Those Custer Boys (Article 94)

George Armstrong Custer left historians and other western authors with numerous stories (some partly true, some mostly false, and many exaggerated); but the most often told is about Custer’s Last Stand against a coalition of Native American Tribes at Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876. Even his title as “General” given in most accounts is an exaggeration, as he was a Lt. Colonel at the time of his death. Often overlooked, however, is the fact that two of his brothers, Thomas and Boston, were with him at the time. All three “Custer boys” died that day.

 But George Armstrong and Thomas were Civil War heroes, and Boston was a loyal younger brother who was willing to follow them into battle. In George’s case, he was a good career officer and effective battle leader in the Civil War who deserves to be remembered for more than just his “Last Stand.” Thomas, the middle brother, was a true hero of the Civil War and was twice awarded the Medal of Honor, still a rarity today. Boston was too young to enlist at the time, but joined his brothers, serving the U.S. Army as a contractor as soon as he was old enough.

 While the catchy term “Custer’s Last Stand” is not incorrect, George Armstrong had many other successful “Stands” before his death in 1876. And, because of his independent and aggressive tendencies, he was also involved in other controversial actions. He became an Army officer by graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point just as the Civil War broke out in 1861. He graduated at the bottom of his class and had no recommendations from the staff except that he was an exceptional horseman. He was considered careless, undisciplined, and a poor student; and those traits led him to accumulate more demerits as a Cadet than anyone before him in the history of the institution. The fact is that Cadet Custer did not care about his standing. He just wanted an officer’s commission and a chance to lead in battle

 The Civil War had already started, and immediately upon graduation, the new Second Lieutenant was given a series of staff positions, near battle lines, but not in a leadership position, nor in direct action against the enemy. However, as his superior officers’ performance reports noted, he became a much better young officer than his cadet records might have predicted; despite his occasional audacious actions. In one instance, he and other mounted officers accompanied a senior General to determine the best place for their troops to cross a river. The General said, “It would help to know how deep it is?” Custer suddenly broke ranks, and rode his horse into the river, fought the current, and reached the other side! Then Custer yelled back, “That’s how deep it is, General.”

 But, eventually, he would get his chance in battle.

In June 1862, while serving in Virginia, he successfully led a series of pointed attacks and was personally congratulated by Commanding General George McClellan for “A very gallant affair.”  Officers who served with Custer admired his courage in battle, but some noted that he began to embellish the circumstances of the engagements. Such exaggerations were not entirely unusual for young officers, many of whom wanted a chance for a leadership position and progression to a higher rank. However, the promotions the younger officers received were usually not permanent changes in rank, but were granted temporarily (termed brevet) to give an officer authority during a specific battle or a tactical mission. In June 1863, at only twenty-three years of age, George Armstrong Custer received one of the brevet promotions to Brigadier General; and he made the most of it.

 His troops soon learned that they had a General who would lead from the front and would become among the first to engage the enemy. His cavalry charges became known as the “Custer Dash” as he exhorted others to follow his lead.

At Gettysburg, in July 1863, General Custer led his men in a charge against a superior Confederate force, which became one of the many small turning points in that epic battle. As described by a contemporary, General Custer rode to the front of his men, threw off his hat, so that his men could see his long hair, yelled “Come on you Wolverines” and, with his sabre raised, charged headlong into the Confederate cavalry. They rode so fast and hard that the two forces met in more of a collision than a battle, with men and horses thrown into the air; but Custer had stopped the Confederate advance. Evidently not satisfied that his superior officers would record the epic charge with the dramatic flair it deserved, Custer wrote in his battle report, “I challenge the annals of warfare to produce a more brilliant or successful charge of cavalry.” And then, almost as an afterthought, he added that 257 of his 400 men were listed as killed or wounded and inactive; which, if correct, may have been the worst casualty rate of any Union Force at Gettysburg. (It must be noted that records by other regimental officers in Custer’s command indicate a much lower casualty figure for all of Custer’s nearly 1,200 troops; perhaps Custer intended to address only one specific group in his report.)

 However, Custer was an effective battle leader and was respected by Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Phillip Sheridan, who ensured Custer was present at Appomattox Court House when General Grant met Robert E. Lee for the surrender of those Confederate forces. Custer considered it a great honor, which he often related to others.

At the end of the Civil War, George Custer had several civilian career options, but he decided to stay in the Army as a Cavalry officer, assigned to the Western Frontier of Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas.  Earlier, in 1864, George had married Libbie Bacon. Some say he waited until he was a General to propose, but the fact is that they had known each since they were children and had corresponded regularly.  Contemporary accounts, plus Libbie’s articles after her husband’s death, indicate a couple deeply committed to each other.                           

Most historians overlook Custer’s wife, and that is a mistake, as Libbie had a strong influence on him. Perhaps his fighting legend is difficult to reconcile with the fact that he was a devoted husband. Custer missed Libby when they were apart and he once, in 1868, even risked arrest by his commanding officer for being AWOL (absent without leave) to visit her. He was only saved from Court Martial by a higher-ranking General who wanted Custer to lead a force deeper into Indian territory. As a historical side note, many years after the “Last Stand” at Little Big Horn, a former Indian Scout began to circulate an oral Cheyenne legend that George Armstrong had taken a Cheyenne woman as a wife and fathered two children by her during the period 1868-1869. That story still surfaces, but most historians believe it is untrue as there is evidence that George Armstrong was unable to father children because of an early illness. If the oral tradition has any validity, it was likely that his brother Thomas was the Custer involved. George’s widow never remarried and, for the rest of her life, attacked the rumors as false whenever they surfaced.

George Armstrong expected to retire from the U.S. army when he was forty, probably to begin a political career, and live the rest of his life with Libby. But he did not get that chance. He died at the age of 36 with his men facing an overwhelming force on June 25, 1876. It is historically unfortunate when an officer, who courageously fought for the United States and whose leadership in battle assured numerous victories, should primarily be remembered for a failed mission. He deserves better. 

Then, there is his brother, Thomas Custer, who enlisted in the Union Army, in September 1861, at age 16. He served as a foot soldier in the early campaigns of the Civil War and distinguished himself in battle. Superior officers gave him several field promotions, when other officers were killed or wounded, and he became recognized as a natural leader of men. These promotions to Lieutenant and Captain, were all temporary ranks and he would revert to his permanent rank of Corporal when the mission was over. That was standard procedure at the time and Thomas accepted that he was considered an enlisted soldier, not an officer, and just did his duty as asked.

But his bravery under fire was unquestioned. Thomas is one of only a few soldiers to be twice awarded the Medal of Honor; and both were for capturing Confederate Regimental flags while under intense enemy fire. In one instance, he not only seized the enemy flag, he actually captured several Confederates and marched them back as his prisoners to Union lines. These were not just foolhardy exploits as these battle flags, for both sides, symbolized more than regimental pride. During the chaos and confusion of combat, soldiers watched their Regimental flag and if it advanced, flanked, or retreated they would follow. Being chosen to carry the Regimental flag was an honor; however, the loss of a Regimental flag to the enemy was considered an embarrassing defeat.

Thomas mustered out with his unit in October 1864, before the war was over; however, based on stellar reports by superior officers, he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He became an aide to his brother, General George Armstrong Custer and accompanied him throughout the last year of the war.  Thomas was only twenty years old when the war ended.

He respected his older brother and was willing to serve as a junior officer in his units, during and after the Civil War. And, he was willing to follow his brother into harm’s way; which certainly is a special brotherhood.

But the Custer Boys also included the youngest brother, Boston! He was too young to enlist when the war started, but became a civilian contractor to the Army in the late stages of the war.  After the Civil War ended, when his brothers left for the Indian Territory, Boston joined them as a forage master for George's 7th Cavalry Regiment. On June 25, 1876, along with his 18-year-old nephew Henry Reed, Boston was trailing the main force with supplies when George Armstrong sent a courier to request more ammunition. Boston and Henry delivered the ammunition near Little Big Horn and there they both died along with George and Thomas.

Often lost in the story is that First Lieutenant James Calhoun, who was George’s brother-in-law, was also with the “Custer Boys” that day, and died with the others.

 So, how should we look at the Custer boys, George, Thomas, and Boston? There is no doubt in my mind that George and Thomas were heroes of the Civil War and dutiful soldiers for the U.S. Army afterward. And, Boston must have loved being with his brothers to follow them westward into what was certain to be a dangerous mission.

 They should all be remembered for more than the “Last Stand.”