George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was an American cavalry commander in the Civil War and the Indian Wars who is best remembered for his defeat and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against a coalition of Native American tribes, led by Sitting Bull.

Indian Wars

In 1866 Custer was mustered out of the volunteer service, regressed to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and was assigned to the 7th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas. His career took a brief detour in 1867 when he was court-martialed for being AWOL and was suspended for one year, returning to the Army in 1868. He took part in General Winfield Scott Hancock's expedition against the Cheyenne Indians, upon whom he inflicted a brutal massacre at Washita River on November 27, 1868. This was regarded as the first substantial U.S. victory in the Indian Wars and the entire Cheyenne tribe was forced to return to the U.S. appointed reservation. In 1873 he was sent to the Dakota Territory to protect a railroad survey party against the Sioux. Then on August 4, 1873, near the Tongue River, Custer and the 7th Cavalry clashed for the first time with the Sioux. Only one man on each side was killed. In 1874 Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills and announced the discovery of gold on French Creek near present-day Custer, South Dakota. Custer's announcement triggered the Black Hills Gold Rush and gave rise to the lawless town of Deadwood, South Dakota. In 1875, Custer swore by White Buffalo Calf Pipe, a pipe sacred to the Lakota, that he would not fight Indians again. "He who swears by the pipe and breaks oaths, comes to destruction, and his whole family dies, or sickness comes upon them." http://www.nps.gov/deto/place.htm

Related Topics:
1866 - Lieutenant colonel - 7th U.S. Cavalry - Fort Riley - Kansas - 1867 - Court-martial - AWOL - 1868 - Winfield Scott Hancock - Cheyenne Indians - Washita River - November 27 - Indian Wars - 1873 - Dakota Territory - Railroad - Sioux - August 4 - Tongue River - 1874 - Black Hills - French Creek - Custer, South Dakota - Black Hills Gold Rush - Deadwood, South Dakota - Lakota

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Battle of the Little Bighorn

In 1876, Hiester Clymer, Chairman of the House Committee on Military Expenditures, commenced an investigation of various acts of Secretary of War William W. Belknap. Custer was called to testify in the proceedings, despite his statement that what he knew was only by hearsay. But his testimony seemed to confirm the accusations not only against Belknap, but even against President Ulysses S. Grant's brother, Orville Grant. The president was infuriated at Custer and took his revenge by placing him under arrest. This delayed a scheduled expedition against the hostile Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes, in which Custer was to be involved. Grant relieved Custer of command and ordered the expedition to proceed without him. Custer wrote to the president:

Related Topics:
Hiester Clymer - Secretary of War - William W. Belknap - Hearsay - President - Ulysses S. Grant - Lakota - Northern Cheyenne

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: As my entire Regiment forms a part of the expedition and I am the senior officer of the regiment on duty in this department, I respectfully but most earnestly request that while not allowed to go in command of the expedition I may be permitted to serve with my regiment in the field. I appeal to you as a soldier to spare me the humiliation of seeing my regiment march to meet the enemy and I not share its dangers.

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Grant relented and gave his permission for Custer to go. The 7th Cavalry departed from Fort Lincoln on May 17, 1876. Crow Indian scouts identified to Custer what they claimed was a large encampment of Indians. Following the common thinking of the time that Indians would flee if attacked by a strong force of cavalry, he decided to attack immediately, despite the fact that the primary task of the mission was to return the Indians to their reservations.

Related Topics:
May 17 - 1876 - Crow Indian

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Custer split his forces in three parts: one led by Major Marcus Reno, one by Captain Frederick Benteen, and one by himself. Reno was ordered to attack from south of the village, while Benteen was ordered to go west, scouting for any fleeing Indians, while Custer himself went north, in what was intended to be a classical pincer movement. But Reno failed in his action, retreating after a timid charge with the loss of a quarter of his command. Meanwhile, Custer, having located the encampment, requested Benteen to come on for the second time. He sent the message: "Benteen, come on, big village, be quick. Bring packs."

Related Topics:
Major - Marcus Reno - Frederick Benteen

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Benteen instead halted with Reno in a defensive position on the bluffs. All of the Indians that had been facing Reno were freed by his retreat, and now faced Custer. It is believed at this point that Custer attempted a diversionary attack on the flank of the village, deploying other companies on the ridges in order to give Benteen the time to join him. But Benteen never came and so the company trying to ford the river was repulsed. Other groups of Indians made encircling attacks so that the cavalry companies on the hills collapsed and fell back together on what is now called "Custer Hill". There, the survivors of the command exchanged in long-range fire with the Indians and fell to the last man when they ran out of ammunition. Custer was said by some historians to be already dead while attempting to cross the river, but the shell cases under his body suggest otherwise. Many of the corpses or wounded were mutilated, stripped, and skulls crushed. Custer was not so molested. He had two bullet holes, one in the left temple and one in the breast.

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Following the recovery of Custer's body, he was given a funeral with full military honors. He was buried on the battlefield, which was designated a National Cemetery in 1879, but was reinterred to the West Point National Cemetery on October 10, 1877.

Related Topics:
1879 - West Point - October 10 - 1877

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