Okay, so this is my first Custer book. Currently reading another. I'm actually about 2 reviews behind so this one might be kind of short. I figure not many of the 3 of you reading this actually care about a Custer book :)
Anyway, so I don't know much about Custer's Last Stand except that Custer and all his men died - one horse survived, which I actually knew from Paul Harvey! I knew they were fighting American Indians and that is the extent of my knowledge (not my favorite time period to study). So, I did have the basic story correct, but obviously a lot more to the background.
Custer was quite the showoff, although he was a talented Calvary leader. He fought in the Civil War and was eventually given the title of Brevet General (which is an honorary position during wartime - he wasn't actually a General). He got on the wrong side of President Grant while Grant was dealing with some serious scandals in his administration; Custer testified about the scandals. So, basically, we was trying to suck up to Grant by getting some American Indians.
The problem with this was that Custer, being the egomaniac he was, he refused to listen to scouts telling him there was a significant amount of Indians in front of him. He assumed he could beat anyone, no matter how few men he actually had. He had even gone so far as to desecrate some Indian burial platforms and villages. So, when they attacked, they were woefully outnumbered and paid the ultimate price. They were massacred and tortured and mutilated.
I was a little surprised at the atrocities that were attributed to Custer and his men against the Indians. I'm not stupid enough to not think that the whites did nothing - I know we're not nice either. It's just always amazing to me that man can do what he does against other men - or women and children. Just plain cruel!
Ultimately, not a bad book, but I'm not sure it would be interesting to anyone not interested in Custer or the history of the American Plains Indians.
No comments:
Post a Comment