Drudge Retort: Red Meat for Yellow Dogs
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Continued...
And they earned their celebrity. In 1864 at Newby's Station, Todd's Tavern, and during Sheridan's Richmond Raid, the Michigan Brigade and Custer distinguished themselves. At the Battle of Trevilian Station Custer routed the Confederates with a bold charge. Another of his bold, mounted charges at the important Battle of Yellow Tavern was crucial to the major victory won that day by the Union Cavalry over the Confederate Cavalry. In fact, it was just after this charge that one of Custer's men shot and mortally wounded the fabled Confederate Cavalry leader Jeb Stuart. And after most of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry was transferred with their new commander, General Philip Sheridan, to the Shenandoah Valley, Custer played a pivotal role in the Federal victory at the Battle of The Opequon (3d Winchester), as his brigade was one that helped envelop the Confederate left.

Thus, there was little surprise when in late September, 1864, Custer was promoted to command the 3d Cavalry Division of Sheridan's Army of the Shenandoah. His first test as a division commander came quickly. In a brilliantly conducted maneuver on 19 October 1864 the Confederate Jubal Early attacked and surprised the Union Army of the Shenandoah near Cedar Creek, Virginia. The Rebels quickly routed two of the three Union infantry corps, but the third Union corps (the VI) and the Cavalry Corps refused to be stampeded. They eventually succeeded in bringing the Confederate advance to a halt, and Custer's Division was prominent in stabilizing the Union defense. It checked a Confederate cavalry thrust to the Union rear and fought defensively first on one flank and then the other. Philip Sheridan, who had been away from the Army at the time of the attack, famously galloped his charger back to the battlefield, rallied his troops, and organized a counterattack. Custer's Division formed the right flank of the Union formation and broke the line of the elite Rebel division of John B. Gordon. Custer's troopers then spearheaded an exploitation that completely routed Early's force.

Promoted to General because of patron, not command experience or ability

Posted by SanAntonioRogue at 2008-07-18 12:52 PM

www.militaryhistoryonline.com

Custer's rise in the Union Army during the Civil War can only be described as meteoric. After graduating last in the West Point Class of 1861 he quickly gained the attention of senior Union officers for his bravery and energy in combat. McClellan plucked him from the 5th U.S. Cavalry Regiment to serve on his staff. With this high-level visibility Custer soon became a favorite of Alfred Pleasonton, the Commander of the Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac. In July of 1863, trying to inject more energy into the cavalry, Pleasonton promoted three of the brightest staff officers, Captains Wesley Merritt (age 29), Elon Farnsworth (age 27), and George Custer (age 24), to Brevet Brigadier General. Along with this promotion came command of cavalry brigades. Thus, at an age when today's Army officers are being promoted to 1st Lieutenant, George Armstrong Custer became a general.

The young officer immediately made his mark. He fought and won a small action on his first day in command. A few days later he and his "Wolverines" (the brigade's regiments were all from Michigan) fought a successful action against Jeb Stewart near Gettysburg, protecting the Union flank during that decisive battle. In these initial actions Custer had demonstrated guts and determination, but it initially was his personality that initially made him stand out.

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