George Armstrong Custer was a flamboyant and widely renowned American army officer during and after the American Civil War. Born in Ohio, Custer is most famous for his defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Custer’s Connections to Ohio
George Armstrong Custer was born on December 5, 1839, in New Rumley, Ohio. He was the son of Emanuel and Maria Custer. His father was a blacksmith and farmer.
In his youth, Custer’s parents sent him to live with his half-sister’s family in Monroe, Michigan. A monument to Custer stands there today.
Custer Monument in Monroe, Michigan.Photo byWikipedia
Later, he attended McNeely Normal School in Hopedale, Ohio. After graduating, Custer briefly taught school in Cadiz, Ohio before receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1857.
Custer enrolled at West Point in 1858 and struggled academically, graduating last in his class of thirty-four cadets on June 24, 1861.
Custer During the Civil War
Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy two months after the Civil War started. He immediately received a commission in the U.S. Army and took part in the First Battle of Bull Run.