The Boy General
Robert W. Marlin tells the story of George Armstrong Custer.

IN JULY 1861, the 20-year-old George Armstrong Custer graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point as a second lieutenant. He was the anchorman of his class: 34th in a class of 34. Less than a week after his arrival in Washington, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, something that usually took a number of years to accomplish. Less than four years later at the age of 23, he held the rank of major general in the Union Army. He was one of the generals present when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. Less than 12 years later, he would ride to glory and into history on a Montana hillside. His family called him “Autie”, and his detractors referred to him as the “Boy General”.

Custer’s Rapid Rise
Second Lieutenant Custer left West Point on 18 July 1861. He reported to the War Department in Washington on 20 July. Within 72 hours he had his first taste of combat. He was assigned the duty of delivering dispatches to his new commanding officer. The very next day he took part in the first battle of Bull Run. Although the battle was a complete defeat for the Union forces, battlefield reports of it mentioned the outstanding leadership and bravery displayed by the “shavetail” (newly commissioned) Custer, who was promptly promoted to first lieutenant. In 1862 he was promoted to captain, in 1863 to brigadier general and in 1864 to major general.

Custer’s rapid rise must have been difficult for many seniors officers to accept. Career officers with 15 or 20 years service were placed in the position of taking orders from a boy young enough to be their son. The officer ranks were filled with militiamen and political appointees who had no practical military or leadership experience, but this did not stop them from having bruised egos. Most of these officers swallowed their pride and followed behind Custer. However, the career officers who were also West Point graduates felt differently. The officers knew that the brevet (temporary) ranks they held would be gone when the war was over. Still, many officers harbored a deep resentment toward Custer and never forgave him for usurping their own career opportunities.

Robert W. Marlin is the author of My Sixteen; he can be reached at MySixteen@aol.com.

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