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George Armstrong Custer(December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Armyofficer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1857, where he graduated last in his class in 1861. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Custer was called to serve with the Union Army.
Custer developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He participated in the first major engagement, the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, near Washington, D.C. His association with several important officers helped his career as did his success as a highly effective cavalry commander. Custer was brevetted to brigadier general at age 23, less than a week before the Battle of Gettysburg, where he personally led cavalry charges that prevented Confederate cavalry from attacking the Union rear in support of Pickett's Charge. He was wounded in the Battle of Culpeper Court House in Virginia on September 13, 1863. In 1864, Custer was awarded another star and brevetted to major generalrank. At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, in which he and his troops played a decisive role, Custer was present at GeneralRobert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant, on April 9, 1865.
After the Civil War, Custer remained a major general in the United States Volunteers until they were mustered out in February 1866. He reverted to his permanent rank of captain and was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the 7th Cavalry Regiment in July 1866. He was dispatched to the west in 1867 to fight in the American Indian Wars. On June 25, 1876, while leading the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory against a coalition of Native American tribes, he and all of his detachment—which included two of his brothers—were killed. The battle is popularly known in American history as "Custer's Last Stand." Custer and his regiment were defeated so decisively at the Little Bighorn that it has overshadowed all of his prior achievements.
Custer developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He participated in the first major engagement, the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, near Washington, D.C. His association with several important officers helped his career as did his success as a highly effective cavalry commander. Custer was brevetted to brigadier general at age 23, less than a week before the Battle of Gettysburg, where he personally led cavalry charges that prevented Confederate cavalry from attacking the Union rear in support of Pickett's Charge. He was wounded in the Battle of Culpeper Court House in Virginia on September 13, 1863. In 1864, Custer was awarded another star and brevetted to major generalrank. At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, in which he and his troops played a decisive role, Custer was present at GeneralRobert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant, on April 9, 1865.
After the Civil War, Custer remained a major general in the United States Volunteers until they were mustered out in February 1866. He reverted to his permanent rank of captain and was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the 7th Cavalry Regiment in July 1866. He was dispatched to the west in 1867 to fight in the American Indian Wars. On June 25, 1876, while leading the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana Territory against a coalition of Native American tribes, he and all of his detachment—which included two of his brothers—were killed. The battle is popularly known in American history as "Custer's Last Stand." Custer and his regiment were defeated so decisively at the Little Bighorn that it has overshadowed all of his prior achievements.
George Armstrong Custer - Wikipedia
Posted from en.wikipedia.org
Birthday
American History
Custer
Civil War
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 15
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Thank you for the great history share on General George Armstrong Custer, fellow Michigan resident, and has a training site named for him, Fort Custer in Springfield/Battle Creek, Michigan.
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
MSG Andrew White - They did a do over of the headquarters building, if you can sat. map the site, they built a mini pentagon there. Last time I was by there(last fall) they were constructing what looked like a new mess hall .
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Maj Marty Hogan: I knew not that George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army Officer and cavalry Commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION, MARTY! HAVE A STELLAR TUESDAY! -Margaret
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION, MARTY! HAVE A STELLAR TUESDAY! -Margaret
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George A. Custer became one of the U.S. Army's youngest brevet generals during the Civil War. A brevet rank was pinned on your collar along with the authority & responsibility of that rank but your permanent rank was the one on the books that you would revert to in the peacetime army. The Indian Wars were composed of many battles wherein the Native groups would attack a settlement, wagon train, or town from which the U. S. Calvary forces would track the malefactors down, kill many/most of the warriors, and take the accompanying women/children/old men to a reservation for internment. The requirement for men were slight for Calvary actions required a regiment or two of horse riding soldiers. Colonel Custer took his regiment against a war party of combined tribes, split his force immediately preceding engaging the enemy force, and was overwhelmed. He even left behind his light artillery which would possibly have made a difference. Col. Custer's bravery was without question and he achieved high rank through his merit but it took just one mishap during war to have a really bad day.
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