George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876)

He was born in Ohio to a tough, outspoken Jacksonian Democrat and graduated from West Point in 1861 (last in his class) just as the Civil War began. Nonetheless, he quickly distinguished himself in the Union Cavalry, becoming the youngest Brigadier-General in the army at just 23 years old. He gained fame for his aggressive tactics and flamboyant style, playing crucial roles at Gettysburg and in the Appomattox campaign that ended the war. After peace was declared, he reverted to his regular rank of Captain before his promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel in command of the 7th Cavalry. During the Indian Wars, he led campaigns against Native American tribes on the Great Plains and in 1868 he won a significant victory at the Battle of the Washita River against the Cheyenne, though his attack on a sleeping village drew controversy.

He took part in the 1874 Black Hills Expedition in Dakota Territory which discovered gold and triggered a rush of miners into land belonging to the Sioux, violating existing treaties. This sparked renewed conflict with the Lakota and their allies. On June 25, 1876, Custer led his regiment against a massive encampment of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors at the Little Bighorn River in Montana. Dividing his forces and underestimating enemy numbers, Custer and approximately 268-soldiers under his immediate command were killed in what became known as "Custer's Last Stand," one of the most famous defeats in American military history. In 1864, he married Libbie, daughter of Daniel S. Bacon, Judge and State Representative of Monroe, Michigan. They died without children, and Libbie spent the rest of her life promoting the image of her husband as a gallant fallen hero.