The Civil War Custer

Hatch, Thom.  Glorious War: The Civil War Adventures of George Armstrong Custer.  New York:
         St. Martin's Press, December 2013.  ISBN: 978-1-250-02850-1

Today, George Armstrong Custer is best remembered for his actions at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876 that wiped out half of the U.S. 7th Cavalry.  But in 1876, General Custer was better known as a Civil War hero for actions at Gettysburg, Brandy Station, Yellow Tavern, and Appomattox.  Glorious War tells the tale of Custer's Civil War adventures.

Thom Hatch provides a heroic partial biography of George Armstrong Custer that covers his time at West Point and during the Civil War, ending with the Army of the Potomac marching through Washington, D.C.  He discusses the part played by Custer in numerous battles,  his time as aide-de-camp for McClellan, his wooing of Elizabeth Bacon, and his meteoric rise in rank from 2nd Lieutenant at Bull Run to Major General at Appomattox.  He also illustrates that Custer was a leader that men adored, willingly following him during charges against seemingly unbeatable odds.

Hatch provides a Custer that has some warts, but he does not dig into all the known faults and issues that other officers had with Custer.  He also spends a number of pages on Jeb Stuart that seen to have no bearing on Custer except to contrast the two cavalry icons.  But, if you want a hero to lead you through most of the Eastern Civil War battles, Glorious War will satisfy that itch.