“You ask me if I will not be glad when the last battle is fought, so far as the country is concerned I, of course, must wish for peace, and will be glad when the war is ended, but if I answer for myself alone, I must say that I shall regret to see the war end.” – General George Armstrong Custer
The Editors’ Quote of the Day:
Today every American knows about General Custer and would parrot, ‘Thank you for your service’. Mention General Lee and you would be looking at deer in the headlights.
Few know that Custer graduated last in his class at West Point. Lee graduated 2nd in his class at West Point. Just one of many facts and comparisons related to the War of Northern Aggression not taught in Lincoln Republic schools.
I don´t see any relevance to this fact.
Why should it worth any time to mention it in School?
There is no relevance to the fact. It’s a personal attack on someone not here to defend himself. I’m curious as to what rank the OP was in his West Point Class.
I think the point is that Custer is remembered as “a great cavalry leader” and a “dashing cavalry officer” and Lee is remembered as someone who fought to save slavery or some such nonsense.
Giving Squawkiller Custer the same rank as Murat, Ziethen, and Subotai or Sobieski would be a bit much
ThoDan, Custer actually stopped his men from killing women and children at the Washita. He put Benteen on report for killing a young warrior despite the fact that he was trying to kill Benteen. Why not study a little bit about Custer and then make an educated statement.
@Snotty Boy, Thank you for making my point. Americans were taught some such nonsense. That’s probably deep enough for most of them.
True to his word once the slaughter of the Southerners was over he moved on to the annihilation of the Indigenous People
the Indigenous People annihilated more of the immigrants than vice versa. They were better at it and committed to it.
Liza, I want you to tell me exactly what did Custer do to the Native Americans. Except for the Washita Custer only fought 3 other battles and the last one ended with his death. Custer actually stopped the war against the southern Cheyenne by making peace with them, he was censored by the commanding officer for making peace. Many others did much much worse than that
Can we say Little Big Horn?:)
As always when the name Custer is mentioned every fool makes the same comments. Why not pick up a book and read exactly what Custer did and didn’t do at the one and only fight he had with the Cheyenne at the Washita & then pick up a book about Sand Creek and read exactly what Chivington did & didn’t do. Custer is remembered because he had the misfortune to be killed & Chivington just vanished. I’m not going to bother telling any of you fools what the difference is between them because it’d be a waste of time. Pick up a book and read.
Thank you Jody Hoffman for perspective.
I found this: Chivington gained infamy[1] for leading a 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia during the massacre at Sand Creek in November 1864. An estimated 70–163 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho – about two-thirds of whom were women, children, and infants – were killed and mutilated by his troops. Chivington and his men took scalps and other body parts as battle trophies, including human fetuses and male and female genitalia.[2]
The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War conducted an investigation of the massacre, but while they condemned Chivington’s and his soldiers’ conduct in the strongest possible terms, no criminal charges were brought against him or them. The closest thing to a punishment Chivington suffered was the effective end of his political aspirations.
Sigh.
Carry on.
Indeed, disgusting. Not nearly as bad as what the noble native Americans did to immigrant women and children but never the less it was wrong for educated people to allow their anger about past Indian atrocities to make them do this.
The Cheyenne at Sand Creek were half starved and all the young warriors were gone hunting and Chivington knew this also after they returned to Denver they put an exhibition of the scalps and body parts and 2 captive children on a stage. Custer actually stopped his men from killing women and children at the Washita. He was a soldier and followed orders.