Who is George A Custer, Indian Fighter, Civil War Cavalry

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George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn

George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 - June 25, 1876) was a United States Army cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Promoted at an early age to a temporary war-time rank of Major General, and later made a permanent Lt. Colonel, he was a flamboyant and aggressive commander during numerous Civil War battles, known for his personal bravery in leading charges against opposing cavalry. He led the Michigan Brigade whom he called the "Wolverines" during the Civil War. He was defeated and killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, against a coalition of Native American tribes comprised almost exclusively of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe warriors, and led by the Sioux chiefs Crazy Horse and Gall and by the Hunkpapa seer and medicine man, Sitting Bull. This confrontation has come to be popularly known and enshrined in American history as Custer's Last Stand.

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George Armstrong Custer early life

Custer was born in New Rumley, Ohio, to Emanuel Henry Custer (1806-1892), a farmer and blacksmith, and Marie Ward Kirkpatrick (1807-1882). [1] Throughout his life Custer was known by a variety of nicknames. He was called alternately Autie (his early attempt to pronounce his middle name), Armstrong, Fanny, or Curley. When he went west, the Plains Indians called him Yellow Hair and Son of the Morning Star. His brothers Thomas Custer and Boston Custer died with him at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, as did his brother-in-law and nephew. His other full siblings were Nevin Custer and Margaret Custer, plus he had several older half siblings.

The Custer family had emigrated to America in the late 17th century from Westphalia, Germany. Their surname originally was "Küster". George Armstrong Custer was a great great grandson of Arnold Küster from Kaldenkirchen, Duchy of Jülich (today North Rhine-Westphalia state), who settled in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Custer's mother's maiden name was Marie Ward. At the age of 16, she married Israel Kirkpatrick, who died in 1835. She married Emanuel Henry Custer in 1836. Marie's grandparents, George Ward (1724-1811) and Mary Ward (nee Grier) (1733-1811), were from County Durham, England. Their son James Grier Ward (1765-1824) was born in Dauphin, Pennsylvania and married Catherine Rogers (1776-1829), and their daughter, Marie Ward, was Custer's mother. Catherine Rogers was a daughter of Thomas Rogers and Sarah Armstrong, which is the source of Custer's middle name.

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George A. Custer

General George Custer 7th US Cavalry ~ Song "Comanche"
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GA Custer

Family life

The Custer family had emigrated to America in the late 17th century from Westphalia, Germany. Their surname originally was "Küster". George Armstrong Custer was a great great grandson of Arnold Küster from Kaldenkirchen, Duchy of Jülich (today North Rhine-Westphalia state), who settled in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Custer's mother's maiden name was Marie Ward. At the age of 16, she married Israel Kirkpatrick, who died in 1835. She married Emanuel Henry Custer in 1836. Marie's grandparents, George Ward (1724-1811) and Mary Ward (nee Grier) (1733-1811), were from County Durham, England. Their son James Grier Ward (1765-1824) was born in Dauphin, Pennsylvania and married Catherine Rogers (1776-1829), and their daughter, Marie Ward, was Custer's mother. Catherine Rogers was a daughter of Thomas Rogers and Sarah Armstrong, which is the source of Custer's middle name.

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Gen. George Armstrong Custer, Circa 1870.

Gen. George Armstrong Custer, Circa 1870.

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Vanmark Civil War George Armstrong Custer

Vanmark Civil War George Armstrong Custer

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What Do You Think of George Armstrong Custer?

George Armstrong Custer

  • d-artist May 27, 2012 @ 4:11 pm | delete
    Interesting and informative lens...I never knew he also was of German Heritage.
  • PaperQuest May 28, 2012 @ 4:18 pm | delete
    Thanks for dropping by, d-artist! Mr. Custer was a complex person. And of good German stock.
  • reasonablerobinson Mar 8, 2012 @ 11:52 am | delete
    The Armstrong part of his name associates him the border region of England and Scotland which makes him linked to Border Reiver clans of which my family is one.
  • PaperQuest Apr 30, 2012 @ 1:59 pm | delete
    reasonablerobinson, thanks for dropping by. I checked some of your lenses about Border Reiver clans, very interesting.
  • ideadesigns Mar 1, 2012 @ 9:40 am | delete
    Nice work on George Custer.
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