CUSTER
CUSTER
enjoyed the conlidence of Governor BradfV)rd,
and on the death ot Eider Brewster becanu i til-
ing elder of the church. His wife was the la.st
survivor of the Mayflower passengers and died in
1099, aged ninety years. In 1856 a granite nion-
unient wa-s erected at Plymouth by the descend-
ants of Robert and Thomas Cuslinian. Elder
Cusliinrin died in Plymouth, Mass.. Dec. 11, l(>9-,\
CUSTER, George Armstrong, soldier, was
born iu New Ruinley. llarri.son county, Ohio. Dec.
.■). 1839: son of Emmanuel H. and Maria (Ward)
Kirkpatrick Custer. His paternal great-grand-
father. Kiister, was a Hessian officer, who after
the Revolution settled in Pennsylvania, where
he married, and afterward removed to Maryland.
George was edu-
cated at the dis-
trict school, at
Stebbins acad-
emy, and at
Monroe semi-
nary. He then
taught school at
Hopedale. Ohio,
and in 18oT ob-
tained an ap-
pointment as
cadet at the U.S.
military acad-
emy, where he
was graduated in
1861. He was as-
signed to the 2d
U. S. cavalry as
2d lieutenant, repurted at Washington, D.C., in
July. 18(51, to General Scott, and was entrusted
by him with dispatches to General McDowell at
Centerville, Va., which he delivered July 21, as
the battle of Bull Run was about to begin, and
then joined his regiment on the field. In the fall
of 1801 he was ordered home on sick leave and on
his return in February, 1862, he rejoined the army,
being a.ssigned to the 5th U.S. cavalrj'. When
McClellan assumed command of the army of the
Potomac, March 11, 1862, young Custer was
selected l)y Gen. Philip Kearny as his fir.st aide-
de-camp. He rejoined his regiment after the Con-
federates evacuated Manassas and at the head of
a detachment of his company charged the retreat-
ing Confederate pickets across Muddy Creek. He
then served before Yorktown as as.sistant engi-
neer on the staff of Gen. W. F. Smith in the left
wing under CJeneral Sumner. He planned and
erected the earthworks nearest the Confederate
lines and when the enemy evacuated the place,
he was with Hancork in pursuit of the retreating
army. He was the first officer to wade the
Chickahominy in the advance of the army, mark-
ing the ford and reconnoitring the enemy's
position on the other side. This service won
from the commanding general an appointment
as aide-decaini; on his start witii the rank oi
captain, to date from June 15, 1862. On the
iie.xt day, with two companies of cavalry and one
of infantry, he surprised the " Louisiana Tigers,"
acting as a picket guard, and stampeded them,
taking several prLsouers and personally seizing
the colors, tiie tirst such trophy capti.red by the
army of the Potomac. He took i)ait in all the
battles of the Peninsula and when General Mc-
Clellan was superseded he returned to his ccni-
mand, having been raised to the grade of Ist
lieutenant on the recommendation of Ids late
chief in July, 1862. When General Hooker, the
new commander, organized the cavalry as a sep-
arate corps of the army of the Potomac and
General Pleasanton was made a divL^ion com-
mander, Lieutenant Custer became a member of
liis staff and took part in the battles at Brandy
Station and Aldie, Va. In connection with Col.
Judson Kilpatrick and Colonel Doughty of the
1st Maine regiment he brilliantly led a cavalry
charge at Aldie and for the action was promoted
brigadier general of Aolunteers to date from June
2o, 1863. He was thereupon given command of
the Michigiin cavaliy brigade which he led in the
battle of Gettysburg and with Gregg and Mcin-
tosh resisted the efforts of Gen. J. E. B. Stuart to
turn the left flank of Meade's army. This action
secured him his brevet as major in the regular
army to date from July 3, 1863. He pursued
with his brigade the retreating armj- of General
Lee through the A*alley and in an engagement
with the enemy at Culpeper his horse was killed
under him and he was badly wounded. Upon his
recovery his brigade was assigned to the 1st
division of Sheridan's cavalry corps and he led
the advance of the corps to within four miles of
the Confederate capital, but being unsupported
l)y infantry, on May 11. 1864, the entire force
swung around to White House on the Pamun-
key river and there co-operated with General
Grant. In a second cavalry raid near Gordons-
ville the Confederates shot Custer's color-bearer
and the general saved the flng by tearing it from
the staff and hiding it under his coat. He was
in the cavalry charge of Sept. 19, ir64, which de-
termined Sheridan's victory of that day and on
Sept. 26 he was transferred to the command of
the 2d division, West Virginia cavalry, but before
assuming command received promotion to the
command of the 3d cavalry division. He shared
with Gen. Wesley ^lerritt the battle of Wood-
stock, Oct. 9, 1864, which was a sabre fight in
which they routed the Confederates and followed
up the victory by a pursuit of the enemy for
twenty-six miles. At Cedar Creek, Oct. 19. 1864.
Custer and Merritt with from six to seven thou-
