The Most Desperate Acts of Gallantry: George A. Custer in the Civil War

Emerging Civil War

by Daniel T. Davis

On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry into the valley of the Little Bighorn. By sunset, Custer and five of his companies lay dead--killed in battle against Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Through the passage of time, Custer's last fight has come to overshadow the rest of his military career, which had its brilliant beginning in the American Civil War. Plucked from obscurity by Maj. Gen. George McClellan, Custer served as a staff officer through the early stages of the war. His star began to rise in late June, 1863, when he catapulted several grades to brigadier general and was given brigade command. Shortly thereafter, at Gettysburg and Buckland Mills, he led his men--the Wolverines--in some of the heaviest cavalry fighting of the Eastern Theater. At Yellow Tavern, Custer's assault broke the enemy line, and one of his troopers mortally wounded the legendary Confederate cavalryman, J.E.B. Stuart. At Trevilian Station, his brigade was nearly destroyed. At Third Winchester, he participated in an epic cavalry charge. Elevated to lead the Third Cavalry Division, Custer played a major role at Tom's Brook and, later, at Appomattox, which ultimately led to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Historian Daniel T. Davis, a long-time student of George Custer, has spent countless hours walking and studying the battlefields where Custer fought in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In The Most Desperate Acts of Gallantry, he chronicles the Civil War experiences of one of the most recognized individuals to emerge from that tragic chapter in American history.

192 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2019

Reviews

[W. Charles Young]

As with all Emerging Civil War books, this is meant to be an introduction to the topic. Davis does an excellent job in providing an overview of the life of George Armstrong Custer. Fittingly, he spends most of the book on Custer’s Civil War experience. He even points out that his post war military experience was not that good and that we probably wouldn’t note it today except for the day in 1876 when his famous luck ran out. It is a very balanced read and worthwhile if you are looking to introduce yourself to Custer.

[Brad Dexter]

Brings to life the exploits that made Custer the hero he was before he ventured west.

[Eric Burroughs]

Good overview of Custer’s Civil War career and meteoric rise.