General George Custer

[j.sabourn]

Some points about the famous man in US history taken from a much longer diatribe.
Why did he rush recklessly into battle with the Sioux at the Little Bighorn ? Could it be that he thought a well earned victory would sweep him into the White House?
His orders were to wait until June 26 when all 3 groups of an expeditionary force would take action together. He thought he had a chance to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for President that year, and the convention was 2 days away. He was ready to gamble his soldiers lives on a long shot.
He’d made a name for himself 10 years earlier. Even though he graduated at the bottom of his class at West Point, his. Civil war record earned him promotion to general at the age of 23, he was the youngest man to ever wear a generals star-and still is. But after the war this temporary rank was removed and he reverted to lieutenant colonel. He’d also been court martialled on a number of charges among them AWOL . He was a popular figure in the Press. He had influential friends and also had some unpleasant information on the administration of the Republican President Ulysses S Grant.
Anyhow the times and dates put strong emphasis on the fact that the battle was mismanaged by Custer as his mind was elsewhere on his political aims and targets, otherwise the battle of the little big horn . Would never have been such a disasterous affair . Mismanagement by a budding would be politician is the usual answer.
JS

[Captain Kong]

He also said,
"I don't understand these Indians , they were all singing and dancing ten minutes ago."

[David Williams]

My Great,Great,Great Grandfather was killed at
the battle of the Little Big Horn.He wasnt involved
in the battle itself but he was camping in the next
field and only went over to complain about all the
noise.
Dave Williams

[Bengy Roberts]

David good one

[Keith at Tregenna]

I'd think his last words were something along the lines of:

ow...ow....ow...ow ow ow ow owowowowowowowowowowow

DANG THAT HURTS

?

[Keith at Tregenna]

He also said,
"I don't understand these Indians , they were all singing and dancing ten minutes ago."

Don't know what his last words were but I bet the last thing that went through his mind was an arrowhead.

[j.sabourn]

You go first I’ll be there in a minute. Custer ordered Reno to attack first, promising he and the rest of the command would soon follow. Reno led his cavalry unit towards the Indian village along the banks of the Little Bighorn river, and a large band of warriors came out to meet them. Reno ordered his men to dismount and fight on foot. The number of Indian warriors kept growing, and there was no signs of reinforcements. Reno ordered a retreat to the woods as even more warriors joined the battle,Reno ordered another retreat - this time to a more defensible position on the high bluffs along the river. In the chaos of the retreat Reno had to leave a lot of men behind. The ones who made it to the bluffs fought off wave after wave of attacks for the next 36 hours. When the dust had settled a third of Reno’s battalion was dead.
Blame it on Reno.... Marcus Reno had fought as bravely as any man present , but his actions on that day seemed erratic to the big brass. They needed a scapegoat and all eyes turned slowly to the malcontented Reno. At the official enquiry Reno was completely exonerated on the charge of cowardice . But the mere accusations seemed to unhinge him, his actions became more and more unsettling.
After a few tacky incidents involving the fair sex , the army dishonourably discharged the now broken -major Reno. His last 10 years he lived in a state of near inebriation . He died in 1889.
Almost a hundred years later in 1967 his case was reopened and the army changed his records to have been honourably discharged . They also ordered his remains re interred in the sacred ground of the Little Bighorn cemetery.
If you thought the town of Reno, Nevada was named after him. The answer is no- it was named after another civil war hero Major General Jesse Reno.
Jws.

[Fouro]

Just thought I'd mention General Custer's mother was Marie Ward and that her grandparents- George Ward and Mary Ward (nee Grier ) were originally from County Durham, England.

Fouro.

[Bill Cameron]

In a church in Edinburgh’s West end is St Johns Episcopal, inside is a memorial window dedicated to John Stuart Forbes, a rascal from a well to do family, he was a gambler, and escaped Scotland to evade his debts. After travelling around the world, he landed in the USA, where he joined the Seventh Cavelry under General Custer, we all know what happed at the Little Big Horn, allegedly found in his foot locker, was a letter from his Mother, saying come home your debts have been payed. Nae Luck eh?

[Bengy Roberts]

In a church in Edinburgh’s West end is St Johns Episcopal, inside is a memorial window dedicated to John Stuart Forbes, a rascal from a well to do family, he was a gambler, and escaped Scotland to evade his debts. After travelling around the world, he landed in the USA, where he joined the Seventh Cavelry under General Custer, we all know what happed at the Little Big Horn, allegedly found in his foot locker, was a letter from his Mother, saying come home your debts have been payed. Nae Luck eh?

WHO=forbes