George Armstrong Custer

Custer was born on December 5, 1859, in New Rumley, Ohio. His dad was Emmanuel Henry and his mom was Ward Kirk Patrick Custer. While he was growing up he always wanted to be a soldier. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1861. He ranked last in his class. Custer fought at the Battle of Bull Run, his fearless aggression is what got him respect from his commanding generals. By the time he was 23, he was a brigadier general and at 25, he was made a major general.

In 1886, Custer became lieutenant colonel of the 7th Cavalry. His friend, General L. Sheridan, agreed to bring Custer back to duty in 1868. He was sent to the northern plains in 1873. Where in a few small skirmishes with the Lakota in the Yellowstone wilderness, he began to be known as a great Indian fighter and a hero to the American people. .

In 1876, he was scheduled to lead part of the anti-Lakota expedition. On June 25, Custer's scouts found a Indian village in the valley of the Little Big Horn. Custer expected to find about 1000 warriors and he believed that his 650 soldiers could easily take over the village. But instead there were 2000 warriors. The Lakota and Cheyenne warriors were out gunned but they fought bravely and gave the Army its worst defeat of the entire Indian War. Custer lead approximately 210 men to their deaths. He divided the 7th Cavalry into three divisions. He then divided his immediate command into wings. This decision to divide his troops may not have been the best decision in the face of the overwhelming enemy, but it was an accepted and past tested military tactic. This tactic had been successful until this battle.

Thousands of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors fought hard and pushed Custer and his men back into a long and dusty ridge parallel to the Little Big Horn. They were surrounded by the enemy and then had no chance to escape. The battle may have only lasted an hour. Everyone of Custer's men were killed, making this attack one of the greatest fiascos of the United States Army's history. Through Custer's blunders he lost his life, but he gained ever lasting fame. Custer was found on the battle field in Montana where he made his last stand at Custer Hill.

The people of America were stunned that a group of Indians could defend their village and kill such a well-known officer and all his men. There was controversy about why the army and Custer were defeated. Custer's enemies said that he had disobeyed orders by attacking the village. The supporters of Custer said that he had been abandoned when Major Reno retreated. Others blamed it on the miscalculation of the number of warriors who were in the village. But no one really knows the answer.