Custer Say What Saturday: George A Custer at Sailor's Creek - "Give the boys Dixie."

@WJC An example of the works of the anti - military, modern day writers you refer to was the movie "Little Big Man". If I remember correctly it portrays Custer as a coward. He is of course a controversial figure of history and opinions of him range from one extreme to the other. I cannot however, imagine how anyone who has read anything about Custer, no matter what their opinion is of him could perceive to be a coward.

John
 
@WJC An example of the works of the anti - military, modern day writers you refer to was the movie "Little Big Man". If I remember correctly it portrays Custer as a coward. He is of course a controversial figure of history and opinions of him range from one extreme to the other. I cannot however, imagine how anyone who has read anything about Custer, no matter what their opinion is of him could perceive to be a coward.

John
I get angry even thinking about that movie . I know it's supposed to be satirical , but it portrays Custer as nearly insane , and he's portrayed by Richard Mulligan !
 
An example of the works of the anti - military, modern day writers you refer to was the movie "Little Big Man". If I remember correctly it portrays Custer as a coward.
Thanks for your response.
Little Big Man was the product of anti-military writers, producers, director and actors. The representation of Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn has next to no connection with factual history.
 
.In 1867 he shot his horse by accident when he left his command to chase bison .
That particular incident was, indeed, part of a hunting incident. Accidents like that were not unknown. It had no relevance to his military performance. He did not "leave his command": it was quite common for troopers to hunt while on a campaign. It was undoubtedly embarrassing: one can certainly visualize the ribbing he got when he returned from his hunt.
 
That particular incident was, indeed, part of a hunting incident. Accidents like that were not unknown. It had no relevance to his military performance. He did not "leave his command": it was quite common for troopers to hunt while on a campaign. It was undoubtedly embarrassing: one can certainly visualize the ribbing he got when he returned from his hunt.
My understanding of the incident is that he left a column he commanded and went off on a hunt by himself . If so , that seems irresponsible . I know he was a hunter and that hunting helped both supply meat and provide a relief from the often tedious life on the plains . I am an admirer of his during the war , but I think he was changed after it . I can't imagine him going AWOL to see Libbie during the war . He had to deal with discipline problems with the troops he commanded in 1866 and with the 7th cavalry . He got into serious trouble with executing deserters without a trial , yet he showed a lack of personal discipline himself out west . I think he has been much maligned in general , but he was not without fault .
 
Hi Elliot:smile:

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I’m gonna have to back off on CWT.

Twice today lelliott19 has made an old man cry!
Oh no! Don't do that. I like to post these kinds of humanity and acts of kindness stories. They sometimes bring a lump to your throat or a tear to your eye, but they're certainly not intended to encourage anyone to back off on CWT. There's lots of other kinds of threads on CWT - battle threads, or tactics, firearms, cannon, or collectibles. Maybe check out some of those as a break from the "feels" threads? :D
 
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So much as a background to the picture; so much as the setting for the incident we now give, and which ever after endeared the memory of General Custer to everyone who was a witness to it... with a delicacy of feeling and magnanimity of spirit which only true chivalry can appreciate, as soon as the applause had subsided and the band ceased, he turned to its leader and said, "Give the boys Dixie."

The Battle of Sailor's Creek was fought April 6, 1865, near Farmville, Virginia, as part of the Appomattox Campaign. It was the last major engagement between the armies of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant, just three days before the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House. About one fifth of the remaining retreating Confederate army became casualties. According to some historians, the total Confederate loss in killed, wounded and captured was not less than 8,000. Among the prisoners were Generals Richard S. Ewell, G W Custis Lee, Joseph B. Kershaw, Eppa Hunton, Meriwether L. Clark, Montgomery Corse, James P. Simms (commanding Semmes/Bryan's old brigade), Seth Barton, and Dudley M. DuBose (commanding Wofford's old brigade.) Commodore John Randolph Tucker, CS Navy, commanding the "naval brigade" fighting as infantry, was also taken prisoner.

So much as a background to the picture; so much as the setting for the incident we now give, and which ever after endeared the memory of General Custer to everyone who was a witness to it.​
The morning after the battle, the prisoners were ordered to fall in line. Soon, Gen. Custer and his staff appeared on the scene, and this was the signal for an outburst of uproarious applause. The sky was fairly darkened with caps thrown in the air, the band played 'Yankee Doodle,' and all together it was a sight to sadden the captive Confederates, more especially as they beheld eighteen of their battle flags, which had been torn with shot and shell on an hundred battlefields, now adorning the train of the conqueror.​
Gen. Custer seemed to realize this, and with a delicacy of feeling and magnanimity of spirit which only true chivalry can appreciate, as soon as the applause had subsided and the band ceased, he turned to its leader and said, "Give the boys Dixie" (meaning the prisoners.)​
As the sweet strains of the Confederate war song rolled in waves of liquid melody through the air, Gen. Custer took off his hat and waved it as a signal and the applause was deafening. The Union huzzah and the rebel yell blended into one and shook notes as well as hearts and hands, across the bloody chasm.​
[Richmond Dispatch., January 05, 1896, page 2.] Link

As an aside on the theme 'Custer and Dixie', the below Youtube link has a stirring rendition of Dixie played at West Point while Custer stands as a cadet on parade from the 1941 film, 'They Died With Their Boots On'.

 
My thoughts are that Custer was happy with his rank during the war, and post-war he was frustrated, and very focused on advancing quickly, unconcerned with risks, to a rank of which he felt worthy.
 
I'll add another account , this one from Alexander Pennington recorded in the book "Generals in Bronze." At Appomattox; "There was a brook that ran between the two armies , a narrow stream and there was a small bridge crossing it a short distance below and we saw Babcock ride across this toward the Rebel lines as Custer said "I wonder if we can see old [R. V.] Cowan ?" He was a great big fellow with fiery red hair who was a classmate of ours . So Custer and I went down to the edge of the brook and called over to a man on the other side , an officer of the Rebels with a cape on him , asking if Cowan was in the neighborhood and he said he was and would go after him . A short time afterwards we saw Cowan come galloping down towards us. At sight of him Custer roared out , "Come here you **** red-headed Rebel." Cowan laughed heartily and galloped across the stream and I tell you we had a great time .
 
As I often say on here, learned something new today! I never knew this side of Custer, and am glad to hear it told. It sounds to me like he was a changed man after the war, and not for the better.
I would imagine Custer's ego had something to do with his "Change" of character after the war.
 
I too have proclaimed my bitterness towards Custer.

These revelations will not suffice to entirely change my opinion. However, I am grateful for these examples and join with all in the praise of the man for these honorable and feeling events.
 
From what I have read of Custer, I don't believe he changed as much as some would have us believe. He was always happiest when 'in the saddle' on campaign.
He was, however, under a great deal of pressure to produce a victory when he arrived at the Little Big Horn. Grant had 'done him dirty' because of the testimony he gave to the Clymer Committee investigating corruption in the government's granting trading monopolies at frontier Army posts. In retaliation, Grant kept him from returning to Fort Abraham Lincoln and only allowed it because of public outcry. He was forced to be away from his troops far longer than he had hoped: their training was neglected in his absence. Old friends- Sheridan, Sherman- turned against him.
His attack on the Greasy Grass encampment was straight out of the then-current 'playbook'. It failed largely because subordinates did not perform their part as expected: Reno scared out of his wits and drunk; Benteen jealous and rebellious against Custer. (To his credit, Benteen stepped up and took command of the surviving elements of the regiment who came under attack after the wing commanded by Custer was defeated.)
 
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