The remarkable thing is that it took so long for George Armstrong Custer to lose his luster. He and much of the 7th Cavalry he commanded died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Despite that, Custer was seen as a hero for nearly a century - a martyr to the cause of settling the American West. Why that was so, and why that view came to change so radically, is examined tonight with skill and insight in “Custer’s Last Stand.’’ The two-hour documentary, written and directed by Stephen Ives, is part of PBS’s “American Experience.’’It looks promising. I will probably miss it. I will be reading to my granddaughters. Can't wait.
Custer cut a storybook figure. Having finished last in his class at the US Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., he was a brigadier general in the Union Army at 23. His courage and flair and leadership qualities on the battlefield were that impressive. General Philip Sheridan wrote to Custer’s wife [Libbie]: “Permit me to say, madam, that there is scarcely an individual in our service who has contributed more to bring about this desired result [of Union victory] than your gallant husband.’’
By the way, Libby, Montana, was not named after General Custer's wife (spelled differently; too far away from where the general rode). Libby, Montana, was named after the daughter of an early settler according to the town's website.
