George Armstrong Custer photos - 10 of 12

You know, I don't think that is Libby. Even in old age, she was still lovely. Maybe Custer's Mum?
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th_bacon_custer_1842_1933_wife_of_general_poster-r7797c96ed6dd4d8e924c497d29330e45_wvc_8byvr_324.jpg
 
You know, I don't think that is Libby. Even in old age, she was still lovely. Maybe Custer's Mum?
aow.img.RG3126-2-58.jpg
th_bacon_custer_1842_1933_wife_of_general_poster-r7797c96ed6dd4d8e924c497d29330e45_wvc_8byvr_324.jpg
Hmm... interesting. His mom was born in 1807; photos 117-123 were taken in 1873. She would be 66 years old. The IDs with photos K-120 and K-123 are from the book. In K-122 I did not identify her. Benjamin Hogdson is between George and Libbie in K-122. The woman looks the same in the photos.

The photos of Libbie you provide do look younger than these photos. See also photos K-140, K-142d and K-143 with photos taken in 1875 in thread #11. And photos K-144 and K-145 (also taken in 1875) in thread #12 - Libbie with her head resting on her hand. She looks younger in them, too. I don't know how to reconcile the apparent distinction.
 

Fantastic pictures, really enjoyed them. K-124 is interesting, any idea what the story is behind the statue on the desk? I'm also wondering what was in the case down by his feet. I see that it had his initials across the front of the case.
 
I don't know anything about the statue or the case. Speculation about the case: it held the first 123 photos of him! Here is the photo a little larger.
Custer K-124.jpg
 
Fantastic pictures, really enjoyed them. K-124 is interesting, any idea what the story is behind the statue on the desk? I'm also wondering what was in the case down by his feet. I see that it had his initials across the front of the case.

I really hadn't noticed the statue, but it's one from a series of similar ones, all by sculptor John Rogers. They were in reality cheap plaster knock-offs but produced cheaply that way to make them affordable to the masses of Union veterans and their families. Unfortunately, surviving examples are often found in bad condition, chipped, discolored, and/or broken. They could be quite large, and I have seen some on display in older museums. Popular subjects included Taking the Oath, showing a beautiful Southern Belle and a Union Reconstruction occupation officer; and Council of War, showing Lincoln, Stanton, and Grant in an office setting. Others were of belles and beaux or bucolic "natural" scenes.
 
I really hadn't noticed the statue, but it's one from a series of similar ones, all by sculptor John Rogers. They were in reality cheap plaster knock-offs but produced cheaply that way to make them affordable to the masses of Union veterans and their families. Unfortunately, surviving examples are often found in bad condition, chipped, discolored, and/or broken. They could be quite large, and I have seen some on display in older museums. Popular subjects included Taking the Oath, showing a beautiful Southern Belle and a Union Reconstruction occupation officer; and Council of War, showing Lincoln, Stanton, and Grant in an office setting. Others were of belles and beaux or bucolic "natural" scenes.
Thanks for this!! The wikipedia article about Rogers mentions that Custer had one of his statues.
 
@Waterloo50 is curious and asks a question about the statue. James N. knows about the sculptor and his work. I get curious and dig deeper. This kind of cooperation among the members is one of the strengths of this forum. Thanks everyone for making this website informative and enjoyable!
WttRoOMS.jpeg

Wounded to the Rear or One More Shot
Parian Marble - 20" high

Rogers groups, thought & wrought by John Rogers, by Mr. and Mrs. Chetwood Smith; with introduction by Clarence S. Brigham.
by Smith, Chetwood, 1873-
Published 1934
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106001447793;view=1up;seq=79;size=150

I'm guessing that Custer did not have the marble original?
 
@Waterloo50 is curious and asks a question about the statue. James N. knows about the sculptor and his work. I get curious and dig deeper. This kind of cooperation among the members is one of the strengths of this forum. Thanks everyone for making this website informative and enjoyable!
View attachment 113973
Wounded to the Rear or One More Shot
Parian Marble - 20" high

Rogers groups, thought & wrought by John Rogers, by Mr. and Mrs. Chetwood Smith; with introduction by Clarence S. Brigham.
by Smith, Chetwood, 1873-
Published 1934
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106001447793;view=1up;seq=79;size=150

I'm guessing that Custer did not have the marble original?

I've really enjoyed looking at the pictures that you have posted of Custer, for me personally he's one of the most interesting characters of his time, I was 6 years old when I first heard about him, as kids, our school playground would see many re-enactments of Custer's battles, its quite odd really when you think of a load of young English kids talking about a person that was born a world away from England, he certainly made an impact on history and he definitely understood how to promote his image.

This is a picture of a Cheyenne warrior waiting to ambush some unsuspecting member of the 7th Cavalry.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQkZ1YXo2AVfvzGJmtT2peQp3zTd4a9knhISH4n7L9zd_v3YpYHUA.jpg
 
I've really enjoyed looking at the pictures that you have posted of Custer, for me personally he's one of the most interesting characters of his time, I was 6 years old when I first heard about him, as kids, our school playground would see many re-enactments of Custer's battles, its quite odd really when you think of a load of young English kids talking about a person that was born a world away from England, he certainly made an impact on history and he definitely understood how to promote his image.

This is a picture of a Cheyenne warrior waiting to ambush some unsuspecting member of the 7th Cavalry.

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQkZ1YXo2AVfvzGJmtT2peQp3zTd4a9knhISH4n7L9zd_v3YpYHUA.jpg
Thanks. You might have learned in school more about Custer than I did. I remember old movies shown on the TV. Never saw a re-enactment.
 
Thanks. You might have learned in school more about Custer than I did. I remember old movies shown on the TV. Never saw a re-enactment.

Our teachers were pretty resourceful, they understood how to keep us kids interested in history. It wasn't unusual for my school to arrange things that most kids only dreamt about, they once arranged for the Royal Marines to re-enact a battle on the school sports field, I remember that they arrived in a couple of Wessex helicopters, they used thunder flashes and blanks, it was quite a show. I enlisted as a result of watching them and I've been interested in military history ever since. It just goes to show what a difference a good history teacher can make to young kids, if the teacher can create a passion then that passion/ interest can last a life time. Its the same with Custer, my teacher broke Custer's career down into parts for us, it got to the point where we couldn't wait for the next lesson to find out what happened next. Unfortunately, the school curriculum has done away with that kind of free thinking teacher which is probably why many kids find history boring and dry. From what my kids tell me, they have to study the Tudor and Stuarts, its like watching paint dry. Now, if a teacher said to them, I'm going to tell you about George Armstrong Custer, I'm sure that they would love it.
 
I'm guessing that Custer did not have the marble original?

Just had a little shop around to see if I could possibly buy a copy of 'Wounded to the Rear One More Shot' happily, I found one but its a little pricey, The cheapest one that I have found so far is currently in North Carolina for about $8oo, an earlier piece is also available but they are asking $2000, I may have to keep looking for a while longer.
 
@Waterloo50 is curious and asks a question about the statue. James N. knows about the sculptor and his work. I get curious and dig deeper. This kind of cooperation among the members is one of the strengths of this forum. Thanks everyone for making this website informative and enjoyable!
View attachment 113973
Wounded to the Rear or One More Shot
Parian Marble - 20" high

Rogers groups, thought & wrought by John Rogers, by Mr. and Mrs. Chetwood Smith; with introduction by Clarence S. Brigham.
by Smith, Chetwood, 1873-
Published 1934
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106001447793;view=1up;seq=79;size=150

I'm guessing that Custer did not have the marble original?

One reason Rogers' statuary was so popular can be attributed to the realism and correctness of detail; for example, all the accouterments depicted in this grouping are accurate and the subjects are wearing them correctly. This would no doubt be important to a contemporary purchaser. I assume your question about Custer is tongue-in-cheek, but one reason for the popularity of these was their relative affordability. The figures themselves were cast around wire "skeletons" but this mode of strengthening was unsatisfactory for something big and bulky that needed to be moved excessively, as might likely be the case with the belongings of frontier army officers like Custer!
 
One reason Rogers' statuary was so popular can be attributed to the realism and correctness of detail; for example, all the accouterments depicted in this grouping are accurate and the subjects are wearing them correctly. This would no doubt be important to a contemporary purchaser. I assume your question about Custer is tongue-in-cheek, but one reason for the popularity of these was their relative affordability. The figures themselves were cast around wire "skeletons" but this mode of strengthening was unsatisfactory for something big and bulky that needed to be moved excessively, as might likely be the case with the belongings of frontier army officers like Custer!
I wonder what Custer thought about the figures, they seem to take pride of place on his desk. It gives me the impression that he appreciated the common soldier, what was his relationship like with the ordinary rank and file?
 
I wonder what Custer thought about the figures, they seem to take pride of place on his desk. It gives me the impression that he appreciated the common soldier, what was his relationship like with the ordinary rank and file?

Civil War volunteers like his men of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade and Third Cavalry Division, great; regular soldiers on the frontier, not so much! Members of his brigade copied his dress, even adopting the red scarf he wore as a neckerchief, and genuinely mourned when he was killed. There was a definite problem with soldiers out west, beginning with desertions from his command when it marched into Texas at the start of Reconstruction. Most of them were volunteers who hadn't been part of his previous wartime commands and wanted nothing more than to join the thousands of other volunteers who were being mustered out and going home. This was a totally new experience for Custer and he reacted violently knowing nothing but the discipline of the Old Army he'd learned at West Point and he was considered a martinet accordingly.

Things failed to improve even after the creation of the 7th Cavalry because the frontier was notorious as a place for the dregs of Eastern society to come to escape problems. In the harsh winters on the plains, it was common for what were called snowbirds to enlist in the fall, subsist on army rations all winter in a snug fort, then look for the first chance to desert the next spring. This was exacerbated whenever forts were located near routes to the goldfields in Montana or Colorado! This was less a problem on active campaigns because the wary wouldn't want to get caught by hostiles while running away from the army, but one such incident on the plains got Custer in a great deal of trouble when he ordered some deserters to be shot on the spot if apprehended! It also didn't help that for long periods of time Custer was absent on leave in places more to his liking such as Monroe, Mich. or New York City.

On fact I like to stress when discussing the Little Big Horn is how unusual it was for an entire regiment to be TOGETHER on campaign; usually they were broken into battalions and even separate companies. The 7th had acted as one at the Washita and in the Black Hills but it was unusual. The five companies (C, E, F, I, and L) that Custer led to their deaths were those that made up the garrison of Fort Abraham Lincoln and were therefore the officers and men Custer knew best and probably favored; brother Tom commanded Co. C and brother-in-law Jimmie Calhoun led another one, and others like regimental adjutant William Cooke, George Yates and Myles Keogh were friends. That meant that of the survivors, few were part of the "Custer clique" and several openly hostile like the jealous Capt. Fred Benteen or at best indifferent like Major Marcus Reno. Only Capt. Weir was another real friend, and alcoholism killed him before he could testify at the Reno court of inquiry. This meant that going forward there few other than his widow Libby who had personal knowledge of or spoke favorably about him.
 
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Civil War volunteers like his men of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade and Third Cavalry Division, great; regular soldiers on the frontier, not so much! Members of his brigade copied his dress, even adopting the red scarf he wore as a neckerchief, and genuinely mourned when he was killed. There was a definite problem with soldiers out west, beginning with desertions from his command when it marched into Texas at the start of Reconstruction. Most of them were volunteers who hadn't been part of his previous wartime commands and wanted nothing more than to join the thousands of other volunteers who were being mustered out and going home. This was a totally new experience for Custer and he reacted violently knowing nothing but the discipline of the Old Army he'd learned at West Point and he was considered a martinet accordingly.

Things failed to improve even after the creation of the 7th Cavalry because the frontier was notorious as a place for the dregs of Eastern society to come to escape problems. In the harsh winters on the plains, it was common for what were called snowbirds to enlist in the fall, subsist on army rations all winter in a snug fort, then look for the first chance to desert the next spring. This was exacerbated whenever forts were located near routes to the goldfields in Montana or Colorado! This was less a problem on active campaigns because the wary wouldn't want to get caught by hostiles while running away from the army, but one such incident on the plains got Custer in a great deal of trouble when he ordered some deserters to be shot on the spot if apprehended! It also didn't help that for long periods of time Custer was absent on leave in places more to his liking such as Monroe, Mich. or New York City.

On fact I like to stress when discussing the Little Big Horn is how unusual it was for an entire regiment to be TOGETHER on campaign; usually they were broken into battalions and even separate companies. The 7th had acted as one at the Washita and in the Black Hills but it was unusual. The five companies (C, E, F, I, and L) that Custer led to their deaths were those that made up the garrison of Fort Abraham Lincoln and were therefore the officers and men Custer knew best and probably favored; brother Tom commanded Co. C and brother-in-law Jimmie Calhoun led another one, and others like regimental adjutant William Cooke, George Yates and Myles Keogh were friends. That meant that of the survivors, few were part of the "Custer clique" and several openly hostile like the jealous Capt. Fred Benteen or at best indifferent like Major Marcus Reno. Only Capt. Weir was another real friend, and alcoholism killed him before he could testify at the Reno court of inquiry. This meant that going forward there few other than his widow Libby who had personal knowledge of or spoke favorably about him.
Thanks James, I appreciate that you took the time to post that.
A lot of what you were saying about the 'Custer Clique' makes sense, I know that Libby had her work cut out trying to re-establish or at least preserve her husbands name in a favourable light. I have read that Custer was the most photographed officer in the Union army, I was looking at a picture of Custer the other day, it was a group photograph of Lincoln and McClellan and a number of officers, if you look at where Custer was standing (Far right) he had separated himself from the other men, it almost looks like he was posing for his own photograph or at least trying to stand out. I think that speaks volumes about his craving for fame and recognition. His fellow officers, especially those not in his clique must have held quite a lot of resentment.
I just can't fathom him out, on the one hand he appears to be brash, self-centred and foolish but on the other, he appeared fearless (Cavalry charge at Aldie, Virginia) and his many alleged brave exploits during the civil war, the press loved him, Harpers weekly couldn't get enough of him. Perhaps that is why people find him so fascinating, he was a true enigma.
 
... I just can't fathom him out, on the one hand he appears to be brash, self-centred and foolish but on the other, he appeared fearless (Cavalry charge at Aldie, Virginia) and his many alleged brave exploits during the civil war, the press loved him, Harpers weekly couldn't get enough of him. Perhaps that is why people find him so fascinating, he was a true enigma.

I think the most significant fact about his career is that he was only in his early twenties during the war - that alone probably accounts for a great deal of his behavior. Another factor, psychologically speaking, was his family experience. Unlike many famous men (and women) he was a member of a large, loving, and tight-knit family who seemed to support his every endeavor. He was the idol of younger brothers Tom and Bos and liked nothing better than to physically romp with them and even their father; they seemed to be continually playing tricks on each other, even when he was a general on the steamer bringing Custer, Tom, and his father back from the unsatisfactory command in Texas. After the excitement of the war and Reconstruction, the feeling among his biographers seems to be that he was bored and felt let down, especially when he reverted to his lowly rank of captain in the Regular army. That seemed to change him somewhat, at least in his relations with people he had not been associated with previously.
 
I think we'd be hard pressed to find a soldier who was better dressed during their military than Custer...or maybe anyone who was more flamboyantly dressed would be a better way to put it.
 
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