American tribes in a battle
    that has come to be popularly known in American history
    as Custer's Last Stand.



    Custer Memorial at his birthplace in New Rumley, Ohio


    Compiled and edited by ethanedwards
    Information and Photographs from Wikipedia

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 14 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Hi Keith

    Great.

    Apparently during the Civil War president Lincoln asked Custer's wife if she was afraid for him reading about all his exploits in various battles.
    Libbie replied that every day that she opened a paper she wanted to read that her husband was leading every charge.
    To which Lincoln replied
    Then Madam you will be reading that you are a widow


    Regards

    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • WHEN ROBERT E.LEE SURRENDED AT THE Appomattox COURT HOUSE THE TABLE THAT ROBERT E LEE AND GRANT WAS SITTING AT WAS GIVEN TO GEORGE CUSTER BY GRANT AND HE GAVE IT TO HIS WIFE LIBBY.THEY HAD THE TABLE IN FORT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

  • The Little Big Horn "massacre" has some amazing casualty reports. All of Custer's direct command, 210 men, plus 48 more soldiers and scouts were killed. Indian casualty lists are as low as 32. This figure is from David H. Miller, author of Custer's Fall, who was adopted by the Sioux and who interviewed survivors and their family members in 1935 (the book was released in 1957).
    The Indian accounts indicate that Custer was one of the first casualties when he was shot in the chest fording the river. His command was demoralized and deprived of any momentum they may have had charging into the village.
    Miller actually names each Indian casualty as well as their tribe, however, my own opinion is that there were more Indian fatalities then they would have admitted.



    We deal in lead, friend.

  • Here's a nice tidbit concerning the Custers. They lived in Monroe, Mi, about 50 miles from where I live and the Monroe Historical Museum has a very nice section devoted to them. The museum sits on the land where the Custer house stood, right in downtown Monroe. The house is still around, about 3 blocks to the south of the museum. The current owner of the house is Steve Alexander, who looks alot like Custer himself. In fact, he makes appearances at different historical functions, like the re-enactments they do of the Battle Of The Little Big Horn dressed like Gen. Custer himself and you'd swear it was, he looks that good. He was featured on one of our local channels in a news segment a short while back and the inside of the house appears to look as it did when Custer and Libby lived in it. Alot of artifacts and period style furniture throughout.
    www.associatedcontent.com/article/187309/interview_with_general_custer.html

    Edited once, last by WaynamoJim: added content ().

  • A case of Custer making two fatal mistakes. Underestimating his enemy and splitting his command without being exactly sure where their main body was. He might have survived those mistakes if the 7th had had the same repeater rifles as the Indians but due to the close quarters of the battle the greater reliability of thier single shot rifles couldnt make the difference.

  • Custer possibly being one of the first or among the first casualties would account for the lack of command and control that the 7th seemed to have during the battle. Had he lived would it have turned out differently?

    Ben Cartwright SASS
    a good motto to live by
    "WWJWD"
    What would John Wayne Do"

  • custer taught he was invincible he alwaYs relied on custers luck.he was given the gatlins guns and he turned it down,because they would slow him down.at the battle of Washita he left a detached command of Maj. Joel Elliott to be killed a mile from the fight.how he treated the indians he deserved what he got.in the end he was left to die,no one came to his aid,like he didnt come to maj joe ELLIOTT aid.

  • Apparently, there were some tales told by some who weren't at the battle and misconceptions about were people, and what hill or ravine they were at.
    "The 7th Cavalry on June 25, 1876, consisted of about 31 officers, 586 soldiers, 33 Indian scouts and 20 civilian employees."
    "They did not all die. When the smoke cleared on the evening of June 26, 262 were dead, 68 were wounded and six later died of their wounds. Custer’s Battalion – C, E, F, I and L companies – was wiped out, but the majority of the seven other companies under Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen survived." These quotes were from: website- "http://www.historynet.com/ten-myths-of-the-little-bighorn.htm"
    Read this, it appears to be the from the latest research. Some earlier books were wrong. Just trying to update some of these old blogs.

    "A people that values their Privileges above it's Principles. Soon looses both." Dwight Eisenhower