Pollard Memorial Library (Lowell)

Glorious war, the Civil War adventures of George Armstrong Custer, Thom Hatch

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 337-354) and index

individual biography

illustrationsmapsportraitsplates

index present

non fiction

Glorious war

bibliography

827256480

Thom Hatch

the Civil War adventures of George Armstrong Custer

From George Armstrong Custer's graduation from West Point to the daring cavalry charges that propelled him to the rank of General and national fame at age twenty-three to an unlikely romance with his eventual wife Libbie Bacon, Custer's exploits are the stuff of legend. Always leading his men from the front with a personal courage seldom seen before or since, he was a key part of nearly every major engagement in the east. Not only did Custer capture the first battle flag taken by the Union Army and receive the white flag of surrender at Appomattox, but his field generalship at Gettysburg against Confederate cavalry General Jeb Stuart had historic implications in changing the course of that pivotal battle. For decades, historians have looked at Custer strictly through the lens of his death on the frontier, casting him as a failure. While the events that took place at the Little Big Horn are illustrative of America's bloody westward expansion, they have unjustly eclipsed Custer's otherwise extraordinarily life and outstanding career. This biography of thundering cannons, pounding hooves, and stunning successes tells the story of one of history's most dynamic and misunderstood figures. Award-winning historian Thom Hatch reexamines Custer's early career to rebalance the scales and show why Custer's epic fall could never have happened without the spectacular rise that made him an American legend

West Point cadet -- Rumors of war -- Bull Run -- The cavalry charge -- Balloons and battle flags -- Aide-de-camp -- Libbie -- Pleasonton's pet -- Brandy Station -- Boy General -- East of Gettysburg -- Custer vs. Stuart -- Withdrawal and pursuit -- Evasion -- Culpeper -- The Bristoe Campaign -- Marriage -- The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid -- Change of command -- Jeb Stuart -- Trevilian Station -- The Shenandoah -- Five Forks -- Appomattox