Cultural depictions of George Armstrong Custer Cultural depictions of George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876) was a United States Army cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He was defeated and killed by the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. More than 30 movies and countless television shows have featured him as a character. He was portrayed by future U.S. president, Ronald Reagan in "Santa Fe Trail" (1940), as well as by Errol Flynn in "They Died With Their Boots On" (1941). In 1896, Anheuser-Busch commissioned from Otto Becker a lithographed, modified version of
1st West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment General Elon J. Farnsworth was assigned command of the 1st Brigade. Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer was assigned command of the 2nd brigade. As the troops moved from Frederick toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the regiment in the rear was attacked by cavalry under the command of General James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart. Farnsworth's 1st Brigade counter-attacked, and with the help of Custer's 2nd Brigade drove off the Confederate cavalry. The 1st West Virginia had 2 killed, 5 wounded, and 18 men taken prisoner. This June 30 battle became known as the Battle of Hanover. The Battle of Gettysburg began on the