What kind of person was Custer?

Described as aggressive, gallant, reckless, and foolhardy, Custer has become one of the most celebrated and controversial figures of the Civil War. Born in New Rumley, Ohio on December 5, 1839, son of Emanuel and Maria, Custer was nicknamed “Autie” because of his mispronunciation of his middle name as a small child.

What was Custer's personality?

Famed for his military victories during the American Civil War, Custer's personality was an unusual combination of brashness, confidence and bravery. Custer's career got off to a flying start, becoming one of the youngest Union generals at 23.

What was Custer's reputation?

Custer earned a reputation for both bravery and brashness. He also became known as a publicity hound, taking every opportunity to get himself in front of the cameras and newspapermen documenting the war.

How did Custer feel about slavery?

George Armstrong Custer did not fight for the Union because he disagreed with states' rights. Nor did he fight because he wanted to abolish slavery (during the war he adopted one runaway slave as a servant).

What type of general was Custer?

By war's end in 1865, Custer commanded an entire Cavalry Division, holding the rank of Major General. In many cases, Generals led their troops on the battlefield by commanding movements from the rear. Custer, however, distinguished himself as a leader who commanded his troops from the front.

Dumbest US General in History? Custer’s Last Stand

How did Custer view natives?

Throughout his memoir, Custer consistently describes Indians as savage, violent, and uncivilized. Establishing Indians as “savage” and impossible to civilize is central to Custer's construction of Indians as the “enemy”.

Why was Custer not scalped?

However, they did not scalp or mutilate Custer because he was not wearing his uniform. Instead the Indian women popped his eardrums so he would hear better in his afterlife. Custer had made a promise to the Indians which said that he couldn't attack the Cheyenne and the Cheyenne couldn't attack him.

Was Custer scalped or mutilated?

It is known that General Custer's body, though stripped of clothing, was neither scalped nor mutilated. He had been struck twice by bullets, either one of which could have been fatal. The burials were made in shallow graves and properly marked wherever identification was possible.

Who was to blame for Custer's last stand?

About three thousand Sioux warriors led by Crazy Horse descended upon Custer's regiment, and within hours the entire Seventh Cavalry and General Custer were massacred.

Why did Custer fail Little Bighorn?

Custer was unaware of the number of Indians fighting under the command of Sitting Bull (c. 1831-90) at Little Bighorn, and his forces were outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed in what became known as Custer's Last Stand.

Was George Custer a good guy?

By the latter half of the 20th century, the gallant Indian fighter had been transformed into a bloodthirsty Indian killer. Though many historians now accept that Custer was neither a spotless hero nor a villain, he and his final battle remain subjects of intense controversy.

Was Custer a good soldier?

Although Custer struggled in the classroom, he excelled on the battlefield. After joining the Army of the Potomac's cavalry following his graduation, he gained notice for his daring cavalry charges, bold leadership style and tactical brilliance.

Was George Custer a hero?

Today, George Armstrong Custer is remembered for one day in his life—the day he died in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which has invariably tarnished his entire career. In his time, however, he was a national hero and one of the most popular figures in the country due to his Civil War exploits.

Was Custer a killer?

Here, he describes the 1868 Battle of Washita, in which Custer's 7th Cavalry set upon a Cheyenne camp in Oklahoma Territory: “In the chaos of the initial attack … troops shot down dozens” of Indian women and children, after which Custer “ordered the slaughter of the horse herd. One by one, 875 ponies were shot dead.”)

Why did Custer fail?

Some believe that Custer's decision to split up his Seventh U.S. Cavalry Regiment in the face of a larger, well-armed enemy put him in a precarious position. Many also point to his failure to gather proper intelligence on the size of the Indian forces.

Did Custer slaughter Indians?

Within a few hours of the attack, Custer's men had destroyed the village and killed as many as 103 Cheyenne, including Black Kettle and his wife, Medicine Woman. Custer then ordered his men to destroy “everything of value to the Indians,” Warde wrote. That included slaughtering more than 800 horses and mules.

Why did they call Custer yellow hair?

In the West, Custer wore a distinctive buckskin uniform, meant to catch the eye of reporters. And he caught the eye of his enemies as well, who began to call him "Yellow Hair."

Did any of Custer's soldiers survive?

On April 15, 1853, Daniel Kanipe, one of two survivors of Custer's battalion at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, was born in Marion. Kanipe enlisted in Company C of the 7th United States Cavalry in 1872 and briefly served with the federal forces occupying Lincolnton during the Reconstruction era.

How painful is scalping?

Although extremely painful, being scalped alive was not always fatal. A full-scalping would often lead to serious medical complications. This included profuse bleeding, infection, and eventual death if the bone of the skull was left exposed.

Did scalping victims survive?

Carbon dating of skulls show evidence of scalping as early as 600 AD; some skulls show evidence of healing from scalping injuries, suggesting at least some victims occasionally survived at least several months.

Did anyone survive Little Bighorn?

While no US Army soldier survived the engagement, one horse was found alive on the battlefield. The horse, named Comanche, had belonged Capt. Myles Keough, and had suffered no less than seven bullet wounds during the battle.

What did the Indians call Custer?

The Cheyenne called Custer "Attacker at Dawn" because of the Washita Massacre of 1868, in which he attacked and killed Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle's camp and captured 53 women and children. According to Native testimonials, many women were raped as their village burned.

What ethnicity was Custer?

Custer was born in New Rumley, Ohio, to Emanuel Henry Custer (1806–1892), a farmer and blacksmith, and his second wife, Marie Ward Kirkpatrick (1807–1882), who was of English and Scots-Irish descent. He had two younger brothers, Thomas and Boston.

Was George Custer sterile?

Custer, however, had apparently become sterile after contracting venereal disease at West Point, leading some historians to believe that the father was really his brother Thomas.