George Armstrong Custer At West Point (1859)
This youthful likeness of George Armstrong Custer was captured long before his hairy prominence rose to infamy. Here we have a young Custer at West Point during his cadet days. Despite having ranked last during his graduation, he would become a central if not controversial figure during the Civil War as a reckless cavalry officer. Custer was well known for being dramatic, earning his name as a mortal enemy of local Indian populations, most of which were relatively harmless. In 1864, Custer was responsible for the Sand Creek Massacre, where he led the charge against terrified innocents. The fallen would have their revenge, however, as in 1876, he was calamitously routed at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
George Armstrong Custer At West Point
