Custer's Trials : A Life on the Frontier of a New America

Copyright Dedication Epigraph Contents List of Illustrations List of Maps Preface Part One: Rise 1839–1865 1 The Accused 2 The Observer 3 The Protégé 4 The Prodigy 5 The Women 6 The General 7 The Hero 8 The Victor Part Two: Fall 1865–1876 9 The Executioner 10 The Politician 11 The Fallen 12 The Indian Killer 13 The Financier 14 The Writer 15 The Enemy 16 The Accuser Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Primary Source Bibliography Index A Note About the Author Illustrations Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for History From the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award, a brilliant biography of Gen. George Armstrong Custer that radically changes our view of the man and his turbulent times. In this magisterial biography, T. J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, proving how much of Custer’s legacy has been ignored. He demolishes Custer’s historical caricature, revealing a volatile, contradictory, intense person—capable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (he was court-martialed twice in six years). The key to understanding Custer, Stiles writes, is keeping in mind that he lived on a frontier in time. In the Civil War, the West, and many areas overlooked in previous biographies, Custer helped to create modern America, but he could never adapt to it. He freed countless slaves yet rejected new civil rights laws. He proved his heroism but missed the dark reality of war for so many others. A talented combat leader, he struggled as a manager in the West. He tried to make a fortune on Wall Street yet never connected with the new corporate economy. Native Americans fascinated him, but he could not see them as fully human. A popular writer, he remained apart from Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, and other rising intellectuals. During Custer’s lifetime, Americans saw their world remade. His admirers saw him as the embodiment of the nation’s gallant youth, of all that they were losing; his detractors despised him for resisting a more complex and promising future. Intimate, dramatic, and provocative, this biography captures the larger story of the changing nation in Custer’s tumultuous marriage to his highly educated wife, Libbie; their complicated relationship with Eliza Brown, the forceful black woman who ran their household; as well as his battles and expeditions. It casts surprising new light on a near-mythic American figure, a man both widely known and little understood. From the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, a brilliant new biography of Gen. George Armstrong Custer that radically changes our view of the man and his turbulent times. In this magisterial biography, T.J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, proving how much of Custer's legacy has been ignored. He demolishes Custer's historical caricature, revealing a volatile, contradictory, intense person--capable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (he was court-martialed twice in six years). The key to understanding Custer, Stiles writes, is keeping in mind that he lived on a frontier in time. In the Civil War, the West, and many areas overlooked in previous biographies, Custer helped to create modern America, but he could never adapt to it. He freed countless slaves yet rejected new civil rights laws. He proved his heroism but missed the dark reality of war for so many others. A talented combat leader, he struggled as a manager in the West. He tried to make a fortune on Wall Street yet never connected with the new corporate economy. Native Americans fascinated him, but he could not see them as fully human. A popular writer, he remained apart from Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, and other rising intellectuals. During Custer's lifetime, Americans saw their world remade. His admirers saw him as the embodiment of the nation's gallant youth, of all that they were losing; his detractors despised him for resisting a more complex and promising future. Intimate, dramatic, and provocative, this biography captures the larger story of the changing nation in Custer's tumultuous marriage to his highly educated wife, Libbie; their complicated relationship with Eliza Brown, the forceful black woman who ran their household; as well as his battles and expeditions. It casts surprising new light on a near-mythic American figure, a man both widely known and little understood. From the Hardcover edition From the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, a brilliant new biography of Gen. George Armstrong Custer that radically changes our view of the man and his turbulent times. In this magisterial biography, T. J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, proving how much of Custers legacy has been ignored. He demolishes Custers historical caricature, revealing a volatile, contradictory, intense personcapable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (he was court-martialed twice in six years). The key to understanding Custer, Stiles writes, is keeping in mind that he lived on a frontier in time. In the Civil War, the West, and many areas overlooked in previous biographies, Custer helped to create modern America, but he could never adapt to it. He freed countless slaves yet rejected new civil rights laws. He proved his heroism but missed the dark reality of war for so many others. A talented combat leader, he struggled as a manager in the West. He tried to make a fortune on Wall Street yet never connected with the new corporate economy. Native Americans fascinated him, but he could not see them as fully human. A popular writer, he remained apart from Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, and other rising intellectuals. During Custers lifetime, Americans saw their world remade. His admirers saw him as the embodiment of the nations gallant youth, of all that they were losing; his detractors despised him for resisting a more complex and promising future. Intimate, dramatic, and provocative, this biography captures the larger story of the changing nation in Custers tumultuous marriage to his highly educated wife, Libbie; their complicated relationship with Eliza Brown, the forceful black woman who ran their household; as well as his battles and expeditions. It casts surprising new light on a near-mythic American figure, a man both widely known and little understood. A New Biography Of Gen. George Armstrong Custer That Radically Changes Our View Of The Man And His Turbulent Times. Historian T. J. Stiles Paints A Portrait Of Custer Both Deeply Personal And Sweeping In Scope, Proving How Much Of Custer's Legacy Has Been Ignored. He Demolishes Custer's Historical Caricature, Revealing A Volatile, Contradictory, Intense Person--capable Yet Insecure, Intelligent Yet Bigoted, Passionate Yet Self-destructive, A Romantic Individualist At Odds With The Institution Of The Military (he Was Court-martialed Twice In Six Years). The Key To Understanding Custer, Stiles Writes, Is Keeping In Mind That He Lived On A Frontier In Time. During Custer's Lifetime, Americans Saw Their World Remade. In The Civil War, The West, And Many Areas Overlooked In Previous Biographies, Custer Helped To Create Modern America, But He Could Never Adapt To It. His Admirers Saw Him As The Embodiment Of The Nation's Gallant Youth, Of All That They Were Losing; His Detractors Despised Him For Resisting A More Complex And Promising Future. He Freed Countless Slaves, Yet Rejected New Civil Rights Laws. He Proved His Heroism, But Missed The Dark Reality Of War For So Many Others. Native Americans Fascinated Him, But He Could Not See Them As Fully Human. Intimate, Dramatic, And Provocative, This Biography Captures The Larger Story Of The Changing Nation In Custer's Tumultuous Marriage To His Highly Educated Wife, Libbie; Their Complicated Relationship With Eliza Brown, The Forceful Black Woman Who Ran Their Household; As Well As His Battles And Expeditions. It Casts Surprising New Light On A Near-mythic American Figure.--adapted From Book Jacket. Part One: Rise 1839-1865. The Accused ; The Observer ; The Protégé ; The Prodigy ; The Women ; The General ; The Hero ; The Victor -- Part Two: Fall 1865-1876. The Executioner ; The Politician ; The Fallen ; The Indian Killer ; The Financier ; The Writer ; The Enemy ; The Accuser. T.j. Stiles. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 545-552) And Index. Historian T.J. Stiles paints a portrait of Custer both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, demonstrating how much of Custer's legacy has been ignored. He refutes Custer's historical caricature, revealing a volatile, contradictory, intense person -- capable yet insecure, intelligent yet bigoted, passionate yet self-destructive, a romantic individualist at odds with the institution of the military (he was court-martialed twice in six years). The key to understanding Custer, Stiles writes, is keeping in mind that he lived on a frontier in time. During Custer's lifetime, Americans saw their world remade. In the Civil War, the West, and many areas overlooked in previous biographies, Custer helped to create modern America, but he could never adapt to it. His admirers saw him as the embodiment of the nation's gallant youth, of all that they were losing; his detractors despised him for resisting a more complex and promising future. He freed countless slaves, yet rejected new civil rights laws. He proved his heroism, but missed the dark reality of war for so many others. Native Americans fascinated him, but he could not see them as fully human. Intimate, dramatic, and provocative, this biography captures the larger story of the changing nation in Custer's tumultuous marriage to his highly educated wife, Libbie; their complicated relationship with Eliza Brown, the forceful black woman who ran their household; as well as his battles and expeditions. It casts new light on a near-mythic American figure, a man both widely known and little understood From the Preface... I am telling [George Armstrong Custer's] story in a particular light, with a particular sense of context. The result, I hope, is not simply an addition to a familiar story--he was famous for this as well as for that--but something larger and more comprehensive. I want to explain why his celebrity, and notoriety, spanned both the Civil War and his years on the frontier, resting on neither exclusively but incorporating both.