Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire “My Life on the Plains.” General G.A. Custer, U.S.A.

Custer did write well, haven’t read it all yet but I think he loved his trade and the West.

Required reading for all who seek to study the man. Hard to believe I ain’t read it before now.

My Life on the Plains

First I've heard of it too.

Archaeologist son loaned me Cavalier in Buckskin by Utley and Custer & Company by Camp. Haven’t got around to reading them yet.

he left off part of the title, “ My Life, AND DEATH On The Plains”. memtb

Interesting, thanks for posting.

As Benteen said “My Lie on the Plains”

Did Benteen really say that?

Bentsen seems a competent no bullsh$t kinda guy, hence I place credence in his opinions.

FWIW (not much) my take on Custer is that he reminds me of Ted Nugent, sure he was successful at what he did, but he had an ego that grated on people.

I know I read that quote by Captain Benteen somewhere, it stuck in my mind but don’t remember where I saw it.
I think I’ve read “My Life on the Plains” but it’s been a long time ago, I’ve got it somewhere.“Boots & Saddles” is one I enjoyed even though Libby probably sugar coated it a bit.

Thanks for the reminder Birdwatcher. I read that book a long time ago, late 70s (1970s) or so. Read a bunch of these from both sides perspective (a.k.a Black Elk Speaks, etc.) Can't remember much of it so probably re-read time

Saw a lot of choices in the LBH bookstore. A lack of a reading list on arrival and short term gratification caused me to buy a new backpacking boots in Sheridan instead.

The impression I got was that Custer was not anti- native at all, maybe the opposite.

His ignorance of the culture during the Black Hills expedition caused some hard feelings tho.

Thanks for posting

You know, as much as I’ve read about Custer, I haven’t read his own writings.
Perhaps I should be ashamed, but then I also know that Custer was never afraid to inflate the truth if it suited him.
Like I said, I admire the General, but I also try to separate what really took place as opposed to what sounds good.
Benteen labeled Custer’s Book “My Lie On The Plains”. That’s true.
But one has to take into consideration the timeline.
Benteen never got over the death of Major Elliot’s command at Washita in 1868. Benteen rightly or wrongly held Custer accountable for Elliot’s death, and it poisoned every relationship between the two until Benteen’s death.
Even with Custer long dead, Benteen kept on telling anyone who would listen how much of an azzhole Custer was. Even to his own death.
I admire Benteen’s actions on Reno Hill. Lord knows those guys needed a leader, and Reno wasn’t it. Benteen stepped up on the hill.
But I still believe that Benteen, in spite of his orders from the General, dragged his feet. He had no desire to go to Custer’s aid.
A quote from one of the Park Rangers at The LBH Visitors Center.
From my reading, I think this quote sums it up quite nicely.
7mm

I saw a first edition copy in the book store at Garryowen, Montana. Chris Kortlander owned the store and museum there and he had a ton of Custer letters and documents you would never see.

The book was signed by Custer, but he had an inscription inside the cover to his black cook, who had accompanied him on many of his expeditions.

It was signed “Armstrong Custer” and not “George Custer.” No one knows of him signing like that before or since. I could have bought the book for $9,000.00. I asked Chris a few years later if he would sell me the book, he said that once he found out the inscription was to Custer’s cook, the price was now $21,000.00.

I didn’t get the book…

Custer’s wife defended him vehemently. There are a lot of people that know more than me about it but I think it was just a perfect storm.

Custer was, in fact, an advocate for Indians and got in trouble with President Grant for testifying against Grant’s brother and William Belknap, the Secretary of War, for misappropriation of Indian funds.

While Custer was on the Black Hills expedition of 1874, he captured a couple of Indians and kept them hostage for several days so they wouldn’t alert their tribe and raise hell with the expedition. It was a massive train of 300 wagons and 1000 men, but he wanted to avoid any conflict with the Indians. In the dead of the night, several days ride from the Indian village, Custer gave the Indians horses and supplies enough to get back to the tribe.

Custer’s Indian scouts were upset with his letting the Indians go, as they wanted to kill the captives. This is one of several instances where Custer had compassion for Indians.

Glad to see you weighing in on this, Shrapnel.
You probably know more about Custer and LBH than anybody else on the ‘Fire, so I’m anxious to see if you agree with my impression of Reno and Benteen.
If not, would you fill me in . There maybe some things I’m missing.
7mm

Benteen hated Custer and wrote a letter that got published in the Saint Lewis Democrat, a newspaper, and it was extremely critical of Custer at the Washita battle in 1868. When they attacked the village, Major Elliott left with about 16 other troopers to attack an adjacent village and never returned.

When the Indian encampment down the river from Black Kettle’s camp, came in response to the fighting, Custer rallied his troops, feigned a false charge at the attacking Indians and then retreated with the remaining troops to save them from any attack by those Indians. Benteen considered Custer traitorous for not trying to find Elliott and help them join the rest of the battalion. Subsequently, Benteen wrote the scathing letter to the Saint Lewis Democrat.

A couple weeks later, Custer returned to the Washita with General Sheridan to view the site and determine if Custer was derelict of duty, but found no conditions that supported that claim. Elliott was responsible for his and his commands deaths, but Benteen never forgave him. The residue of that hate, and you have to understand it was real hate, carried into the LBH battle and for the rest of Benteen’s life.

This hatred may be why Benteen never came to aid Custer at LBH, nearly as quickly as he could have.

tag

Just ordered the book. Thanks for posting that. Id like to read his own writing. Have a biography about him that i read a few years ago. This kind of stuff just fascinates me. Love reading accounts of american history from this time period. A unique time, place, and situation that the world will never see again.

IDK if it is of interest or you probably know about it. There is a book called Canadians with Custer. I believe there were 17 soldiers. Something I wasn't aware of.

I think people lose sight of the fact of how many times Custer coulda easily been killed in the War Over Secession. The guy rushed into combat, gloried in it, culminating in his stopping JEB Stuart and his Invincibles at Gettysburg in a headlong charge even though outnumbered four to one.

After that war, without a frontier to win and Plains Indians to fight, I think he woulda been lost.

Reading his book it does come across that he was a tad tone deaf, he was in campaign against the Cheyenne in the years immediately following Sand Creek, no wonder those Indians wanted to evade/put miles between the US Cavalry and their women and children as a matter of course.