Why Was (and Is) Lieutenant Colonel Custer Called “General?”

Why Was (And Is) Lieutenant Colonel Custer Called “General?”

Many folks – maybe even most folks – think of George Armstrong Custer as “General Custer.” The reality is that Custer was a Lieutenant Colonel for 10 years or more before the Little Bighorn.  He died as a Lieutenant Colonel.

So, if that’s the case, why is Custer widely known as “General?”

The answer to that lies largely in military courtesy, not to mention myth and folklore perpetuated by Hollywood- and dime-novel mentalities.

The reality is that George Custer was a general, but only during America’s Civil War. Just before the great battle at Gettysburg Custer became a Brigadier General, in charge of a single brigade, at the young age of 23. At that time Custer was the youngest person ever to attain that rank in America’s military, and he became known as the “Boy General.”

Custer was nothing if not flamboyant and exuberant, which might have led in part to his promotions. Upon his graduating from West Point he stood out at the First Battle of Bull Run, the war’s first major engagement. He soon caught the eye of General George McClellan, who made young Captain Custer one of his aides.

When Custer moved out into a cavalry assignment, he stood out in many ways, including when his battalion surprised that of the South’s equally flamboyant General J.E.B. Stuart. Stuart had been a constant thorn thus far in the Union’s side, but Custer and his command fought Stuart’s to a standstill. Custer’s leadership was noticed.

(A short detour here might help the reader understand the Union Army’s ranks and structures at the time of its Civil War. Ideally, at full strength a company was led by a captain and comprised about 100 men, including 1^st and 2^nd Lieutenants, sergeants and privates. A regiment might be made up of ten companies, or about 1,000 men and was overseen by a Major or Colonel. That colonel might have lieutenant colonels or majors under him. A brigade would then be made up of about three or four regiments, or roughly 3,000 to 5,000 men. A better-versed military member or historian might correct me on this, but that gives a rough breakdown for perspective.)

Upon receiving his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General, Custer wasted little time in putting it to dramatic and effective use. His brigade comprised three regiments, the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th Michigan volunteers. On the Gettysburg battle’s third day, JEB Stuart brought his own division around to the north in order to outflank the Union lines on their right.

Had Stuart succeeded, he would have not just shattered that flank; he would have gotten behind the entire Union line. The results would have been devastating. Most casual followers often think of that third day as simply being represented by Pickett’s (and Pettigrew’s) ill-fated and ill-advised charge. In fact, that brazen advance was to be coordinated with Stuart’s flanking cavalry attack. That part of the strategy was stymied and turned back, however, in dramatic fashion by the new General George Custer.

Custer led successfully in many more conflicts throughout that war and advanced to the rank of Major General, leading an entire division (generally made up of three or four brigades and numbering as many as 10,000 soldiers.) Oftentimes, soldiers were given “brevet” or honorary ranks – either temporary or in name only – after a stellar performance in a battle or campaign. Some of Custer’s ranks were “brevet” only, but he did officially rise to the rank of Major General before the war’s end.

After the Civil War ended, however, not only was the reunited nation strapped for cash (wars are expensive) but far fewer military resources were needed. That included officers who had once held higher ranks. Some left the military and went into private or commercial ventures, but others wanted to remain in the army. Those who remained most often had to accept ranks lower than those held during the fight to preserve the Union.

After the war’s end Grant went on to run successfully for the U.S. presidency. Generals Sherman and Sheridan kept their ranks and even moved up, but few others did. John Gibbon and Nelson Miles, for example, stepped down from positions as generals and became colonels. Both figured prominently in the conflicts featured in this site. Custer, choosing to continue the military career he had dreamed of since boyhood, chose to accept the rank of Lt. Colonel. He held that rank from 1866 until his death in 1876.

A common military courtesy dictates that an officer is usually addressed by the title of the highest rank he (or she) has held – even if that person is now at a lower rank. Gibbon was sometimes called “General,” for example even while his official ranks was “Colonel.” And Custer, in similar fashion, was often addressed or referred to as “General” even though he had stepped down in rank to Lt. Colonel. The general public often followed that tradition at the time, and the practice often continues today, whether as a courtesy or simply due to ignorance.

On the heels of the Civil War, and throughout our history, America has appreciated and honored our military leaders. Custer’s Civil War successes far outweighed his later setbacks, and they constitute a fascinating study in themselves. Generally, though, he is often called “general” and is remembered mostly – sometimes only – for his last, great defeat in which he died a Lt. Colonel.