George Armstrong Custer General George Armstrong Custer was born on December 5, 1839, in New Rumley, Ohio. His ambition as early as childhood was to become a soldier. He realized this dream by gaining an appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1857. Though a rapid reader with a fine memory, Custer was known more for his mischievous pranks at the Academy than his academic prowess. In concert with this behavior, he graduated last in his class of fifty-four. A few days after graduation he was court-martialed for failing to break up a fist- fight between two cadets. He was found guilty, but fortunately his offense was overlooked in the rush to build up the Army rapidly. After being commissioned in the Cavalry, he reported to his regiment on the morning of the battle of Bull Run. He quickly established a reputation for daring and brilliance in battle. He served as an aide to General George B. McClellan during the Peninsular Campaign and in June 1863, at the age of twenty-three, was made a brigadier general. Custer served with distinction through the Gettysburg and Virginia campaigns. Conspicuous in figure and attire and noted for the energy and dash of his operations and their almost unvarying success, he became of the one of the most celebrated commanders at the front by the end of the Civil War. After conducting several successful operations in 1864, he was placed at the head of the 3rd Division of the Cavalry Corps, and was brevetted major-general of volunteers. But, it was in pursuit of Lee's army from Richmond in April 1865 that he won his greatest glory. His division held the van, and day and night, with little pause for rest or food, it kept relentlessly at its task, striking here and there, crumpling up the lines of defense and capturing prisoners, wagons, and guns until on the morning of April 9th it threw itself across Gordon's front and made further resistance useless. It was to Custer that the Confederate flag of truce was first presented. After the war, and the disbandment of the volunteer army Custer was returned to the rank of captain in the 5th Cavalry. On July 28, he was assigned to the newly formed 7th Cavalry, Fort Riley, Kansas, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He took an active role in the muddled Indian campaign of 1867 and for its failure was made a scapegoat. On charges of deliberate absence from duty he was court-martialed and sentenced to a year's suspension from the Army. He was later recalled in the fall of 1868 and won a brilliant victory over Black Kettle's band of Cheyennes, in the battle of the Washita. He took part in several expeditions over the next eight years and on May 17, 1876 he set off on an expedition that would end in one of the most controversial battles in U.S. history. On June 22, Custer and his regiment, a total force of about 655 men, set out for the Little Big Horn. Custer arrived in the vicinity of the village on the 25th, intending to attack early the following morning. Learning, however, that his presence had been discovered , he decided on an immediate attack. Custer divided his force into three battalions, sending Benteen to the left, Reno straight ahead across the river into the valley and took the remaining troops on a detour to the right in order to strike the village further down stream. An overwhelming force, estimated at from 2,500 to 4,000 well-armed warriors, was encountered. Both Benteen's and Reno's forces were driven to a set of bluffs north of the river. Custer, on reaching the slope of what has since been known as Custer Hill, was surrounded and killed along with every one of his immediate command. Custer's body was later found, with bullet wounds to the left temple and left side. The controversy of this battle began immediately thereafter. In defense of Custer, General Sherman admitted that the "campaign had been planned on wrong premises" and that until Custer's death there was nothing to indicate that any detachment would encounter more than 500 to 700 Indians. The cause of Custer's defeat was the dispatch of a force inferior in armament and vastly inferior in numbers to the force it encountered. Despite this opinion there will always be other opinions concerning the horrendous outcome of the battle of Little Horn. After this controversial battle Custer was given a hero's burial at West Point. Sources: ."Custer, George Armstrong", Encyclopedia Britanica, 1994 ed., V. 3, pg 810-811. Johnson, Allan and Dumas Malone "Custer, George Armstrong", Dictionary of American Biography, N.Y., Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934, V. 3, pg 7-9. McHenry, Robert, "Custer, George Armstrong (1839-1876)", Webster's American Biographies, Springfield, MASS, G. & C. Merriam Co., 1974, pg 245-246. Submitted by Claudette Rogers |