The Custer Story

I just finished reading The Custer Story: The Life and Letters of General George A. Custer and His Wife Elizabeth. What a surprise.

I was surprised, as I know my friends were, to find myself reading a book about General Custer. But, having visited the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn, it was just one of those things I was curious about.

It also was surprising to learn that Custer was a very important figure in the U.S. Civil War. Like many people, I had really only known of him by his death at the Battle of Little Big Horn and had always associated him with the westward expansion and exploitation of the American Indian embodied in Manifest Destiny. It turns out his time, and death, in the West amounted to a minor moment at the end of his life that like many "heroes" catapults them into history.

Two things made the book particularly interesting to read. First, as evidenced by the title, the book uses personal correspondence - primarily between Custer and his wife - as the foundation for the story. Secondly, these letters give excellent insight into exactly what life was like in those days and times just before, during and after the Civil War.

If you're more a sociological buff, than a history buff, I recommend this as a good read. It's better than a trip to Colonial Williamsburg!