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
2nd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and a new CompanyG consisted of men from CompanyM. The new regiment commander was Lieutenant Colonel James Allen. His second-in-command was Major Edwin S. Morgan. General Sheridan now led an 8,000-man force, and it consisted of two cavalry divisions. General Wesley Merritt was Sheridan's cavalry commander. General Thomas Devin led the 1st Division, and the 3rd Division was commanded by George Armstrong Custer, who was now a general. The 2nd West Virginia Cavalry became part of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division Cavalry Corps. The brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd West Virginia Cavalry regiments, and was commanded by