George Armstrong George Armstrong CusterCuster

George takes a stand…and it’s his Last!

Table of ContentsTable of Contents• Introduction• Early Life• West Point• The Civil War• Marriage• Life on the Plains• Battle of Little Big Horn• Legacy for Eternity

This song “Garry Owen” was played at the Battle of WashitaTheir instruments froze that day because of the icy cold air.

• He was religious,

• He respected the elderly and women,

• He was kind to children and animals.

• Out of his thirty-seven years, fourteen were spent in active warfare.

• One of Custer’s friends described him in one sentence,” This was a man.”

Custer As Described By His FriendsCuster As Described By His Friends

George Armstrong CusterGeorge Armstrong Custer

• Born: 1839 - New Rumley, Ohio

• School: Monroe, Michigan

I do have a COOL COOL

mustache!

Nicknames: Fanny, Curley, Yellow Hair, Son of the Morning Star, & Autie (Little George’s way of pronouncing his middle name)

•George grew up with his half-sister and brother-in-law in Michigan.

•He then taught school in Ohio before going to the U.S. Military Academy at West point, NY.

Some say I got into the Academy because this rich guy wanted me to stay away from his

daughter!

Custer graduated 34th out of 34 students from West Point which made him last in his class.last in his class.

A few days after graduation, he failed to stop a fight between two cadets. He would have been court-martialed, but the start of the Civil War kept him from being punished.

I was always in trouble,

I just

didn't like school!

The Civil War1861 – 1865

• July 20, 1861 – 2nd Lieutenant

• July 27, 1861 – 1st Lieutenant

• 1862 – Captain

• 1863 – Brigadier General

• 1864 – Major General

Reports of “Outstanding leadership Reports of “Outstanding leadership and bravery” led to rapid promotions. and bravery” led to rapid promotions.

Many experienced officers were very Many experienced officers were very jealous having to take orders from a jealous having to take orders from a boy young enough to be their son. boy young enough to be their son.

Custer had eleven horses shot out from under him during the Civil War

GENERAL CUSTER PRESENTING CAPTURED BATTLE-FLAGS AT THE WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON,

OCTOBER 23, 1864—[SKETCHED BY A. R. WAUD.]

HARPER'S WEEKLY

Custer gets MarriedCuster gets Married

George married Elizabeth Clift Bacon (Libbie) February 4, 1864.

She went almost everywhere with her husband

She defended her husband’s reputation every year till she died in 1933 at the age of 91!age of 91!

In 1874. Custer wrote a book called “ My Life On The Plains” The book was about his life while living in Kansas.

His wife, Libbie, also wrote several books about their adventures out west.

Custer Goes West

Custer loved to hunt with friends and famous people including P.T Barnum, Buffalo Bill Cody & pictured here

the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanov.

Once, Custer got into trouble when he worried about Libbie and went AWOL (absent without leave)

After the trial, Custer wanted to rebuild his reputation, and accomplish something BIG! This desire led to his next adventure.

• Battle of Washita: November 27th, 1868 (present day Oklahoma)

• Custer attacked in a foot of snow

• 875 captured Indian ponies were killed by Custer’s solders to keep the Indians from using them.

The Battle of WashitaThe Battle of Washita

“ There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Calvary.” (George Armstrong Custer)(George Armstrong Custer)

Custer and his troops killed 103 Indians and 53 were captured. Some of the Indians killed were

woman and children.

Some called this battle a massacre, but Custer’s commander Sheridan said “ the victory was

complete, and the punishment just.”

Indians tribes at the Battle include the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho and Apache.

Items from Kansas were found at the Battle of

Washita. Hundreds of settlers had recently been killed in

Kansas by Indian raids

Many Indians signed a treaty at Fort Laramie including Chief Red Cloud. This treaty created

a large Sioux reservation. The sacred Black Hills and Powder River areas in the Dakotas

were forbidden to white people.

A Temporary Peace – A Temporary Peace – November November 18681868

The Sioux called themselves Lakota, which means “ the people” But white men called these same Indians the Sioux which means “enemies” or

“servants”.

In 1874, rumors of gold in the Black Hills brought Custer and the Seventh Calvary to the Dakotas.

Custer reported “gold was indeed there”

He was also looking for a good place to build a fort.

Custer carved his name in this rock.

The Girl I Left Behind MeThe Girl I Left Behind Me

I'm lonesome since I crossed the hill, And o'er the moor and valley.

Such grievous thoughts my heart do fill, Since parting with my Sally.

I seek no more the fine nor gay,For each does but remind me,

How swift the hours did pass away, With the girl I left behind me.

This song was played by an army band as

Custer left his fort for the last time.

Battle Of Little Bighorn June 25th 1876

This painting made in 1878 has several mistakes. It shows Custer with the wrong uniform, long hair, and wearing a saber (sword)

In 1899, twenty years of research led Edger Paxson to a more accurate painting, hair shorter, no sword, and wearing his buckskins.

Sitting Bull

After pulling fifty pieces of flesh from both of his arms, Sitting Bull had a

vision that white soldiers would soon attack his village, but the Indians

would win.

“I see many soldiers with their

hats coming off and their heads bowed”

Mistakes made by Custer.Mistakes made by Custer. •He split up the Seventh Calvary into 3 groups leaving him a little over 200 men.

•He refused to take Gatlin guns because they would slow his march.

•He attacked a large Indian Village protected by over 2,000 Indian warriors.

•He thought the Indians would flee when he attacked.

Why was Custer in a hurry to fight?

President Grant was mad at Custer because he had testified against Grant’s brother at a trial. Grant fired Custer from

command, but General Terry got Custer his job back. Custer wanted to save his

reputation with a great victory!

Quotes from Low Dog, an Indian Chief at the battle

“. I called to my men, "This is a good day to die: follow me."

“I did not think it possible that any white men would attack us, so strong as we were.”

“They came on us like a thunderbolt. I never before nor since saw men so brave and fearless as

those white warriors.”

After a 40 mile march, Custer split his exhausted troops into three columns and attacked the heavily armed Indian village.

He thought they would run and hide…he was WRONG!

Custer's luck! The biggest Indian Village on the Continent!“

He spoke these words within hours of his death at the hands of the Sioux

warriors.

Custer’s last order written by Lieutenant W.W. Cook

“Come on, big village, be quick, bring packs.”

“Hold your horses in boys, there are plenty of them down there for all of us!” George Custer.George Custer.

Custer and over 200 brave soldiers died June 25th, 1876, just ten days before America’s

Centennial celebration.

America’s

Centennial Flag

(38 Stars) with Colorado having (38 Stars) with Colorado having just been added to the Unionjust been added to the Union

Drawings made at Custer's funeral

Sitting Bull told a newspaper reporter that Custer was the last to die and that he died laughing.

Custer’s Burial at West Point, New York

“The Long Hair stood like a sheaf of corn with all the ears fallen around him.”

Sitting Bull October 17th, 1877

From far Dakota's canons(written by Walt Whitman)

FROM far Dakota's cañons,Lands of the wild ravine, the dusky Sioux, the lonesome stretch, the silence,Haply to-day a mournful wail, haply a trumpet-note for heroes.The battle-bulletin,The Indian ambuscade, the craft, the fatal environment,The cavalry companies fighting to the last in sternest heroism,In the midst of their little circle, with their slaughter'd horses for breastworks,The fall of Custer and all his officers and men.

Works Cited

Thank You to the following Organizations & People

Harper’s Weekly Pictorial history, USA Today Magazine, Sons of the South, Mark Katz photographs, Reader’s Digest, William Reusswig, Zachary Kent, Kansas

Historical Society, Queen, Soggy Bottom Boys, John Denver, Robert Shaw, Yanni, USAF Heritage of America Band, & Victor Young,

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