Custer General Custer or General Copeland?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Love Custer or hate him, I wonder why General Joseph Tarr Copeland lost the command of the Michigan Calvary Brigade at the start of the Gettysburg Campaign. Was it his age as stated, or was some other reason the cause?

I am not sure how General Copeland would have changed things at the Battle of Gettysburg.
 
I think he just got caught up in Pleasonton's promotion of young and aggressive younger officers such as Custer and Merrit. I always thought that was odd because Pleasonton himself was never known to be particularly aggressive or especially competent .
 
At the start of the Gettysburg Campaign General Copeland commanded the Michigan Calvary Brigade. General Pleasnton replaced Copeland with a very young George Custer. The normal reason given was Pleasonton wanted younger brigade commanders. Still replacing an experienced brigade command with one of you staff's younger officers, does raise questions.
 
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