Controversial American military man (1839-1876). Though he barely graduated from
West Point and was
court-martialed twice, Custer achieved
fame during the
Civil War and numerous
wars with the
American Indians.
He had a
reputation as a
brilliant and
charismatic leader, but he also made some famously
bone-headed decisions. More than once, he charged
enemy forces without knowing how
strong they were, he broke
formation to chase
game (he once got
lost while chasing
buffalo and accidentally
shot his own
horse), and he made
wild detours to
hunt for
Indians.
Custer was madly in
love with his
wife, Elizabeth, frequently "
forgetting" his
orders so he could go see her, but he also kept an
Indian concubine. He also loved
dogs and
horses; he wept in public when one of his
favorite dogs died. He also loved
music and traveled with his own
brass band, as well as a
personal chef. He also had a reputation as a boundlessly
enthusiastic optimist with a deep-seated love of
practical jokes. He was a
dandy, an early master of
public relations, an excellent
horseman, and an obsessive
writer, sometimes writing from sundown to sunrise. I'm really not sure how much he hated Indians, if at all -- but he made war on them often enough that it may not matter.
Custer is most
famous for his
tragic misstep at
Little Big Horn. In 1876, he and 250 of his
soldiers attacked an Indian camp, not knowing that it included numerous
tribes and about 2,500
warriors, including great
chiefs like
Crazy Horse and
Gall. Custer sent back
messengers requesting immediate
aid, but he strayed too close to the
camp, where his men were
surrounded and
massacred.
Research from GURPS Who's Who 2, compiled by Phil Masters, "George Armstrong Custer" by Joel Sparks, pp. 90-91.