Custer

[rich]

reading the recent bio of GA Custer by TJ Stiles one cant but be reminded
of some of the undercurrents in AtD, Custer being the representative of the
mythical romantic, individualistic, gloryful agent of change in a time of
just the opposite. Of course, GA was in some way the quintessential 19thC
american hero, brave, racist, fool, arrogant, joker, autodidact fossill
collector inspiring commander, swindler, liar, political stooge, and social
climber, left to die naked and broke in the western dust with a cut thigh
(a Lakota speciality), two bullets in the head, and an arrow through the
penis, due to poor subsidiary commanders to many that left many of his male
relatives dead as well, but in the end to superior numbers, which in a way
was fitting.

rich
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