George Armstrong Custer

George was married to Elizabeth Bacon and stayed committed to her throughout his life. They were deeply committed to each other and wrote long passionate letters to each other whenever George was away fighting battles.

He was known to have a flair for dramatics. He was known to be very careful about his appearance and used perfume oil to maintain his blonde hair and his glorious moustache.

He was 36 years old at the time of his death. Following his death, his wife, Elizabeth, spent her life writing about his heroics and about their time together.

George Armstrong Custer was born on December 5, 1839, in New Rumley, Ohio, into a middle-class family. His father, Emanuel Henry Custer, was a farmer and a blacksmith. His mother, Marie Ward Kirkpatrick, was a homemaker. George was the eldest child in the family and had four younger siblings. He also had three half-siblings from his father’s previous marriage.

George was raised as a strong democrat. All the other children in the family, too, were raised to be tough humans. Much of George’s remarkable courage was due to his father, who had been strict with him ever since he was a little kid.

One of George’s half-sisters was married to a wealthy man in Michigan. George spent most of his school years at his sister’s house in Michigan. He attended ‘McNeely Normal School.’ George did a number of odd jobs, such as carrying coal, to earn enough money to pay for his education.

As soon as he finished high school, George became a teacher. Following this, he thought of entering the ‘United States Military Academy.’ Being a teacher who taught at a grammar school, he lacked the qualification that was necessary to enter the military academy.

He met a congressman who made sure he got enrolled into the academy. George entered the military academy in 1857, but the duration of the course was shortened to four years once the ‘Civil War’ broke out in 1861. He was the last on the graduates’ list.

In July 1861, George witnessed war for the first time during the famous Battle of Bull Run, where he was stationed as a second lieutenant. His job was to carry messages from one senior officer to another. He displayed immense courage and presence of mind, which was appreciated by Major General George B McClellan, a commander of the ‘Union Army.’

George was appointed to work closely with a number of senior officers and developed contacts with many commanders. This led to his promotion. He became a brigadier general of US volunteers at the tender age of 23. He was to lead the ‘Michigan Cavalry Brigade,’ which included four regiments from his home state of Michigan.

Over the next few years, he proved his worth as a highly efficient military commander and earned for himself the nickname “Boy General,” owing to his young age. He became known for leading his cavalries in the iconic battles of Gettysburg and Yellow Tavern. Media houses such as the ‘New York Tribune’ published stories praising his antics on the battleground and claimed that he would later be known as a “first class hero.”

By the time the ‘Civil War’ ended, he was given the highly prestigious rank of major general. His cavalries played a decisive role in the capture of ‘Confederate Army’ general Robert E Lee in 1865, which was one of the major events that marked the end of the Civil War.

Several honors were bestowed upon him. He was gifted the table on which the peace agreement was signed. A letter praising George was sent to his wife, by General Philip Sheridan. According to General Sheridan, George had played a decisive role in bringing the war to an end.

Several counties in the six American states of Oklahoma, Colorado, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana have been named after him. Several municipalities have also been named in his honor.