Washington right. Custer,ard george 80 miles september of here. You can go visit here. Sheridan, all, have ohio roots. One way or another. Raised here. R as a friend mississippi said, of bloody bastards from your state. I guess it depends on what side youre on. Bookuestion i get about my is why is that the title . Makes your book the real custer. Easy way to answer that question is to say, thats what the publisher wanted. Rather more like a question. Who was the real custer. Know about this guy . So pervasiven is when he talk about George Custer. Whole man. He thats not the case. He had a whole life and a whole character and he was a whole person. Really the book is about trying to get to the root of that question. Who was this man . If we can strip away all of the things that have been written since then. The history everything else. Just really talk about the man himself. Its supposedwhat out. Hes more famous today. Mentioned today in books than he was at the height fame. Hes more mentioned today in books than he ever was ever in history. Look and the statistics. Up. Keeps going custer is immensely famous. Part of what well talk about is famous for. Here he is being portrayed by reagan in the historically challenged film fe trail. Where George Custer does a bunch stuff that he never, ever did. But its a movie. Thisbrown is featured in movie. Were talking about the great collection here of john brown material. Heres earl flynn as custer. They died with their boots on. Most noted in terms of 20th century, this was the of custer that people most associated with him. Earl flynn captured the seriousness and the boyishness custer the prankster about. Ell talk when someone up to that level its pretty easy to transfer them into being the super villain. After the 1960s and the 1970s thing tookort of culture, rather than heroic custerred then we had big man. Er from little we had Richard Mulligan playing of psycho. Nd selfimportant ran dop guy who decisions all the time. The realer became custard to many people. He was a blow hard. Had no military ability what so ever. Indian hater. That. Ings like that became dominant image of years. In last 30 now we have representation like night at the museum. Stiller. Uster and ben in which he lements which ill be famous for my biggest failure. Custard the goat. Year. In thinks third described him as an indifferent poor student, reckless cadet, always in trouble. And likedying pranks by everyone. West point. Ter at he said his career at west point was an example to be carefully avoided. Future cadets. Was goat of his class. He was the last in his class. Title of my other book out there. What does that mean . Dummy . At mean he was a he couldnt hack it . No. Peoplere two types of who come in at the bottom of the class at west point. The people who they get to west point. Its really hard. Struggle. They do what they can. They study all the time. Other type, the guy who gets to says, i cannd handle this. I know i can graduate from this place. I dont care about grades. I dont care about class rank. Studying, i will have a good time to the extent that i minute, illast through. Squeak that was cadet custer. In cadets like that. George picket, speaking of blowing it. S for going to bennyme havens tavern nearby. Off post highly elicit activity. Nightin the middle of the to enjoy some flips and have other escapades. Try to get together visiting at the time west point was a tourist destination. Had hotels on the post. Naturally cadets were investigating who might be in. Ked custer was definitely amongst that group. Playing pranks and doing other getting in trouble. Did. Is what custer he had a talent for getting out of trouble. George custer, whatever reason, or lucky, he would get out of trouble he got into. He institutiononed the or its purpose. When they caught him, fine, you caught me. Will take my punishment. To break the rules you have take your punishment. He began racking up lot of delinquencies. His first page was his lengthy andrd of delinquencies merits that he earned. He said, they werent extraordinary in what they were number. Their was able to walk that fine just enough having fun and get in enough trouble, still graduate. The thing the goat. A different type of officer. Class. Bottom of the insight into him had is bravery. Up and taket walk it. Thats the kind of guy he was. Theould have done better at academy if he followed the rules. He want a dummy. Wouldnt have been custer civil war came. Was really that made Custer Custer. It was a terrible thing for west point. Brothers, cadets had to split between the northerners southerners. Custer had a lot of friends on the Southern Side who have to be the class. In he had to go fight them. They still remain friends. Was the way it was. But the war became the perfect to display his talents. Point to them west battlefield faster than any graduate in the military academy in history. Within four days, he was delayed. Class went on. He was busy being courtmartialed. In the summer of 1861 hot. Things were getting within four days he went from west point to new york to washington. Into Northern Virginia and got there in time as he said run with the rest from bull run then back to arlington all days. Ce of four he realized quick what he would be an aid to to commanders. He realized in doing n hell have freedom of action. With hisan just being unit all the time, he would be like the eyes and earshis commander. He would be at headquarters when things are going to happen. Can volunteer to get involved in them. In some cases he would go out justet involved in stuff because he knew that he could no one would object. The problem with that though was, if he attach yourself to high ranking general, you better hope the guy is successful. Likely toines youre go with him. Thats what happened. George mcclellan wasnt wanted. The way lincoln he lost his command and then his influence which wasnt so good for him. But belong the way he had been lot of interesting adventures. Aid to became the here. L pleasanton shown which is very lucky for him. Time. Nt know it at the pleasanton seen him around the of battle doing brave the battle. Ing into pleasanton had this idea that he to reorganize the Union Calvary corps. Have the authority to do it. Luckily for custer, lee invades pennsylvania. Gettysberg campaign is happening. Lee invade general hooker sort on the outs with lincoln. Hes fired. Pleasanton is friends with meade. With isy meade meets pleasanton. Hey what do we need to do to lee. General pleasanton said ive been think being that. We need to reorganize the calvary corps. I want to elevate bunch of young generals so we can build this thing and go after stewart and cite these guys. He raised three guys to general 20s. Re in their. Here was Custer Custer was th the youngest of te at 23. Thats how he got to be the boy general. Circumstances happened. They wanted these guys to be brigades ascalvary an offensive arm to go after the stewarts calvary and fight on one. Pleasanton they needed people to charge in the battle. Those were his guys. Hes the youngest general officer in history of the u. S. That time. Ed. Was later supersede years old when he has a colonel, when he led the assault in january of 1865 where he was shot to pieces bed, to honorth general. As promoted to got better. D he to majored him up general. Addition to having it wasnt just lucky. Earned it. Luck was circumstances that led to it. Variousd it through the charges that he led and battles he fought. Frequently joining battles. It. Ent out and did now he had a whole brigade to fight with. Is onays later, there he day three of gettysberg. Youre familiar with the story of battle of gettysberg. Was on the right flank. Greg was not his commander, copatrick was doing stuff. Greg needed people over here. Was custer. He said okay, were going this way because something bad will and i need guys. Custer said okay no problem. Gregs instincts were right, because here comes the calvary swooping around trying to get around the support of flank in pickets charge. Thats where custer really fame with hisal charges at gettys gettysberg. With the idea he would stop, slow down and confuse what the confederates were doing. As a turned out t worked. Stopped stewarts advance. Said the action report, he the union side left the field. They left the field because they beat you. He reported it wasnt he was one who left the field. After that, the boy general with locks, he was famous. But also another important thing he convinced the men that he was leading in the michigan wondering where this 23yearold kid was general. Through that battle, he them, he has a right to be in command. Look at him go. Knows how to fight. Ofwhat if hes wearing kind eccentric uniform with gold lace tie and blue collar. It doesnt matter. Of gold lace he likeit is he can fight that. That really cemented custer. He started making friends with hurt. Ers which doesnt New York Times was following him around. Why . Because he knew they were going good story. You will spend your time following somebody around, guy that will fight and give you a good story. Its not famous for nothing. Not like he had the around andollow him didnt give them a story. He did. Thats why they loved him. Plus other commanders wouldnt to reporters. Sherman had one courtmartialed the guy. E didnt like custer maintained a good relationship. He had a bad relationship with his cocommander. Went wrong,omething kilpatrick was blamed. Something went right, custer got credit. That began to wear on kilpatrick. He didnt like that very much. To sidelineried custer and something called the raid, he sent custer on a Suicide Mission behind confederate line. If custer cameng back. The main force of the raid which turned intoved in, a tragedy. Kilpatrick didnt get killed. Big fiasco. This raid on richmond that ruined kilpatricks career in east. Custer captured prisoners. Take any casualties. Saved the day. Theot to meet with president. He was meeting with members of congress. Him. S beautiful for kilpatrick blew it. Time, we havee another reorganization where the west. S in from he brings sheridan along. Unfortunatend casualty of this raid which he opposed, is sent west. Sheridan comes in. Sheridan is going to be head of calgary. Custer and sheridan really hit well. Sheridansecame right hand man. Lincoln grant, grant had sheridan and sheridan had custer. They were fighting the kind of wanted. Lincoln get itive, offensive done thing. This was good for custer. In in the sense it gave him the opportunity to fight in many battles, which is what he wanted that. And excel at its not that he won every time. Sometimes he got pretty tough scrapes. In the book, i found every of custerould find being reported killed. Look at little bighorn and the first report of his death, no one believed it. Were so many reports of him being dead. Custer, his wife who was in washington at the time, window, boys below her ra, extrackers custer killed. Ster he becomes the instrument of war new style of aggressive thats really going to destroy the confederacy. Heres a statue of him in monroe. Hes trying to figure out what to do about all this. Of custer andch his men scouring the shanandoah valley. Summer of 1864 when grant the way to deal with the confederacy was to destroy their bread basket. They burned all the farms they lower part ofthe the valley. Custer was one of the guys who that. He was elevated to a division commander. Made a after he was major general. He went from significant ,ictories during that period cedar creek was well known. Another one i like to point out is toms brook. Heres a sketch from that battle. Races. Own as wood stock he faced off with one of his classmates. He was a confederate man. They fought each other war. Ghout the in this particular battle, there sides were lined up, confederates were in this really strong position behind a creek hill kind of dug in and ready to receive the union attack. Custer was lined up on the other side having to go down over this broken terrain. There, its pretty. Its pretty imposing terrain. Down over this creek and up and them. Before they mounted the attack, in front of the rosser up ond see the hill. Here we are. Were going to attack you. Of old. Knights here we are. Were going to do it. Ross is up there. Saying, you see that guy down there, were going to give him a wopping. He was energized by this. Of custeris is part being a show off. Hes being a showboat. Thats one way to look at it. Other way is, meanwhile, custer thisent three regiments on maneuver using terrain to sneak around the flank. Was making sure that all eyes were on him while this unit, the strike force going around and getting ready to hit the flank. When he made his charge across this really bad ground, and the ready to hittting him, they got hit in the flank, they broke and ran. That is what really happened. It was not custer showing off, this was just part of the genius he had. When to hit the enemy, when did it look like they were breaking, when did it look like they were too strong . He was just good at it. The more battles he fought, the better he got. You say he is famous for nothing, no, he is famous because he got it done. He was a natural born warrior and he just knew how to do it. So after this, and when you look at the april of 1865, when the confederate line around richmond and petersburg was broken, custer played a big role in that at the battle of five forks. Then you have this pursuit for a week to appomattox, where lees army was trying to swing south and link up with johnstons army , which was being driven by sherman up through the carolinas. The union forces were trying to keep lee from doing this. You it was custer who was and it was custer who was leading all this. He was way out in front trying to block the different sessions, positions, block the roads, block the bridges, block the railroads. Just magnificently fighting for days on end with men with little rest, taking whole regiments prisoner at a time. When he subverted a confederate regiment, he would take their banner and whoever captured it, he would put it behind him in this personal bodyguard he had. Custer would be riding along followed by 20 guys with confederate banners, showing these are the people we have defeated. I mean, it is almost medieval when you think about it. Just demoralizing as heck to the confederates to see this. And then finally, finally it was custers guys who blocked lee at appomattox, backed him into appomattox courthouse and forced the surrender of lees army. And here is custer accepting the flag of truce that suspended the fighting so that lee and grant could meet and negotiate the terms of surrender. So typical custer, where is he as history is being made, this great historic meeting, one of the greatest meetings in American History, these two west pointers from north and south are coming to end this national cataclysm . Custer, who brought it about, where is he . He is off joking around with some confederate west pointer buddy of his he had not seen in atong time, rather than be this historic meeting, he is off screwing around. That is George Custer. That is the kind of guy he was. By the way, with respect to the surrender flag, he had it sent to libby and she was disappointed that it was just a dishtowel. She thought about it, armies do not really carry around these beautiful surrender flags. It is probably a bad idea to carry those around in any case. So there he is. This is april of 1865, this photo. He is a major general. He is 25. He has spent his entire career, he went directly from west point to the war and then he spent four years fighting the greatest war of the 19th century with the biggest armies ever in the history of mankind, not just fighting in but playing a significant role in critical battles that shaped the history of that war. And so here he is. Now what . Where do you go after that . Where do you go in your career, what you do after that . He is only 25 when this photo is taken. So what you do . Well, he had options. He could have gone into politics. One of his regimental commanders became the governor of michigan, for example. Custer could have been governor of michigan, easy. It was there for the taking. He couldve been in congress, he could have been a senator. He couldve written his own ticket in politics. He could have looked at a diplomatic post he was thinking oh, maybe i could be an ambassador. Some people were doing that. There was an idea he would go to mexico and fight with the mexican rebels, who were fighting against a puppet government that had been set up by the french down there. In fact, he was going to go the secretary of state got in the way and said it might be a diplomatic incident. But he was raring to go for that. So maybe he could have gone into business, although he did not have a head for that. Who knows . He could have. He could have done many things , but instead he stays in. He stays in the army. This is when things start to go wrong. The first thing is, he goes down to louisiana and texas because, guess what, the war is still on . The war is still going on. There was still some resistance for a while, then there was an expectation there would be more resistance and through an abundance of caution the government was keeping regiments in uniform. Volunteer regiments from states of people who thought the war was over who wanted to go home. So there was a lot of desertion. In order to deter this, custer had some guys whipped. Well, this wasnt so good, because there are things you can do during the war they were hanging people. You know the expression branded a deserter . Well, take it literally. Back in the day, that is what they did. They would brand you. There were punishments. But you cant really do this in peacetime. Even though technically the war was still going on, in fact, most people thought it was over. So this got him some very bad press. He went from the golden haired hero to the hero of the lash. Particularly in iowa, the regiment where some guys were whipped, the Legislature Passed a condemnation of custer. It just didnt look good. So that was bad. The postwar drawdown affected him because once the war was over we didnt need a whole bunch of generals. So he reverted to his regular army rank of captain. Well captain is fine, but he just did all of this great, heroic stuff. Cant he get Something Better . Ok, they bumped him up to Lieutenant Colonel and made him Deputy Commander of a new regiment, the seventh calvary. Custer did not think that was so great. He helped win the war. ,verybody told him sheridan grant, all of these guys told him you helped us win the war. No. Youre going to be a regimental Deputy Commander. Ok, he will take it, but he was not happy. So in order to try to improve his station, he got linked in with supporting president johnson. Of course, he succeeded l