The Last Days of George Armstrong Custer

by Thom Hatch

  Custer is an American hero—a man who rose from meager beginnings to attain greatness by his own abilities and talents—and that same resentment that fueled inferior people with weak character like Frederick Benteen to disparage him, sadly enough, continues to this day.

  Custer’s military career from Bull Run to the Little Bighorn was by any measurement one of the finest in American history. Many military icons immortalized to this day cannot come close to matching the accomplishments of Custer. Yet his image has been sullied by unfair portrayals in silly, historically embarrassing movies and books, and especially in classrooms and textbooks where social and political agendas have supplanted truth.

  Heroes and villains? The Battle of the Little Bighorn has no lack of either—but too often the villains have been portrayed as heroes and vice versa. It is time to balance the account, set the record straight, and restore and pay tribute to heroes who have fallen prey to the academic and pop-culture bullies who cannot accept the premise that everyone throughout history has not been equal and that great men have actually walked this earth—and their accomplishments attest to that fact.

  Finally, thank God for the bravery and sacrifices of the American military, which has responded without question to their country’s call and performed their duty with honor throughout history.

  Appendix

  Table of Organization and Casualty Report of the Seventh Cavalry Little Bighorn Campaign

  Nearly every source about the battle differs in estimated casualty totals. This Table of Organization and Casualty Report was compiled as best as possible from the official Seventh Cavalry Muster Rolls dated June 30, 1876. Those troopers from companies attached to Custer’s battalion listed as wounded in action or who died of wounds were serving with either another company or the pack train at the time of the battle. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to calculate exact strength numbers for individual companies.

  Although identification was impossible in some cases due to mutilation, 208 or 210 bodies—accounts vary—were said to have been found and buried on June 27, 1876, on the Custer battlefield. This figure may not account for an undetermined number that may have been missing from the field—excluding Lieutenants Henry M. Harrington, James E. Porter, and James G. Sturgis, who were presumed to have been killed but their bodies never found.

  Code: (KIA): Killed In Action; (WIA): Wounded In Action; (DOW): Died Of Wounds; (MIA): Missing In Action.

  HEADQUARTERS

  Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, commanding (KIA)

  First Lieutenant William W. Cooke, adjutant (KIA)

  Lieutenant George E. Lord, assistant surgeon (KIA)

  Mitch Bouyer, interpreter (KIA)

  Marcus H. Kellogg, correspondent (KIA)

  Harry Armstrong Reed, attached civilian (KIA)

  Boston Custer, forage master (KIA)

  (3 officers KIA; 2 enlisted KIA; 4 staff KIA)

  CUSTER’S BATTALION

  Company C

  Captain Thomas W. Custer (KIA)

  Second Lieutenant Henry M. Harrington (MIA)

  (1 officer KIA; 1 officer MIA; 36 enlisted KIA; 4 enlisted WIA; 1 enlisted DOW)

  Company E

  First Lieutenant Algernon E. Smith (KIA)

  Second Lieutenant James G. Sturgis (MIA)

  (2 officers KIA; 37 enlisted KIA; 2 enlisted WIA)

  Company F

  Captain George W. Yates (KIA)

  Second Lieutenant William V. W. Reily (KIA)

  (2 officers KIA; 36 enlisted KIA)

  Company I

  Captain Myles W. Keogh (KIA)

  First Lieutenant James E. Porter (MIA)

  (2 officers KIA; 36 enlisted KIA; 1 enlisted WIA; 1 enlisted DOW)

  Company L

  First Lieutenant James Calhoun (KIA)

  Second Lieutenant John J. Crittenden (KIA)

  (2 officers KIA; 44 enlisted KIA; 1 enlisted WIA)

  RENO’S BATTALION

  Major Marcus A. Reno, commanding

  Second Lieutenant Benjamin H. Hodgson, adjutant (KIA)

  Company A

  Captain Myles Moylan

  First Lieutenant Charles DeRudio

  (8 enlisted KIA; 7 enlisted WIA; 1 enlisted DOW)

  Company G

  First Lieutenant Donald McIntosh (KIA)

  Second Lieutenant George D. Wallace

  (1 officer KIA; 13 enlisted KIA; 6 enlisted WIA)

  Company M

  Captain Thomas H. French

  (12 enlisted KIA; 11 enlisted WIA; 1 enlisted DOW)

  Attached

  James M. DeWolf, acting assistant surgeon (KIA)

  Henry R. Porter, acting assistant surgeon

  Second Lieutenant Charles A. Varnum, commanding Indian scouts (WIA)

  Second Lieutenant Luther R. Hare, with Indian scouts

  Isaiah Dorman, interpreter (KIA)

  Frederic Girard, interpreter

  George B. Herendeen, scout

  Billy Jackson, scout

  Bloody Knife, scout (KIA)

  Charles Reynolds, scout (KIA)

  (Indian scouts—2 KIA; 2 WIA)

  BENTEEN’S BATTALION

  Captain Frederick W. Benteen, commanding (WIA)

  Company D

  Captain Thomas B. Weir

  Second Lieutenant Winfield S. Edgerly

  (3 enlisted KIA; 3 enlisted WIA)

  Company H

  First Lieutenant Francis M. Gibson

  (2 enlisted KIA; 20 enlisted WIA; 2 enlisted DOW)

  Company K

  First Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey

  (5 enlisted KIA; 3 enlisted WIA)

  Pack Train

  First Lieutenant Edward G. Mathey

  (Civilian packers—1 KIA; 1 WIA)

  Company B

  Captain Thomas M. McDougall

  (2 enlisted KIA; 5 enlisted WIA)

  DETACHED SERVICE

  Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis; Major Lewis Merrill; Captain Michael V. Sheridan; Captain Charles S. Illsley; Captain John E. Tourtellotte; Captain Owen Hale; First Lieutenant Henry J. Nowlan (with Terry); First Lieutenant William T. Craycroft; First Lieutenant Henry Jackson; Second Lieutenant Charles W. Larned.

  LEAVE OF ABSENCE

  Major Joseph G. Tilford; First Lieutenant James M. Bell; Second Lieutenant Ernest A. Garlington.

  SICK LEAVE

  Second Lieutenant Charles Braden; Second Lieutenant Andrew H. Nave.

  TOTAL CASUALTIES

  KIA—260

  WIA—68

  DOW—6

  MIA—3

  Sources

  Sources for events in the life and times of George Armstrong Custer—and the Little Bighorn Campaign in particular—are so plentiful that selecting one or even several in specific footnotes does not do justice to a subject. Therefore, I have chosen to offer multiple sources when possible accompanied by commentary in order to provide a view of relevant material for casual reading or in-depth research. Every effort has been made to supply readily accessible material in addition to official or obscure documentation. Not every item pertaining to a subject has been listed as a source, only those that are the most helpful and pertinent—others may be found by perusing the bibliography. All quotations have been cited by chapter and verse.

  Chapter One

  The Wrath of President Grant

  The best readily available account of the Belknap impeachment hearings and Custer’s involvement can be found in chapter 6 of Custer’s Luck, by Stewart.

  The official report: “Report on Management of the War Department, Rep. Heister Clymer, Chairman of Committee,” House Reports no. 79, 44th Congress, 1st sess. serial no. 1715 (1876).

  Periodicals with interesting contemporary reporting about Custer’s involvement in the hearings include: Nation (New York), March 16, 1876; Army and Navy Journal, April 1, April 8, April 15, May 27, 1876; New York Herald, May 2, May 6, May 10, June 6, 1876; New York World, May 1, 2, 6, 1876; New York Times, May 1, 1876; Cincinnati Enquirer, April
5, 1876; and Cincinnati Commercial, April 5, 1876.

  Another notable source is: “Campaign Against the Sioux in 1876,” by Hughes, reprinted in The Story of the Little Bighorn, by Graham.

  For information about Custer’s snub of Belknap at Fort Lincoln, see “Custer’s Last Meeting with Secretary of War Belknap at Fort Abraham Lincoln,” by Brigham.

  The kickback scheme by Belknap and Grant is detailed in Tales from Buffalo Land, by Burdick and “The Malfeasance of William Worth Belknap, Secretary of War” by Prickett.

  Interesting information about Custer’s activities in Washington and New York at the time of the Belknap hearings, including extracts from correspondence with Libbie, is contained in The Custer Story, edited by Merington.

  Custer’s early life is covered in a number of references, including: Custer Genealogies, edited by Carroll and Horn; Ronsheim’s Life of General Custer; Custer’s Ohio Boyhood, by Wallace; General Custer and New Rumley, Ohio, by Carroll; “Custer’s First Romance Revealed” by O’Neil; and Frost’s Custer Legends.

  Custer’s boyhood is also predictably found within his biographies. Surprisingly, given the amount of information written about George Armstrong Custer and the famous battle, few notable biographies are available.

  Rather than start with the best biography, the first one published still deserves attention. That would be A Complete Life of Gen. George Armstrong Custer, by Whittaker. Whittaker, who was a British expatriate and Civil War brevet captain in the Sixth New York Cavalry, had met Custer at the offices of Sheldon and Company where he worked as a dime novelist during the time Custer published his My Life on the Plains with that firm. Libbie Custer provided Whittaker with Custer’s personal correspondence, and the book was released within six months of Custer’s death. The biography was an instant success and played a major role—second only to Libbie—in transforming Custer into an enduring national hero.

  That portrayal went unchallenged until 1934—one year after Libbie’s death—when Van de Water’s Glory-Hunter was published. In this iconoclastic work Van de Water, an admirer of Sigmund Freud, attempted to delve beyond the deeds and into the mind of Custer. Van de Water concluded that Custer was a deeply flawed man, a perpetual adolescent, addicted to fame, driven and destroyed by ambition, and responsible for the defeat at Little Bighorn.

  A compelling, if not rather unusual, biography is The Custer Story, by Merington. Hundreds of excerpts from letters, the majority written by Custer and Libbie, provide a unique, intimate insight into these private lives. Merington, who was a close friend of Libbie Custer in later life, adds a narrative that fills in the blanks and puts the letters in proper perspective. This “firsthand” account stands as one of the better portrayals of Custer, Libbie, and their life and times.

  The next biography of note is Custer, by Monaghan. This book, which is favorable without exception to Custer and is written with a captivating flair, highlights his Civil War career. Some critics have complained, however, that the book fails to provide a completely satisfying account of the Little Bighorn battle.

  One biography barely worth mentioning is Kinsley’s two-volume Favor the Bold, which offers little of value.

  Crazy Horse and Custer, by Ambrose, presents the story with speculation wherever facts are absent. This intriguing book reconstructs a period in history through the eyes of two notable participants and, although some re-creations provoke skepticism, the exciting narrative makes for a good read.

  One book of borderline biography is Hofling’s Custer and the Little Big Horn: A Psychobiographical Inquiry. As the title suggests, this speculative work delves into the deeper recesses of the Custer legend, and therefore is not recommended for the beginner.

  One of the best biographies, which was made into a pathetic movie, is Connell’s Son of the Morning Star. Connell restores Custer’s reputation as a heroic figure and does so not in chronological order of his life but by wandering off on research tangents into aspects of white–Indian relations and culture that some have found enlightening while others have deemed maddening. There are several drawbacks to this work, however. One is the brief treatment of certain aspects of Custer’s life in order to concentrate on events pertaining to Plains history and characters. Another is the lack of any sort of documentation, which, considering the diversified subject matter, would have been quite helpful for the researcher. Also, the index is relatively sparse, which often requires the reader to leaf through the pages when seeking specific material. Nevertheless, this book is utterly fascinating.

  The best biography for the beginner or casual reader—and not to exclude the serious student—is Utley’s Cavalier in Buckskin. Although this view of Custer can be less than flattering at times, Mr. Utley, an Old West historian without peer, brought a lifetime of knowledge and perspective to this biography.

  One “specialty” biography that deserves mentioning is The Custer Album, by Frost. This volume not only tells the story in an inspiring narrative by one of the foremost Custer scholars but, as the title suggests, also is chock-full of photographs and drawings that depict just about everyone and everything associated with Custer.

  Another book that does not snugly fit into the category of biography but should be noted is The Custer Reader, edited by Hutton. Beginning with the Civil War, the reader is presented a series of reprinted articles by Custer, his contemporaries, and noted historians that portray Custer’s personality and career and the many myths surrounding his life. Hutton’s accompanying excellent commentary places each piece in its historical perspective.

  Perhaps the most ambitious biography to date is Wert’s Custer. This meticulously researched, well-written study covers every aspect of Custer’s life in a balanced and thoughtful manner. Wert did not fall victim to the myths and legends perpetuated by earlier biographers but, rather, carefully analyzed each claim to present the most factual portrayal possible and backed up his findings with ample documentation.

  One of Custer’s modern-day relatives, Brice C. Custer, now deceased, provides interesting family anecdotes and admirably defends his great-great-uncle in his Sacrificial Lion George Armstrong Custer. This book not only offers a clear view of Custer’s life but also challenges critics of the general who have failed to properly research their subject.

  For Custer’s West Point career, the best volume would be my Glorious War, which portrays the true personality of the young Custer as he matures into a man. Also see The Class of 1861, by Ralph Kirshner, which provides an interesting insight into Custer and his West Point contemporaries.

  For a fascinating and often unintentially humorous account, read “Skinned”: The Delinquency Record of Cadet George Armstrong Custer U.S.M.A. Class of June 1861, by Horn. For an official view see: Register of Delinquencies, 1856–61; and also Regulations for The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; Custer and His Times, book 2, edited by Carroll; and 4 on Custer by Carroll.

  The quotes of Custer’s classmates can be found in Frost’s Custer Legends, 136; Schaff, The Spirit of Old West Point; and Hutton’s Custer Reader, 9.

  Custer’s letter about the worries of impending war written to Ann Reed, November 10, 1860, is in the George Armstrong Custer Collection, Monroe Library System.

  For a great portrait of the men and traditions of West Point, with amusing Custer anecdotes, one of the best overall books is The Spirit of Old West Point, by Schaff.

  Custer’s West Point court-martial record can be found in Special Orders, no. 21, U.S. Military Academy Archives.

  Chapter Two

  Glorious War

  The definitive account of Custer’s Civil War career can be found in my Glorious War. From Custer’s West Point days to the daring exploits that propelled him to the rank of general and the cavalry charges that gained him national fame, with special attention to his romance with Libbie Bacon, this book encompasses every aspect of his incredible service to the country.

  One of the first books to cover Custer’s Civil War career was Custer Victorio
us by Urwin. A minor drawback to this well-written work is that—as the title suggests—it concentrates on the battles when Custer was a general and fails to adequately chronicle his first two years of service and associated aspects of his career, including his courtship of Libbie.

  Custer’s own words in Custer in the Civil War, edited by Carroll, provide an insightful glimpse into his early career, and this would have been a major work had it been completed for the period beyond May 1862. This volume also includes all of the official reports written by Custer and provides an extensive bibliography in the appendix that cites every Civil War book the editor could locate that mentions Custer.

  Another notable book is Custer and His Wolverines, by Longacre, which focuses on the Michigan “Wolverines” with and without Custer. The best memoir is Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer’s Michigan Brigade in the Civil War, by Kidd, which was written by one of Custer’s officers who had an excellent eye for detail and offers a fascinating portrayal of Custer and his exploits. Other notable sources include: Last Hours of Sheridan’s Cavalry, by Tremain; East of Gettysburg, by Riggs; From Winchester to Cedar Creek, by Wert; and The Union Cavalry in the Civil War, vol. 1 and vol. 2: The Union Cavalry in the Civil War in the East, by Starr.

  McClellan’s quote about Custer can be found in McClellan’s Own Story, 364.

  The quote from the official report about Custer’s action, “the first to cross the stream…,” is found in O.R. series 1, vol. 11, pt. 1, 651–54, or more conveniently located in Reynolds, The Civil War Memories of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, 75.

  Perhaps the most appealing biography of Libbie Custer is General Custer’s Libbie, by Custer scholar and Libbie admirer Lawrence A. Frost. A close second would be the intriguing and informative Touched by Fire, by Barnett. Another biography of note is the meticulously researched and well-written Elizabeth Bacon Custer and the Making of a Myth, by Leckie. Excerpts from a sample of Libbie’s correspondence, some of which have been donated to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, can be found in The Custer Story, by Merington, which provides an excellent narrative of the Custers’ life together. See also: A Life Within a Life, by Kines; “Sidesaddle Soldier: Libbie Custer’s Partnership in Glory,” by Ambrose; “Mrs. General Custer at Fort Riley, 1866,” by Millbrook; “The Girl He Left Behind,” by Tate; and “Elizabeth Bacon Custer in Japan: 1903,” by Wabuda.