George Armstrong Custer, most famously known from his last stand during the Battle of the Little Bighorn, had several exploits leading to his fame during his lifetime. In 1839, George A. Custer was born to a blacksmith/farmer and his wife, Emanuel Custer and Marie Kirkpatrick. George Custer joined West Point Academy in 1857, and graduated a year early in 1861 due to the start of the Civil War. Graduating at the bottom of his 34 member class, he was immediately assigned as an aide to General McClellan in the Union Army. Only days after graduating, he was court-martialed because he failed to stop a fight between two cadets, but the immense demand for officers due to the civil war saved him from punishment. Custer was then assigned to the calvary, where his apparent braveness and bold character caused him to rise up the ranks.
During the Civil War, he participated in numerous battles, including the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam. In June of 1862 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, but only 12 days later was demoted to First-Lieutenant. After a series of reforms to the generals of the Union Army, Custer was finally promoted, as the youngest general in the army at the age of 23. Custer experienced successes with his seemingly reckless battle plans at Hanover and Abbottstown, Gettysburg, and Shenandoah Valley. His striking looks and stories of his success caused him to gain publicity and fame. His personal depictions of his exploits made him a wartime hero within the press, causing him to be an extremely famous figure during the Civil War.
After the Civil War had ended, Custer was mustered out of the US Volunteer Service, and proceeded to live with his wife. Later, Custer went back into service as a lieutenant colonel, and proceeded to take part in Major General Hancock’s expedition against the Cheyenne. After a one year suspension from the force after going AWOL to visit his wife, he won at the Battle of the Washita River, helping the US assign a large portion of the Southern Cheyenne to a reservation.
On his next and last expedition, Custer, under the command of General Alfred H. Terry, proceeded to take part in what popularly became known as Custer’s Last Stand. After being sent as a scout force for the majority of the army, Custer spotted a large Native American camp and decided to launch an attack. After splitting his force into three separate groups, his forces got separated, without any communication, and extremely outnumbered. Custer’s troops proceeded to get decimated by Native American forces, losing 266 soldiers in battle, including himself and his two brothers. The story of his demise became known as Custer’s Last Stand, and would he would survive as a martyr to the anti-Native American cause.
https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/george-armstrong-custer
It's very interesting to hear about Custer before the infamous Last Stand. I think it's particularly interesting to hear about his personal affairs including his college career. Who are some of the others that graduated and did they go on do be as conductive for the union or was Custer just a classic underdog story?
ReplyDeleteI think its very interesting the interpretations are so different between what actually happened during the battle and what the general American public thought of his "last stand." I think it highlights the bias Americans held during that time period, that Native Americans were no more than a mere obstacle to their complete control over North America. This might have influenced them to see Custer's Last Stand as something to promote anti-Indian sentiment, especially since the battle did cost pretty much his entire army's lives. Why do you think that the historical representation of "Custer's Last Stand" differs so much from the reality of the situation during that confrontation?
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to consider how Custer was constantly reprimanded for misconduct and yet still managed to maintain such a high status in the military. You mentioned how he was court martialed and later suspended for a year, yet the military still gave him so much power and independence. Eventually, he did show that this independence was not well deserved at Custer's Last Stand, but it's strange to consider why he was able to maintain such high status even with numerous mistakes.
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