Custer Loses For The 147th Time

[Ben Lamb]

Man, I really thought this year was going to be George's time to shine.

 

[BuzzH]

BuzzH - Before you cast stones, I suggest you do some extensive reading on Custer. Most think he was a glory hound, stupid and as you put it...a loser. He was anything but any of those. He marks a place in our history and did many great things before his demise. Do you realize that he saved the Union at Gettysburg? Most think the battle was over with Pickett's charge, but the Confederate forces were also swinging around the "fishhook"of the Union lines and even though Pickett's charge failed, the Union lines were on the verge of being enveloped. Except Custer, with a lesser force, charged Stuart' Cavalry and drove them back. During that engagement Custer had 11 horses shot out from under him. Although he made a tactical error was unsupported and later crucified by his fellow comrades, Custer was following the mission and was following a tactic that had worked many times before. The Sioux and Cheyenne had always surrendered when the women and children were captured. Custer was trying to pin the warriors down with Reno's column and swing to the North of the camp to catch the fleeing women/children to bring the tribes to heel and escort them to the Reservations. Custer's mistake was a lack of accurate intelligence of the exact size of the opposing force, splitting his command ( I believe if he had split in two, he may have been okay, but three? Too few forces in each column) and a undercutting and unreliable subordinate command. Reno should have never led the initial and southern attack column. He was incompetent and a drunk. Benteen was a jealous and backstabbing antagonist that had he been my subordinate, I would have court-martialed or transferred him away to a pop-sicle stand in Nome AK. You also have to emmerse yourself in the time frame to really know the who, what, why and where of this moment in history.

Custer lost...get over it.

 

[COEngineer]

BuzzH - Before you cast stones, I suggest you do some extensive reading on Custer. Most think he was a glory hound, stupid and as you put it...a loser. He was anything but any of those. He marks a place in our history and did many great things before his demise. Do you realize that he saved the Union at Gettysburg? Most think the battle was over with Pickett's charge, but the Confederate forces were also swinging around the "fishhook"of the Union lines and even though Pickett's charge failed, the Union lines were on the verge of being enveloped. Except Custer, with a lesser force, charged Stuart' Cavalry and drove them back. During that engagement Custer had 11 horses shot out from under him. Although he made a tactical error was unsupported and later crucified by his fellow comrades, Custer was following the mission and was following a tactic that had worked many times before. The Sioux and Cheyenne had always surrendered when the women and children were captured. Custer was trying to pin the warriors down with Reno's column and swing to the North of the camp to catch the fleeing women/children to bring the tribes to heel and escort them to the Reservations. Custer's mistake was a lack of accurate intelligence of the exact size of the opposing force, splitting his command ( I believe if he had split in two, he may have been okay, but three? Too few forces in each column) and a undercutting and unreliable subordinate command. Reno should have never led the initial and southern attack column. He was incompetent and a drunk. Benteen was a jealous and backstabbing antagonist that had he been my subordinate, I would have court-martialed or transferred him away to a pop-sicle stand in Nome AK. You also have to emmerse yourself in the time frame to really know the who, what, why and where of this moment in history.

There's always that one guy...searching the internet to correct the wrongs of the uninformed and right some random historical inaccuracy. It's usually me, so thank you, CAV67.

 

[madtom]

Man, I really thought this year was going to be George's time to shine.

There's always next year.

 

[Ben Lamb]

There's always next year.

Hope springs eternal, like me after Chicken Korma.

 

[Happy Myles]

Custer. Hmm didn’t he get Siouxed?

 

[elkduds]

Custer. Hmm didn’t he get Siouxed?

. . .While wearing an Arrow shirt.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Custer. Hmm didn’t he get Siouxed?

. . .While wearing an Arrow shirt.

 

[ovis2]

Being a native Montanan, the Custer Battle has always been a compelling bit of history to me. Visiting the battlefield, especially in the heat of the summer or on a lonely, less crowded fall day, is quite simply haunting. I have a couple of full bookshelves of materials, old and recent (based on newer archeological and cultural evidence/interpretation) and have read them all. While the individual details will never be exactly known, my opinion is that Custer, his officers, and most of the soldiers were professional soldiers and likely fought and died as such. They were simply outnumbered, out-equipped, out-motivated, and outgeneraled.

 

[morley.tyler]

Custer Loses For The 147th Time​

This is what I hate about summer... nothing but re-runs.

 

[KB_]

he should of wore sitka gear...

 

[CAV67]

There's always that one guy...searching the internet to correct the wrongs of the uninformed and right some random historical inaccuracy. It's usually me, so thank you, CAV67.

My pleasure...although I have to say, I have studied Custer and the battle since I was a young. There are a number of coincidences that make him an interest... I was born 6/25/67 in Dover Ohio (bout 10 miles from New Raleigh, OH) and served in Army as a Cavalry officer, although not in the 7th, but one unit was the 107th and we're related. Talk about some coincidences...and hence the knowledge. Not so much from the internet though.

 

[CAV67]

Custer lost...get over it.

No...I don't think I will because its not that cut and dried. You can though...