CUS'TER, GEORGE ARMSTRONG (1839-76). An American soldier, born in New Runlet', Harrison County, Ohio. lie graduated at \Vest Point in 1861, was assigned as a second lieutenant to the Fifth United States Cavalry, and arrived at the front on the day of the first battle of Bull Bun. lie served suceessively as an aide on the staffs of Generals Phil Kearny. William F. Smith, and McClellan, was promoted to be a captain of volunteers, and served throughont the Peninsular campaign of 1862. In .Tune, 1863 he was made a brigadier-general of volunteers, and was placed in command of a brigade of Michigan volunteer cavalry, which, under his leadership, became one of the mad efficient and best-trained bodies of cavalry in the Federal Army. At the head of these troops he distinguished himself at the battle of Gettysburg. His brigade was then at tached to Sheridan's cavalry corps. with which he served in the campaigns in Virginia in the spring and summer of I864, and the subsequent operations in the Shenandoah Valley. Placed in command of the Third Division of She•idan's corps. he won a victory at Woodstock and dis tinguished himself at the second battle of Win chester (Cedar Creek). He was brevetted major gene•al of volunteers on October 19, 1864, for his services, defeated General Early at Waynes boro, and took part in the battles of Five Forks, Dinwiddie Courthouse. and other engagements of Grant's last campaign. After several months' service in Texas during the winter of 1865-66, he applied for leave of absenee, in order to ac cept the offer which had been made him to take command of the cavalry which Juarez was or ganizing to drive the Emperor Maximilian out of Mexico. His request being denied, he accept ed the position of lieutenant-colonel of the Sev enth Cavalry. In 1867-68, he gained his first experience as an tndian tighter in Gen. \V. S. Ilancock's campaign against the Cht-yennes, bringing the campaign to a sue•.sful conclusion by a decisive defeat of the Indians at Washita, 1. '1'., in November, 1868. From 1571 to 1873 lie was stationed with his regiment in Kentucky. In the spring of the latter year be was ordered to Dakota Territory to operate against the Sioux, who, under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. had formed a confederacy with other tribes in Dakota and and had succeeded in or ganizing one of the most formidable Indian re volts the United States Government had ever had to contend with. During the next three Custer and Ids command considerable active service in the Black Hills country and along the valley of the Yellowstone. In the spring of 1876 General Sheridan planned a cam paign against the Indians which he hoped would be decisive. Three expeditions were set under way, with the expectation that they would meet and act in conjunction against Sitting Bull and his foree of about 6001) Indians, who were sup posed to be encamped somewhere near the junc ture of the Rosebud and the Yellowstone. Gen eral Crook, with 2500 troops, was to advance from the east: General Terry, with a force of about the same size, from the south; and Gen eral Gibbon, with a smaller force, was to follow the Yellowstone from the west. Custer and his
regiment of 600 strong formed part of General Terry's force. On .Tune 17 Crook, feeling his way along the Yellow-stone, came upon Crazy Horse and some hundred of his braves on the Rosebud, and engaged them in a sharp but inde eisive struggle. Terry and Gibbon had mean while effected a junction on the Yellowstone, at the mouth of the Big Morn, without encounter ing 'Indians in any number. After their engage ment with Crook on the Rosebud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull led their forces in a southwest erly direction, until they were directly south of Terry and Gibbon, where they set up their tepees on the west bank of the Little Big Horn. This new move of the Indians was discovered by scouts sent out by Terry, who immediately de termined to march upon them. He sent Custer and his cavalry ahead to prevent them from turning to the eastward, and prepared to follow by boat up the Big Horn with all his own troops and Gibbon's, with the understanding that he would meet Custer at the junction of the Big and Little Big Horn on June 26. BM Custer, riding night and day, reached the place a day ahead of tittle. Ti is scouts discovered the Indian encampment on the morning of June 25. 31 is taken as to the number of his antagonists. Cus ter, with his accustomed impetuosity, determined to attack them at once, without waiting for Terry. Ile divided his troops into three divi sions. Ile kept with himself five companies. with which be planned to attack that part of the village that lay directly before him. dividing the remaining six companies .11111jor Reno and Captain Benteen. the latter being sent two miles to the southward, while Reno advaneed midway between Ilenteen and Custer. Thus fatally divided. the Seventh Cavalry advanced to the attack of an enemy outnumbering- them ten to one. Benteen's advance took him far south of the village. Tieno'A rather spiritless attack led him against the south end of the village, where he was repulsed and driven back across the river to the shelter of a protecting bluff. Custer and his five companies dashed almost at the centre of the Indians, were driven back and surrounded, but fought on desperately until every man of them was killed. Not a single man sur vived to give any account of the tragedy. but their bodies were found the next day when Terry's troops relieved the reunited forces of Itenteen and Reno, who had been holding their position on the bluffs with difficulty. holding was one of the bravest, most daring, and dashing soldiers America has produced, but he undoubt edly allowed his impetuosity to get the better of his judgment. Ile was the author of My Life on the Plains (1874). Consult Whittaker, Life of General George A. Custer (New York, 1876). General Custer's wife, ELIZABETH BACON CUSTER. is well known as an author. She ac companied him in many of his campaigns on the frontier, and published: Boots and Saddles, or Life with General Custer in Dakota (1885) ; Tenting on the Plains (1887) : and Following the Guidon (1891).