Exhibition label
Born New Rumley, Ohio
In June 1861, George Armstrong Custer graduated last in his West Point class of thirty-four. With the start of the Civil War, his ambition to fight was keen; he participated in the conflict from beginning to end, from Manassas to Appomattox. Fearless and fortunate, Custer made the most of every opportunity of engaging the enemy. Promotions followed quickly, and at age twenty-three he became the youngest Union officer to wear a general's star. Before the war was over, he was donning a pair of stars and commanding the Third Division of Philip Sheridan's cavalry corps. In the days just before Robert E. Lee's surrender, it was Custer's men who played a supporting role in blocking the enemy's retreat near Appomattox. One of the white surrender flags was even presented to Custer himself.
