Photograph of Brigadier General George A Custer, 1864.
In this black and white photograph of Brigadier General George A Custer, he wears the double breasted jacket that he designed and had tailor made for himself in the autumn of 1863. Taken just before his 9 February 1864 wedding to Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon, Custer had his long locks short to "normal size". The image features a young Custer, seated in the uniform he would be married in. An extremely sharp image which clearly shows the details of his uniform, His Model 1855 Sword Belt Plate (ZFC0492), Model 1860 cavalry saber, and dirty leather gauntlets. The photo was taken on or about January 25, 1864 by William Frank Browne.
Custer's 3rd Personal Guidon was made by Libbie Custer when his 2nd Personal Guidon was heavily damaged in battle in the spring of 1864.
Photograph by William Frank Brown, taken January 25th, 1864.
Exhibition History:
University of California - Santa Cruz
Board of Councilors Meeting, Rare Flags Exhibit
Santa Cruz, CA
7 June 2012
Publication History:
Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 84.
Brigadier-General
George Armstrong Custer
General Custers speech to the soldiers of the 3rd Cavalry Division, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865, after the surrender of Robert E. Lee:
With profound gratitude toward the God of battles,
by whose blessings our enemies have been humbled
and our arms rendered triumphant, your commanding
General avails himself of this, his first opportunity to
express to you his admiration of the heroic manner in
which you have passed through the series of battles
which today resulted in the surrender of the enemys
entire army.
The record established by your indomitable courage
is unparalleled in the annals of war. Your prowess has
won for you even the respect and admiration of your
enemies. During the past six months, although in most
instances confronted by superior numbers, you have
captured from the enemy, in open battle, one hundred
and eleven pieces of field artillery, sixty-five battleflags,
and upwards of ten thousand prisoners of war,
including seven general officers. Within the past ten
days, and included in the above, you have captured
forty-six pieces of field artillery and thirty-seven
battle-flags. You have never lost a gun, never lost
a color, and have never been defeated; and notwithstanding
the numerous engagements in which you
have borne a prominent part, including those memorable
battles of the Shenandoah, you have captured
every piece of artillery which the enemy has dared to
open upon you. The near approach of peace renders it
improbable that you will again be called upon to
undergo the fatigues of the toilsome march or the
exposure of the battle-field; but should the assistance
of keen blades, wielded by your sturdy arms, be
required to hasten the coming of that glorious peace
for which we have been so long contending, the
General commanding is proudly confident that, in the
future as in the past, every demand will meet with a
hearty and willing response.
Let us hope that our work is done, and that, blessed
with the comforts of peace, we may be permitted to
enjoy the pleasures of home and friends. For our
comrades who have fallen, let us ever cherish a
grateful remembrance. To the wounded and to those
who languish in Southern prisons, let our heartfelt
sympathy be tendered.
And now, speaking for myself alone, when the war is
ended and the task of the historian beginswhen
those deeds of daring which have rendered the name
and fame of the Third Cavalry Division imperishable
are inscribed upon the bright pages of our countrys
history, I only ask that my name be written as that of
the commander of the Third Cavalry Division.
G. A. Custer, Brevet Major General Commanding
ZFC Noteworthy Flag
Item is Framed
