George Armstrong Custer was a Cavalry officer in the US Army during the American Civil and Indian Wars. He was born in New Rumley, Ohio on 5 December 1839 and grew up in Monroe, Michigan. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1861, shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War. Although he had graduated last in his class academically, his aggressiveness as a cavalry leader was soon recognized by his superiors in the Union Army, and he was one of three young cavalry officers jumped in rank from Captain to Brigadier General and given command of a brigade during what would become known as the Gettysburg Campaign. On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, his aggressiveness stopped a force of Confederate cavalry under the command of General Jeb Stuart which outnumbered him by over 3 to 1 and which was attempting to strike the rear of the Union line simultaneously with Pickett's Charge. He was considered by many of his superiors as one of the best cavalry commanders in the Union Army, and was the youngest Major General in the Union Army at the end of the war. After the war, he, like most other officers, reverted to his permanent rank (Captain in his case) but was soon promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He was assigned to the 7th Cavalry in 1866 and was its acting commander for most of the next ten years, during several campaigns against various Plains Indian tribes.Despite his accomplishments, he is mostly remembered for being defeated and killed, by warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse during Custer's Last Stand at the Little Big Horn, Montana on 25 June 1876. It was the only battle he ever lost. Show less «