Custer’s Last Stand is a staple of American history. The tragic tale of the massacre of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry at the Battle of Little Big Horn is most closely associated with Gen. George Custer, but the soldier who grew up in Michigan was also known as a brilliant tactician who fought at Gettysburg. Current State’s Kevin Lavery talks with author T.J. Stiles about Custer’s life and legacy.
Mention the name George Armstrong Custer, and most people immediately conjure up images of doom. In June 1876, the former Union Army general was killed, along with his entire command, by native tribes at the Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana. Of course, his demise is not the entire story.
George Armstrong Custer was a living legend who captured the public imagination even before his death.
It’s Custer Week in Monroe, near the Ohio state line, and Custer is remembered as a local boy who rose to fame. The town celebrates his life this time of year, and this time, they’re welcoming an award-winning historian to talk about their favorite son.
Current State’s Kevin Lavery talks with T.J. Stiles, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography “Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America.”