George Armstrong Custer has long been one of the most controversial figures in American military history. Famously last in his class at West Point he was a hero of the "War to Set Men Free." Serving as a young protege to such luminaries and miscreants as George McClellan and
Alfred Pleasonton, Custer was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers at the tender age of twenty three. At East Cavalry Field, Custer led a mounted charge of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, . which he lead from the front losing more than 200 troopers in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg.Finally coming under the command of Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan in 1864, Custer was involved in most of the battles in the eastern theatre of the war, destroying Jubal Early's army and accepting the flag of truce at Appoxmatix. Promoted brevet Major General he amassed a stellar career as a fighting officer.
He was vain and theatrical but that was the style of the time. Although his soldiers mocked his costumes they respected that he lead from the front unlike many other officers of the time. Perhaps he was too stupid to be afraid, but there is no doubt he was a man of courage. The fact is he was a warrior. And warriors kill people. Warriors like Gengkis Khan, Saladin, El Cid, Richard the Lionhearted, Charles Martel, Gustas Alpohus, Napleon, Wellington, Andrew Jackson, Nathan Beford Forrest, Robert E. Lee, US Grant, Black Jack Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and George Patton. Some were more brutal than others. But they were in the business of killing the enemy. As Patton once said "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." Poltical attitudes come and go and standards of behavior change over time but the fundemental rules still apply.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.
Alfred Pleasonton, Custer was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers at the tender age of twenty three. At East Cavalry Field, Custer led a mounted charge of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, . which he lead from the front losing more than 200 troopers in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg.Finally coming under the command of Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan in 1864, Custer was involved in most of the battles in the eastern theatre of the war, destroying Jubal Early's army and accepting the flag of truce at Appoxmatix. Promoted brevet Major General he amassed a stellar career as a fighting officer.
He was vain and theatrical but that was the style of the time. Although his soldiers mocked his costumes they respected that he lead from the front unlike many other officers of the time. Perhaps he was too stupid to be afraid, but there is no doubt he was a man of courage. The fact is he was a warrior. And warriors kill people. Warriors like Gengkis Khan, Saladin, El Cid, Richard the Lionhearted, Charles Martel, Gustas Alpohus, Napleon, Wellington, Andrew Jackson, Nathan Beford Forrest, Robert E. Lee, US Grant, Black Jack Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and George Patton. Some were more brutal than others. But they were in the business of killing the enemy. As Patton once said "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." Poltical attitudes come and go and standards of behavior change over time but the fundemental rules still apply.
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.
5 comments:
We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.
"Before there can be an army, navy and air force capable of protecting us, there must be a citizenry that believes we are worth defending."
Mona Charen, "Moral Disarmament"
I dunno...most officers in the 19th century led too often from the front, often getting gakked in the process! Stonewall Jackson would have better served the South in a tent in the rear, not riding where he could -- and did -- get shot.
The trouble was Ron in the 19th Century the information was at the front.
It has only been since teeh advent of modern communications that a General could realistically lead toops from the rear.
@Redneck, Ron is right about Jackson at Chancellorsville. He was personally leading a recon team consisting of himself and his HQ staff after dark in the gap between his own troops and the Union troops. He couldn't simply send a small unit of cavalry to do what 19th century cavalry was supposed to do?
I haven't personally studied Custer, but the available evidence suggests that the word for him is "impetuous." In the 19th century this was sometimes translated into "gallantry." There's a story that early in the war McClellan and his staff were standing on the edge of some creek in Virginia and debating how deep it was. Finally young Custer got tired of the circular arguments that were going nowhere and simply rode his horse out into the middle of the stream where the water came up to the middle of its legs. Then Custer told McClellan "Here, General, this is how deep it is."
I think in the 20th century Patton would have given him a medal for that action and Westmoreland would have ordered a court martial.
Remind me again which one of those generals won his war?
I dunno...most officers in the 19th century led too often from the front, often getting gakked in the process!
This is very true. The numberof general officers who were killed in the Civil War is staggering in contemporary terms. In addition to losing some 6-7 thousand men in Pickett's charge on the 3rd day, he also lost some of his best brigade and divisional commanders.
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