General g a custer biography

Barnard stopped at the Chickahominy River, debating where to cross based on the depth of the water, Custer took action and promptly rode his horse out to the middle of the river so as to determine if it was passable. The act gained him notoriety among important high-ranking officers. He subsequently served on the staffs of Generals George B.

McClellan and Alfred Pleasanton with the temporary rank of captain. While in this position he led his men in the Battle of Gettysburg where he participated in the fighting on what became known as East Cavalry Field. Throughout the war Custer continued to distinguishing himself as fearless, aggressive, and ostentatious. His personalized uniform, complete with a red cravatt could be somewhat alienating, but he was successful in gaining the respect of his men with his willingness to lead attacks from the front rather than the rear.

During the Overland Campaign, Custer led the decisive attack at the Battle of Yellow Tavern where one of his troopers mortally wounded J. On April 8, Custer's troopers closed off Robert E. Lee's line of retreat at Appomattox. Despite his unimpressive record, the U. Army desperately needed officers to serve in the newly-begun Civil War.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant and based in WashingtonD. Custer got his first taste of war mere weeks after his graduation, at the First Battle of Bull Run in Julygeneral g a custer biography he gained the attention of General George McClellan. 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.

In the summer ofthe year-old Custer was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers, and took command of the Michigan Calvary Brigade. Soon after, he began sporting an unusual and flamboyant uniform, which brought him even more attention. Custer played a key role at the Battle of Gettysburgpreventing General J. Stuart from attacking Union troops, and later capturing Confederates fleeing south after the Union victory.

But his brigade lost more than men, the highest of any Union cavalry unit. They fell in love when Custer returned home on leave in Libbie was from a wealthy and prominent local family, but Custer was still months away from the military actions that would first bring him fame. Unlike most military wives of the time, Libbie happily accompanied Custer to his postings, and they both wrote each other constantly when separated.

The couple had no children. Custer entered West Point as a cadet on July 1,as a member of the class of His class numbered seventy-nine cadets embarking on a five-year course of study. With the outbreak of the American Civil War inthe course was shortened to four years, and Custer and his class graduated on June 24, He was 34th in a class of 34 graduates: 23 classmates had dropped out for academic reasons while 22 classmates had already resigned to join the Confederacy.

Throughout his life, Custer tested boundaries and rules. In his four years at West Point, he amassed a record total of demerits, one of the worst conduct records in the history of the academy. The local minister remembered Custer as "the instigator of devilish plots both during the service and in Sunday school. On the surface he appeared attentive and respectful, but underneath the mind boiled with disruptive ideas.

A roommate noted, "It was alright with George Custer, whether he knew his lesson or not; he simply did not allow it to trouble him. Like the other graduates, Custer was commissioned a second lieutenant ; he was also assigned to the 2nd U. Cavalry Regiment and tasked with drilling volunteers in Washington, D. After the battle, he continued participating in the defense of Washington D.

He was absent from his unit until February Barnard mutter, "I wish I knew how deep it is. Custer was assigned to lead an attack with four companies of the 4th Michigan Infantry across the Chickahominy River above New Bridge. The attack was successful, resulting in the capture of 50 Confederate soldiers and the seizing of the first Confederate battle flag of the war.

McClellan termed it a "very gallant affair" and congratulated Custer personally. In his role as aide-de-camp to McClellan, he began his life-long pursuit of publicity. On July 17, he was demoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Recalling his service under Pleasonton, he was quoted as saying that "I do not believe a father could love his son more than General Pleasonton loves me.

Leemoving north through the Shenandoah Valley in the beginning of what was to become the Gettysburg Campaign. Pleasonton was promoted on June 22,to major general of U. On June 29, after consulting with the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, George MeadePleasanton began replacing political generals with "commanders who were prepared to fight, to personally lead mounted attacks".

Farnsworth both of whom had command experienceand Custer. All received immediate promotions, Custer to brigadier general of volunteers, [ 24 ] commanding the Michigan Cavalry Brigade "Wolverines"part of the division of Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick. He immediately shaped his brigade to reflect his aggressive character. Now a general officer, he had greater latitude in choosing his uniform.

Though often criticized as being gaudy, it was more than personal vanity. Historian Tom Carhart observed that "A showy uniform for Custer was one of command presence on the battlefield: he wanted to be readily distinguishable at first glance from all other soldiers. He intended to lead from the front, and to him it was a crucial issue of unit morale that his men be able to look up in the middle of a charge, or at any other time on the battlefield, and instantly see him leading the way into danger.

Hearing gunfire, he turned and started off to the sound of the guns. A courier reported that Farnsworth's Brigade had been attacked by rebel cavalry from side streets in the town. Reassembling his command, he general g a custer biography orders from Kilpatrick to engage the enemy northeast of town near the railway station. Custer deployed his troops and began to advance.

After a brief firefight, the rebels withdrew to the northeast. This seemed odd, since it was assumed that Lee and his army were somewhere to the west. Though seemingly of little consequence, this skirmish further delayed Stuart from joining Lee. As Captain James H. Kidd, commander of F troop, Sixth Michigan Cavalry, later wrote: "Under [Custer's] skillful hand the four regiments were soon welded into a cohesive unit Next morning, July 1, they passed through Abbottstown, Pennsylvaniastill searching for Stuart's cavalry.

Late in the morning they heard sounds of gunfire from the direction of Gettysburg. Ewell 's communications and relieve the pressure on the Union forces. By midafternoon, as they approached Hunterstown, Pennsylvaniathey encountered Stuart's cavalry. Returning to his men, he carefully positioned them along both sides of the road where they would be hidden from the rebels.

As he had expected, the rebels, "more than two hundred horsemen, came racing down the country road" after Custer and his men. He lost half of his men in the deadly rebel fire and his horse went down, leaving him on foot. The rebels broke off their attack, and both sides withdrew. Spending most of the night in the saddle, Custer's brigade arrived at Two Taverns, Pennsylvaniaroughly five miles southeast of Gettysburg around a.

There he was joined by Farnsworth's brigade. By daybreak they received orders to protect Meade's flanks. At this point, he was about to experience perhaps his finest hours during the war. Lee 's battle plan, shared with less than a handful of subordinates, was to defeat Meade through a combined assault using all of his resources.

Once the Union forces holding Culp's Hill had collapsed, the rebels would "roll up" the remaining Union defenses on Cemetery Ridge.

General g a custer biography: › World History › Military Leaders.

To accomplish this, he sent Stuart with six thousand cavalrymen and mounted infantry on a long flanking maneuver. Custer then sent out scouts to investigate nearby wooded areas. Meanwhile, Gregg had positioned Colonel John Baillie McIntosh 's brigade near the intersection and sent the rest of his command to do picket duty two miles to the southwest.

About noon, Custer's men heard cannon fire, Stuart's signal to Lee that he was in position and had not been detected. About the same time, Gregg received a message warning that a large body of rebel cavalry had moved out on the York Pike and might be trying to get around the Union right. A second message from Pleasonton ordered Gregg to send Custer to cover the Union far left.

Since Gregg had already sent most of his force off to do other duties, it was clear to both Gregg and Custer that Custer must remain. They had about 2, men facing 6, Confederates. Soon afterward, fighting broke out between the skirmish lines. Stuart ordered an attack by his mounted infantry under General Albert G. Stuart ordered Jackson's four gun battery into action; Custer ordered Pennington to answer.

After a brief exchange in which two of Jackson's guns were destroyed, there was a lull in the action. About one o'clock, the massive Confederate artillery barrage began in support of the upcoming assault on Cemetery Ridge. Jenkins's men renewed the attack, but soon ran out of ammunition and fell back. Resupplied, they again pressed the attack. Outnumbered, the Union cavalry fell back, firing as they went.

Custer sent most of his Fifth Michigan cavalry ahead on foot, forcing Jenkins's men to fall back. Jenkins's men were reinforced by about sharpshooters from General Fitzhugh Lee 's brigade, and shortly Stuart ordered a mounted charge by the Ninth Virginia Cavalry and the Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. Now it was Custer's men who were running out of ammunition.

The Fifth Michigan was forced back and the battle was reduced to vicious, hand-to-hand combat. Seeing this, Custer mounted a counterattack. Riding ahead of the fewer than new troopers of the Seventh Michigan Cavalry, he shouted, "Come on, you Wolverines! The horses and men became jammed into a solid mass and were soon attacked on their left flank by the dismounted Ninth and Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry and on the right flank by the mounted First Virginia Cavalry.

Custer extricated his men and raced south to the protection of Pennington's artillery near Hanover Road. The pursuing Confederates were cut down by canister, then driven back by the remounted Fifth Michigan Cavalry. Both forces withdrew to a safe distance to regroup. It was then about three o'clock. The artillery barrage to the west had suddenly stopped.

Union soldiers were surprised to see Stuart's entire force about a half mile away coming toward them, not in line of battle, but "formed in close column of squadrons A grander spectacle than their advance has rarely been beheld". As Stuart approached, the Union troops were ordered back into the woods without slowing down Stuart's column, which was "advancing as if in review, with sabers drawn and glistening like silver in the bright sunlight Stuart's last obstacle was Custer and his veteran troopers of the First Michigan Cavalry directly in the Confederate cavalry's path.

Outnumbered but general g a custer biography, Custer rode to the head of the regiment, "drew his saber, threw off his hat so they could see his long general g a custer biography hair" and shouted As the Confederate advance stopped, their right flank was struck by troopers of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Michigan. McIntosh was able to gather some of his men from the First New Jersey and Third Pennsylvania and charged the rebel left flank.

Within twenty minutes the combatants heard the sound of the Union artillery opening up on Pickett's men. Stuart knew that whatever chance he had of joining the Confederate assault was gone. He withdrew his men to Cress Ridge. Custer's brigade lost men at Gettysburg; the highest loss of any Union cavalry brigade. General Custer also participated in Sheridan's campaign in the Shenandoah Valley.

In this campaign, the civilian population was specifically targeted in what is known as the Burning. Stuart was mortally wounded. In the largest all-cavalry engagement of the war, the Battle of Trevilian Stationin which Sheridan sought to destroy the Virginia Central Railroad and the Confederates' western resupply route, Custer captured Hampton's divisional train, but was then cut off and suffered heavy losses including having his division's trains overrun and his personal baggage captured by the enemy before being relieved.

Sheridan and Custer, having defeated Early, returned to the main Union Army lines at the Siege of Petersburgwhere they spent the winter. In Aprilthe Confederate lines finally broke and Robert E. Lee began his retreat to Appomattox Court Housepursued by the Union cavalry. His division blocked Lee's retreat on its final day and received the first flag of truce from the Confederate force.

Custer was present at the surrender at Appomattox Court House and the table upon which the surrender was signed was presented to him as a gift for his wife by Sheridan, who included a note praising Custer's gallantry. She treasured the gift of the historic table, which is now in the Smithsonian Institution. Volunteers, making him the youngest major general in the Union Army at age Custer rode Don Juan in the grand review victory parade in Washington, D.

Instead, he hid the horse and won a race with it the next year, before the horse suddenly died. Custer arrived at Alexandria on June 27 and began assembling his units, which took more than a month to gather and remount. On July 17, he assumed command of the Cavalry Division of the Military Division of the Gulf on August 5, officially named the 2nd Division of Cavalry of the Military Division of the Gulfand accompanied by his wife, he led the division five regiments of veteran Western Theater cavalrymen to Texas on an arduous day march in August.

On October 27, the division departed to Austin. During his entire period of command of the division, Custer encountered considerable friction and near mutiny from the volunteer cavalry regiments who had campaigned along the Gulf coast. They desired to be mustered out of Federal service rather than continue campaigning. They resented the imposition of discipline particularly from an Eastern Theater general and considered Custer nothing more than a vain dandy.

Custer's division was mustered out beginning in Novemberreplaced by the regulars of the U. Although their occupation of Austin had apparently been pleasant, many veterans harbored deep resentments against Custer, particularly those in the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalrybecause of his attempts to maintain discipline. Upon its mustering out, several members planned to ambush Custer, but he was warned the night before and the attempt thwarted.

General g a custer biography: George Armstrong Custer (born December

Army, which was endorsed by Grant and Secretary Stanton. However, Sheridan and Mrs. Custer disapproved, and after his request for leave was opposed by U. Secretary of State William H. Sewardwho was against having an American officer commanding foreign troops, Custer refused the alternative of resignation from the Army to take the lucrative post.

Following the death of his father-in-law in MayCuster returned to Monroe, Michigan, where he considered running for Congress. He took part in public discussion over the treatment of the American South in the aftermath of the Civil War, advocating a policy of moderation. Formed init was led by Republican activist John Alexander Logan. In SeptemberCuster accompanied President Andrew Johnson on a journey by train known as the " Swing Around the Circle " to build up public support for Johnson's policies towards the South.

Custer denied a charge by the newspapers that Johnson had promised him a colonel's commission in return for his support, but Custer had written to Johnson some weeks before seeking such a commission. Custer and his wife stayed with the president during most of the trip. At one point, Custer confronted a small group of Ohio men who repeatedly jeered Johnson, saying to them: "I was born two miles and a half from here, but I am ashamed of you.

On July 28,Custer was appointed lieutenant colonel of the newly created 7th Cavalry Regiment[ 56 ] which was headquartered at Fort RileyKansas. On June 26, Lt. Lyman Kidder's party, made up of ten troopers and one scout, were massacred while en route to Fort Wallace. Kidder was to deliver dispatches to Custer from General Shermanbut his party was attacked by Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne.

Days later, Custer and a search party found the bodies of Kidder's patrol. One of five children, at a young age he was sent to live with an older half-sister and brother-in-law in Monroe, Michigan, and spent much of his youth bouncing between the two states. After high school, he attended the McNeely Normal School and worked odd jobs to help pay his way, eventually earning a teaching certificate.

General g a custer biography: George Armstrong Custer (December 5, –

But Custer had greater ambitions than being a grammar school teacher and soon set his sights on the military academy at West Point. While he lacked the qualifications that many of the other candidates had, his confidence eventually won over a local congressman, and with his recommendation, in Custer was enrolled at the school. But West Point was not a perfect fit for Custer, who, though he longed to climb to a higher rank in life, possessed a deep rebellious streak.

A poor student prone to misbehavior, he was frequently disciplined, nearly expelled and ultimately finished last in his graduating class in June Compounding his poor academic showing, just a few days after graduation, Custer failed as officer of the guard to prevent a fight between two cadets. Nearly court-martialed in the aftermath, Custer was ultimately saved by the outbreak of the Civil War and the desperate need for officers.

Custer was placed in command of a cavalry unit as a second lieutenant, and in July quickly earned recognition for himself with his brilliant direction of its actions at the First Battle of Bull Run. He also seemed to possess a gift for avoiding injury, which he came to call "Custer's luck. Having only recently been an unremarkable student, with his brave actions at Bull Run and elsewhere Custer soon earned the positive attention of high-ranking officers and earned himself an assignment to General George B.