General George A. Custer (1839-1876)
George Armstrong Custer was a Civil War veteran who gained national
attention on the Western frontier. In 1874 the government sent Custer
on one of the last military mapping excursions in the West. Commanding
a 1,000-man force, he rode into the Black Hills to survey its resources,
particularly gold. Custer’s mission also was to estimate the size
and strength of the Sioux nation. |
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