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Charles A. Custer
George A. Custer
Reed and brother-in-law James Calhoun. Benteen and Reno’s battalions also suffered losses in one of the worst defeats in American history.
Among Custer’s surviving siblings was Nevin Johnson Custer (1842-1915), father of James Calhoun Custer (1871-1954) and grandfather of Colonel Charles Armstrong Custer (1910-1992) of Monroe, Michigan. The latter was George Armstrong Custer’s grand nephew. He bore a resemblance to his famous ancestor and knew his great and Libbie when he was a boy.
He lied about his age in order to join the Michigan National Guard in 1926 when he was just 16 along with his brother Brice C. W. Custer, also later a lieutenant colonel. Charles Custer was in the U.S. officer’s reserve corps as a first lieutenant in the 1930s, entered federal service in October 1940, and became an executive officer in the 29th Infantry Division during the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach in World War II. He was the headquarters commandant at Fort Ord in California and retired in August 1961 with the rank of colonel. He later dedicated his time to the Red Cross and was at times incorrectly referred to as George Armstrong Custer’s great grandson. He owned a variety of pieces from his earlier relatives, including the Medals of Honor awarded to Captain Thomas Ward Custer, and his brother also owned Custer’s Remington New Model Army. Dr.
Lawrence A. Frost who purchased the cased revolver was also a resident of Monroe, Michigan, where
he was mayor and the curator of the Custer Room at the county museum. He
had a long career as a podiatrist but was deeply interested in American history and published multiple history books, including “General Custer’s Libbie,”“The Court-Martial of General
George Armstrong Custer,”“Custer Legends,” and “The Custer Album.” The
latter features a portrait of Charles A. Custer as a captain taken by Frost in 1940.
Though some of Custer’s other firearms are shown, this cased set it not, perhaps a closely
guarded personal treasure for Frost.
CONDITION: Fine with 30% original blue finish, smooth brown patina on the balance, and generally mild age and storage related wear. The grips are very fine and have crisp checkering and minimal wear. Mechanically excellent. The case is also very fine and has minimal wear and a crisp inscription. This is a possibly a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a George A. Custer revolver documented as from the Custer family’s collection in Michigan!
The proceeds from the sale of this item will go to funding scholarships and to the general fund for special projects at Highlands College, Birmingham AL. Please see book 2 page 2 for more information.
Provenance: The Custer Family Collection; The Colonel Charles Armstrong Custer Collection; The Dr. Lawrence A. Frost Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 50,000 - 75,000
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