TRUTH about George Armstrong Custer - Forgotten History

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Almost every American knows the name and believe that they know the story

of George Armstrong Custer if for nothing else his defeat and death at the Battle

of Little Big Horn. But Custer had a colorful career long before that fateful day including

service in the Civil War and after that on the Western Frontier. Eho was the real George

Armstrong Custer/ What was his real claim to fame? How was he perceived by his peers

and enemies? Did he really accomplish anything of military value during his

career? Hello I'm Colin Heaton military veteran

historian author and welcome to this episode of Forgotten History [Music]

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George Armstrong Custer was born in New Rumley Ohio on December 5th 1839 into a large extended

family. When rather young he went to live with an older half sister and her husband in Michigan.

Custer did well in various schools and was hired as a young teacher for about one year. Growing

up in a middle class family with no political connections and a reputation as a rabble rouser

somehow he did manage to obtain a recommendation to the US Military Academy at West Point after

he turned 18. Upon matriculating in 1857 Custer despite being highly intelligent and gifted in

many areas such as history geography Latin Greek and horsemanship he was a disciplinary problem

earning many demerits and restrictions and was basically a lazy student nearly being expelled

several times. Custer amazingly collected 726 demerits in just 4 years almost setting a West

Point record and his dismal academic standing saw him graduate last in his class.The student

graduating last is commonly referred to as the "Goat". His lack of academic achievement would

have normally limited his future Army career but with the Civil War having just started officers

were badly needed and after he was commissioned as a second lieutenant he was assigned to Washington

DC. Despite his unimpressive academic record the US Army desperately needed officers to serve in

the newly begun Civil War. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and then found himself in

the proper location to make connections. Custer's baptism of fire was at the First Battle of Bull

Run in July 1861. His actions and methods deemed "reckless" by many impressed Union

General George McClellan who placed him on his staff. Custer then made a name for himself in

a small way during the Peninsula Campaign that began in the spring of 1862 where he earned his

growing reputation for both bravery and reckless leadership. Custer would take many chances that

many of his peers and superiors would not; he was not a calculating cavalry leader but more

of an immediate reactionist. Through his combat career while his men fell wounded and dead around

him he rarely sustained anything resembling a major injury. When he saw an opportunity he took

it. It became known as "Custer's Luck". Custer also became famous as a narcissistic publicity

hound never missing the opportunity to have his picture taken or give an interview to newspaper

men who reported on the war. In fact the Harper's Weekly newspaper attached a permanent reporter to

Custer throughout the war because his name and exploits sold newspapers. In fact Custer was

the one officer they usually went to for a story whether he was involved in an action or not but

Custer's luck endeared him to the senior Union leadership. He led by example in battle never