Changes

| death_place=Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in [[Montana]]

| death_place=Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in [[Montana]]

'''Resting place''':<br>

'''Resting place''':<br>

Little Bighorn battlefield, later reinterred at West Point Cemetery in West Point [New York]]

Little Bighorn battlefield, later reinterred at West Point Cemetery in West Point, [[New York]]

| nickname=Yellow Hair

| nickname=Yellow Hair; Iron Pants

| allegiance=Union Army

| allegiance=Union Army

| branch=[[United States Army]]

| branch=[[United States Army]]

| commands-[[Michigan]] Cavalry Brigade<br>3rd Cavalry Division<br>2nd Cavalry Division<br>7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment

| commands-[[Michigan]] Cavalry Brigade<br>3rd Cavalry Division<br>2nd Cavalry Division<br>7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment

| battles=[[American Civil War]], including:<br>

| battles=[[American Civil War]], including:<br>

First Battle of Bull Run]]<br>

[[First Battle of Bull Run]]<br>

Peninsular Campaign<br>

Peninsular Campaign<br>

[[Battle of Antietam]]<br>

[[Battle of Antietam]]<br>

Siege of Petersburg<br>

Siege of Petersburg<br>

Appomattox Coampaign<br>

Appomattox Coampaign<br>

[[American Indian]] Wars

[[American Indian]] Wars<br>

Battle of Washita River<br>

 

Battle of the Washita River<br>

[[Custer's Last Stand|Battle of the Little Bighorn]]

[[Custer's Last Stand|Battle of the Little Bighorn]]

|spouse=Elizabeth Bacon Custer (married 1864-1876, his death)

|spouse=Elizabeth Bacon Custer (married 1864-1876, his death)

}}

}}

''' George Armstrong Custer''' (December 5, 1839 &ndash; June 25, 1876) was a [[United States Army]] officer and [[cavalry]] commander in the [[American Civil War]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Armstrong-Custer|title=George Armstrong Custer {{!}} Biography, Battles, Death, & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-02-06}}</ref> and the [[American Indian]] Wars in the western portion of the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/george-armstrong-custer-changing-views-of-an-american-legend.htm|title=George Armstrong Custer: Changing Views of an American Legend|author=Louis Kraft|date=September 1, 2006|publisher=HistoryNet|accessdate=February 6, 2020}}</ref>

''' George Armstrong Custer''' (December 5, 1839 &ndash; June 25, 1876) was a [[United States Army]] officer and [[cavalry]] commander in the [[American Civil War]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Armstrong-Custer|title=George Armstrong Custer {{!}} Biography, Battles, Death, & Facts|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-02-06}}</ref> and the [[American Indian]] wars in the western portion of the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/george-armstrong-custer-changing-views-of-an-american-legend.htm|title=George Armstrong Custer: Changing Views of an American Legend|author=Louis Kraft|date=September 1, 2006|publisher=HistoryNet|accessdate=February 6, 2020}}</ref>  His untimely death left his 34-year-old widow [[Elizabeth Custer]] to embark on a nearly 60-year effort to promote him as a hero, which was successful until she passed away.  Sporting famous "long, golden curls" popular with the public, he had them cut before he met his final demise in battle: "Like the biblical [[Samson]], Custer would find that his haircut was a prelude to disaster."<ref>https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/disastrous-attack-led-to-george-armstrong-custers-last_stand-mx.html</ref>

Custer graduated in 1861 at the bottom of his class from the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point, [[New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/west-points-worst-cadet-george-armstrong-custer.htm|title=West Point's Worst Cadet: George Armstrong Custer|author=Duane Schultz|date=February 6, 2020}}</ref> As the Civil War was just starting, trained officers were in immediate demand. He worked closely with General [[George B. McClellan]], his fellow partisan [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who recognized Custer's abilities as a cavalry leader. At the age of twenty-three, he was made brigadier general of volunteers. He fought in at least sixteen Civil War battles and was present at the surrender of the  [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[General]] [[Robert E. Lee]].

Custer graduated in 1861 at the bottom of his class from the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point, [[New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historynet.com/west-points-worst-cadet-george-armstrong-custer.htm|title=West Point's Worst Cadet: George Armstrong Custer|author=Duane Schultz|date=February 6, 2020}}</ref> As the Civil War was just starting, trained officers were in immediate demand. He worked closely with General [[George B. McClellan]], his fellow partisan [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who recognized Custer's abilities as a cavalry leader. At the age of twenty-three, he was made brigadier general of volunteers. He fought in at least sixteen Civil War battles and was present at the surrender of the  [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[General]] [[Robert E. Lee]].

Sent into the Indian Wars thereafter, he met an early demise at the age of thirty-six at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]] in southern [[Montana]]. All of his regiment died in the fight against the Sioux. Custer was buried with his falle men on the site of the battlefield. However, Custer's corpse was later re-interred at West Point.

Sent into the Indian Wars thereafter, he met an early demise at the age of thirty-six at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]] in southern [[Montana]]. All of his regiment died in the fight against the Sioux. Custer was buried with his fallne men on the site of the battlefield. However, Custer's corpse was later re-interred at with a hero's burial at [[West Point]].

One of his scouts, [[James H. "Dog" Kelley]], took care of Custer's of dogs. As a parting gift from the Army, Custer gave Kelley, later a [[mayor]]  of Dodge City, a dozen greyhounds. Hence Kelley acquired his nickname, "Dog."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37681654/james-h.-kelley|title=James H. "Dog" Kelley|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=April 3, 2021}}</ref>

One of his scouts, [[James H. "Dog" Kelley]], took care of Custer's of dogs. As a parting gift from the Army, Custer gave Kelley, later a [[mayor]]  of Dodge City, [[Kansas]], a dozen greyhounds. Hence Kelley acquired his nickname, "Dog."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37681654/james-h.-kelley|title=James H. "Dog" Kelley|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=April 3, 2021}}</ref>

==References==

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Custer, George Armstrong]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Custer, George Armstrong}}

[[Category:Ohio]]

[[Category:Ohio]]

[[Category:Montana]]

[[Category:Montana]]

[[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

[[Category:Democrats]]