Custer, the Great American Hero

[pam]

what did I musunderstand, misread or mispeak about?

[archeobabe]

I disagree with Custer being a hero.  He was a hothead and had an ego that knew no boundary.  He won two medal of honors during the civil war or the war between the states if you are a southerner but he won those medals through his ruthlessness.  He should not have split his troops and waited for artillery before attacking the camp.  Custer was told the size of camp by his Crow scouts and they knew that it would have been suicidal if they attack without reenforcement.  Custer's officers hated him.  I know that it was sign of the times that the saying "a good indian was a dead indian."  But to kill women and children during these engagments what I considered cowardly.  On the History channel did an show on the Battle of Little Big Horn if it ever come on again watch it.  It might clear up a lot questions.

[pam]

Archeobabe, exactly.

[W. Gray]

The person under discussion as the great American hero in the original thread was not George Armstrong Custer.

The person under discussion was Thomas Ward Custer.

The messages ensuing were talking about the Battle of the Little Big Horn being a family affair.

I might add that George Armstrong was convicted under court-martial after the Civil War--in the state of Kansas.

He did not win a medal of honor.

[pam]

Ok, I admit when I make a mistake. I reqad and did some research and realize now you were talkin about Tom not George, my apology sir

[W. Gray]

For a minute there, I thought you were going to try to convince me I was "splittin hairs" and there was no difference between Tom and George.

[flo]

  buyer beware and don't forget to read the fine print for some people will try to trick you.

[Diane Amberg]

Too many Custers can spoil the soup!  My great grand father was with George for a time and did not care for him at all. Thought he was very foolish and shallow in his thinking, and sad but not surprised he got people killed. I have no idea what he thought about the other Custers.  I know Great Grand Pa disliked Indians, but thought what was done to Black kettle and others was a disgrace.  He thought the buffalo soldiers were fine soldiers, and very honorable.  I don't know much more of the family history of that time.   

[W. Gray]

More than one family branch was spoiling the soup.

Thomas E. Thompson was an outstanding newsman and editor but his Howard Courant on several occasions reported that Elisha D. Custer was a brother of George Armstrong.

The Elk County History book picked up on that and includes it in local history.

Elisha Custer was the Howard County treasurer who embezzled $30,000, equivalent to about $800,000, today.

Tom was living in Boston, Kansas, at the time Custer fled the county never to be seen again.

Turns out that if they were related, he was George Armstrong's cousin. 

[archeobabe]

Forgive me that I mistook the article about T W Custer, I thought that is was about George Custer.  I don't know to much about this Custer.  Is there any books written about the forgotten Custers?