General George Armstrong Custer



When most people hear the name George Armstrong Custer, they think of him as one of the best Indian soldier fighters ever. Or they think of one of the best cavalry leaders of the army of his time. People also think of a man with blonde hair and a mustache.

On December 5, 1839, Maria and Emanuel had a baby boy, named George Armstrong Custer. He had three brothers and a sister. Custer grew up on a farm in New Rumley, Ohio. He went to West Point and in 1861 he graduated last in his class.
After graduation he was 2nd lieutenant in the 2nd cavalry and was able to be in the first battle of Manassas. In 1862 he went on to be 2nd lieutenant on the 5th cavalry. Then he commanded the 3rd cavalry division at Shenandoah Valley.

In 1864 he got married to Elizabeth bacon. But that didn't stop him for long, because in March of that year he was back in fighting with the cavalry of the army of the Potomac. Cuter was named General of Volunteers, in 1865 when he commanded the 2nd cavalry.

But in 1866 he was made lieutenant colonel of the 7th cavalry, where he remained until his death. The first official thing that he did was to organize a band. The first song they learned how to play was the Garry Owen song, because one day Custer over heard an Irish man in his cavalry singing it. It had an up beat to it so Custer made his men play it over and over. Soon the 7th cavalry was known as the Garry Owen Regiment. Because of George, much later the Garry Owen was the first official song for the first cavalry in 1881. In 1867 he finally got to go head to head with the Indians, one of his most famous quotes came from that fight. " Let's kick their ass and get the hell out of here."

In 1867, he heard of his wife's illness so he left the army so he could be with her. When he returned to fort Leavenworth he was served with paper from the army that he was going to be charged with AWOL ( absent without leave ). In September Custer was found guilty and suspended from the army for one year, without pay. So he went back to Kentucky to be with his wife.

In 1868, he was back in action fighting in the battle of Washita. This was his first battle with the Cheyenne Indians. This battle was very controversial, because of a quote like " Hurrah, Boys! We've Got Them." His controversial battles didn't stop there, the battle of Black Kettle was just as much talked about, because it was in the early morning and most of the Indians were asleep. Most people say that Custer was the one really responsible for that battle being fought.

For two years ( 1870-1872 ) the 7th cavalry was not around battle. But during 1871 Custer lead the 7th cavalry to Kentucky to buy horses for the United States Army. He was also supposed to enforce the taxes there. Then in 1873 Custer was back, because settlers found gold in the Dakota Territories, Custer was called out to protect the minors, settlers, and railroad workers who were trying to cross the Yellow Stone River. But the problem was that the Sioux Indians owned that land and now the Government wanted it back. Custer tried to buy it with 6 million dollars, but the Sioux refused the money. When they refused, Custer decided to get as many people as he could to settle on the land hoping the Indians would retreat.

In 1876, General Alfred Terry came to him with a propitiation. He wanted Custer along with John Gibbon to help him move all the Indians out of the open plain reservations. So in May he rode out of Fort Lincoln with 1,200 men towards the reservations. fearing the Indians would escape, he made a plan of attack from the south. Captain Benteen was to come from the southwest and Custer was to go straight threw the Indian village. Custer's goal was to destroy most of the Indians before anybody else got there.

But little did he know, that it would be his last battle. The Battle of Little Bighorn is one of the most talked about because not a sole person under Custer's command was found alive. It is said that only one horse made it, and it's name was Comanche. He was found with arrows all over his body. That battle ground became known as the grave yard. Later on in the year soldiers came back and dug up what was known to be Custer's remains and moved him back to West Point.

After the battle of Little Bighorn the settlers told the government that they wanted revenge. So the battle was known as Custer's Last Stand and most of the Indians were caught and became prisoners of war. When he died his wife was given 4,750 dollars because Custer had taken out a life insurance policy in 1873, for 5,000, but it was said that he took out a loan for 250 during his life. Also she was paid the money because they didn't have a war clause back then stating that if you were killed during a battle/war they didn't have to pay it.

Custer died young for his cause, and became known as one of the best Indian fighters ever known to live. As people look back, there are some things that are looked bad upon, but for the most part people always remember him as a great cavalry leader in the Army.

Josh Hansen 8th American History Rossville Jr. High Plains History Project 2004	Bibliography