Little Bighorn- The Man Custer Quiz

Answer: Iron Butt

Custer's men called him Iron Butt. This had to do with his endurance in the saddle and his heavy handed discipline. Nowadays an officer like Custer is called a name similar to that; I shall leave that to your imagination.

Answer: absent without leave

Custer was actually court martialed in 1867 after the Hancock campaign for being absent without leave. He left his command in order to spend time with his wife, Libby.

Answer: his luck

Custer said he owed most of his battlefield victories to good luck. Considering he finished last in his class at West Point, that is probably a fair assessment. He called it 'Custer Luck' and was so certain of it he would act with reckless abandonment.

Answer: he considered him a braggart

Captain Benteen, upon meeting Custer, regarded him as a braggart who was too absorbed in his own self importance. As he served longer with Custer, this animosity only grew.

Answer: the disappearance of an an officer and his men

The disappearance of Major Elliot and 19 of his troopers during the attack on the Cheyenne chief Black Kettle's village was the cause of the real enmity between Custer and Benteen. Benteen and Elliot were friends. He believed Custer made no attempt to ascertain their real fate before withdrawing from the fight.

Answer: Rock Forehead

At a parlry, Chief Rock Forehead disbelieved Custer's desire and promise of peace. He conveyed his feelings to Custer and tapped the ashes of his peace pipe out on Custer's boots in order to give him bad luck.

Answer: forager

Boston Custer along with his nephew Autie Reed were both civilians accompanying the army on the expedition to the Little Bighorn. Boston was a hired as a contract forager for the army. His body was found on Last Stand Hill along with those of his two brothers.

Answer: a fool

Sitting Bull, while across the border in Canada, called Custer a fool who rode to his own death.

Answer: a buckskin jacket and civilian clothing

Custer was wearing a buckskin hunting jacket, white breeches, a wide brim slouch hat and his familiar red cravat.

Answer: No one is to be blamed

The official US Army verdict after 176 years and two Courts of Inquiry is that no one is to be blamed for this debacle. Custer may have acted recklessly, and his two senior commanders were unable to assist him because they were both heavily engaged. However, no one is considered at fault. Nonetheless, there are so many complexities to this battle that military historians have and will debate it for a long time.