★ ★ Custer, George A.

George Armstrong Custer
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Born: December 5, 1839

Birthplace: New Rumley, Ohio

Father: Emanuel Henry Custer 1806 – 1892

(Buried: Woodland Cemetery, Monroe, Michigan)​

Mother: Marie Ward 1807 – 1882

(Buried: Woodland Cemetery, Monroe, Michigan)​

Wife: Elizabeth "Libby" Bacon 1842 – 1933

(Buried: U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, New York)​

Marriage: February 9, 1864 in Monroe, Michigan

Children: None

Signature:

Education:

June 1861: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (34th​ last)

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Civil War Career:

1861 – 1862: 2nd​ Lt. United States Army, 2nd​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1861: Drilled Volunteers in Washington, D.C.​

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1861: Served in the First Battle of Bull Run, Virginia​

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1861: Served in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.​

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1862 – 1864: 1st​ Lt. United States Army, 5th​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1862: Served in the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia​

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1862 – 1863: Captain and Aide – de – camp in Union Army​

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1862: Aide to Major General George B. McClellan​

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1863: Aide to Major General Alfred Pleasanton

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1863 – 1866: Brigadier General Union Army Volunteers Cavalry​

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1863: Cavalry Brigade Commander at Battle of Gettysburg​

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1863: Brevetted Major for Gallantry at Battle of Gettysburg​

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1863 – 1864: Served with the Cavalry in Central Virginia​

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1864: Cavalry Brigade Commander in Richmond Campaign​

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1864 – 1866: Captain United States Army, 5th​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1864: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Gallantry Battle of Yellow Tavern​

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1864: Brevetted Colonel for Gallantry Battle of Winchester, Virginia​

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1864: Brevetted Major General for Gallantry at Winchester

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1865: Brevetted Brig. General for Gallantry, Battle of Five Forks, VA.​

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1865: Brevetted Major General for Gallantry ending the War​

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1865: Cavalry Division Commander in the Union Army​

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1865 – 1866: Major General of Union Army Volunteer, Cavalry​

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1865: Commander of Cavalry, Division Southwest Military Division​

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1865: Cavalry Commander Military Division of the Gulf​

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1865 – 1866: Chief of Cavalry, Department of Texas​

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1866: Mustered out of Volunteer Service on February 1st​​

Occupation after War:

1864 – 1866: Captain United States Army, 5th​ Cavalry Regiment

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1866 – 1876: Lt. Colonel United States Army, 7th​ Cavalry Regiment​

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1866 – 1867: Frontier Duty at Fort Riley, Kansas​

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1868: Suspended from the Army August 12th​ – October 7th​​

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1868: Served in the Action at Washita​

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1869 – 1870: Leave of Absence from the Army​

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1871: Served at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas​

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1872: Garrison Duty at Louisville, Kentucky​

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1873: Garrison Duty at Elizabethtown, Kentucky​

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1873: Served on the Yellowstone Expedition​

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1874: Served on Black Hills Expedition

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1876: Went before United States House of Representatives Committee​

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1876: Served on the Sioux Expedition​

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1876: Killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn River, Montana​

Died: June 25, 1876

Place of Death: Little Big Horn, Montana

Age at time of Death: 37 years old

Original Burial Place: Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, Montana

Current Burial Place: On October 10, 1877 the remains of Bvt. Maj. Gen. George Armstrong Custer were buried with full military honors in the cemetery near the Old Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. A large granite monument marks the grave.

 

[James N.]

Not by me. I went to Little Bighorn and did a happy dance when I found his grave. He was a Swuaw Killer.

Of course what little was left of George was removed to West Point where it was buried with honors and remains to this day.

 

[dgfred]

I doubt Reno would have made it back to the defensive position if he was 'drunk'. But then you could again blame Custer for sending a 'drunk' to lead an attack... right?

 

[wausaubob]

Reno charged his end of the camp, was promptly repulsed, and it soon became every man for himself. Enough of his troops gathered on a hill overlooking the river to mount a defense. The only thing that saved them was the Indian's attention to Custer and Benteen finally arriving to join Reno, as Custer was finished and the Indians began breaking camp. Terry and Gibbon were to form a blocking movement to the North and were not there. Crook was already stopped at the Battle of the Rosebud.

Except that by getting detached, Custer caused the battle. I doubt the Indians would have fought the united cavalry command. Wouldn't the Indian encampment have to break up and disperse to forage?

 

[E_just_E]

Of course what little was left of George was removed to West Point where it was buried with honors and remains to this day.

James, that is widely disputed. At least that it was his remains buried in West Point.

 

[damYankee]

I doubt Reno would have made it back to the defensive position if he was 'drunk'. But then you could again blame Custer for sending a 'drunk' to lead an attack... right?

You go to war with what you got.

 

[damYankee]

Except that by getting detached, Custer caused the battle. I doubt the Indians would have fought the united cavalry command. Wouldn't the Indian encampment have to break up and disperse to forage?

Wasn't he ordered to "cause" the tribes not on the reservations to go to the reservations?
The Indians were not going without a fight, they had just proved their willingness to engage the US Army at Rosebud

 

[E_just_E]

If this is about the Civil War Custer, well... look at his commanding officers.

If this is about the Indian Wars Custer, let me see: he broke US law (treaty of Laramie) by invading foreign sovereign territory, he ordered the murder of non combatants, included children, he drove his troops to a suicide mission, and he ended the way he did (and you got to read some Lakota sources about how that was.)

 

[wausaubob]

Wasn't he ordered to "cause" the tribes not on the reservations to go to the reservations?
The Indians were not going without a fight, they had just proved their willingness to engage the US Army at Rosebud

That goes beyond my knowledge of relative strengths of the two combatants.

 

[carptrash]

Custer Statue in Monroe, Michigan.

All this talk about the statue and no mention of the sculptor. The Custer Memorial in Monroe, "Sighting the Enemy," was created by Edward Potter, best known in sculpture circles as an animalier (sculptor of animals) and in that capacity did the Lions at the NY Public Library. He also played second fiddle to Daniel Chester French, creating the horses for several equestrian statues including "The Quadriga: Progress of the State," (with DC French) MN Capitol; "General Devens Memorial," (with DC French), Worchester MA; "General Joseph Hooker", (with DC French), Boston; "General Ulysses S. Grant," (with DC French), Philadelphia; "George Washington Memorial," (with DC French), Chicago; as well as several equestrian & rider statues by himself, "Major General Henry Slocum Equestrian Statue," Washington DC; "The Smith Memorial: Major General George B. McClellan," Philadelphia; "Major General John A. McClernand," Vicksburg; "Major General Philip Kearny," Washington DC; and "The Soldiers Monument," Boston.
He was a pretty busy guy.

 

[carptrash]

Then there is Custer in Hollywood. IMDB lists these films:
On the Little Big Horn or Custer's Last Stand (1909)
Custer's Last Fight (1912)
Campaigning with Custer (1913)
Colonel Custard's Last Stand (1914)
Custer of Big Horn (1926)
Custer's Last Stand (I) (1936)
They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
Sitting Bull (1954)
The Great Sioux Massacre (1965)
Custer of the West (1967)
Custer (1967)
The Legend of Custer (1968)
Little Big Man (1970)
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977 TV Movie)
Son of the Morning Star (1991)
Class of '61 (1993 TV Movie)
Crazy Horse (1996 TV Movie)
Into the West (2005)
Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny (2004 Video)

 

[damYankee]

That goes beyond my knowledge of relative strengths of the two combatants.

The Battle of the Rosebud, or as the Cheyenne called it, the Battle where the Girl Saved Her Brother was a prelude to the LBH.

Battle of the Rosebud

The Battle of the Rosebud (also known the Battle of the Rosebud Creek) occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and its Crow and Shoshoni allies against an Indian force consisting mostly of Lakota Sioux and northern Cheyenne Indians during the Great Sioux...

military-history.fandom.com

 

[James N.]

James, that is widely disputed. At least that it was his remains buried in West Point.

My main point in making that admittedly oversimplified post was that the marker on Last Stand Hill is NOT a grave.

 

[jackt62]

Except that by getting detached, Custer caused the battle. I doubt the Indians would have fought the united cavalry command. Wouldn't the Indian encampment have to break up and disperse to forage?

Didn't Custer's rash actions at Trevilian Station in May 1864 in getting himself surrounded by Hampton's Division presage what happened later on at the LBH?

 

[jackt62]

My main point in making that admittedly oversimplified post was that the marker on Last Stand Hill is NOT a grave.

Similarly, the "grave stone" markers at Last Stand Hill represent the locations where the 7th Cav troopers fell, not where they are buried.

 

[bayouace]

I believe all but one of the officers were exhumed about 1877 and remains sent to their homes or national cemeteries. Tom Custer is at Ft. Leavenworth, if correctly identified. All of the enlisted men are in a mass grave under the monument with their names on it since 1881. Previously they buried where they were found.They were never identified after the battle, having been so terribly mutilated. I believe this correct, so let me know if it is not.

 

[James N.]

Similarly, the "grave stone" markers at Last Stand Hill represent the locations where the 7th Cav troopers fell, not where they are buried.

Exactly; I believe that those were what the poster I was responding to saw - including George's.

 

[FZ11]

I doubt Reno would have made it back to the defensive position if he was 'drunk'. But then you could again blame Custer for sending a 'drunk' to lead an attack... right?

You're right, I think it was reported that Reno got drunk after he was on the Hill. Yep, all those Indians Ridin' around screaming and launching 15 arrows a minute can make a man drain his flask and dodge back to the supply wagon for more.

 

[Cavalier]

Just started Custer's Trials by Stiles. After about 120 pages, so far so good.

John

 

[John S. Carter]

I recently read Custer: The Making of a Young General by Edward G. Longacre. Good book, even if it failed to do what I hoped, cover Custer's entire Civil War servicI have never understood what makes Custer such a famaus

I recently read Custer: The Making of a Young General by Edward G. Longacre. Good book, even if it failed to do what I hoped, cover Custer's entire Civil War service.

I have never understood what makes Custer such a famous general. Besides the fact that he may have halted Stewart's rear action at Gettesburg. There have been a quit a lot of movies about the general but none which render a truthful account of him. I did enjoy Dustin Hoffman's. "Little Big Man". Then his sacrifice of his troops at Little Round Top in of itself I think is what really place him with the most imfamous generals in US military history though it must have accomplished one thing, Wounded Knee. Then there is a theory that prehabs he was seeking a military victory which may have projected him into the presidental ,just a thought. Ceasar was ambitious and for this he died ,W.S.

 

[Rebelsoul]

Not by me. I went to Little Bighorn and did a happy dance when I found his grave. He was a Swuaw Killer.

Custer was arrogant and a hotdog, it's not hard to wipe out a village like the Washita when you're fighting old men, women and children. When the fighting men approached he ran, his actions were no better than that piece of trash Chivington at Sand Creek. He got exactly what he deserved, too bad it wasn't sooner !