Hometown: New Rumley, OH
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: Company C, 7th Ohio Cavalry
Date of Sacrifice: June 25, 1876 - KIA near the Little Bighorn River, Montana Territory
Age: 31 
Conflict: Great Sioux War, 1876-1877

The younger brother of the more famous General George Armstrong Custer, Thomas achieved military fame in his own right. For his actions in the Civil War, Thomas Custer was the first person to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor twice.

Born in New Rumley, Ohio on March 15, 1845, “Tom” idolized his older brother George, and was determined to follow him into military service as the Civil War (1861-1865) began. On September 2, 1961, Thomas joined the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry—lying about his age to enlist at age 16, two years before he was eligible.

Civil War Service

Custer proved himself to be a capable soldier, seeing action in the battles of Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and on General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. He also served on escort duty for several Union generals, including Ulysses S. Grant.

When his service ended in October 1864, Custer reenlisted, earning a promotion to second lieutenant. Transferring to the 6th Michigan Cavalry, he went to the Shenandoah Valley and joined his brother George’s staff. Once again, Tom proved his worth as a soldier, fighting in the Virginia battles of Waynesboro, Dinwiddie Court House, and Five Forks. His performance in battle led to led to a battlefield promotion to brevet major.

Medals of Honor

Thomas Ward Custer was the first soldier to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor two times. A new military honor in 1863, the early descriptions of the recipients’ actions were remarkably brief. Custer’s first Medal of Honor citation—for actions at Namozine Church (Virginia)—simply read “Capture of flag on 2 April 1865.” Custer had charged over a barricade, grabbed the Confederate flag from the hands of its bearer, and is also credited with securing the capture of 14 prisoners.

His second Medal of Honor was awarded for actions three days later, in the Battle of Sailor’s Creek (Virginia). The citation reads: “Second Lt. Custer leaped his horse over the enemy’s works and captured two stands of colors, having his horse shot from under him and receiving a severe wound.”

By modern standards, capturing an enemy’s flags would hardly seem worthy of two Medals of Honor. Katie Lange of the U.S. Department of Defense explains:

Military regimental flags were considered highly significant during the Civil War, as they helped guide troop movements during chaotic battles. If a regiment’s flag was lost or stolen, confusion set in that sometimes led to men on the same side shooting each other. The flags were also often made by the communities from which the regiments came, so they symbolized local pride and sentimentality. The taking of a flag brought shame to that regiment's soldiers.

Post-War Service

After the Civil War, Tom Custer continued his military career and received a commission as a first lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Cavalry. His brothers George and Boston were also serving with the 7th Cavalry. In 1874, Tom was part of the expedition that discovered gold in the Black Hills of present-day South Dakota, led by his brother George. Tom was promoted to captain on December 2, 1875, and given command of Company C.

The Great Sioux War

The discovery of gold in the Black Hills unleashed one of the ugliest periods in American history. Six years before the expedition, the U.S. government signed a treaty recognizing the area as property of the Sioux people—clearly establishing the solemn rights of the Sioux to perpetual ownership of their sacred lands.

With news of the gold discovery, Americans poured into the region despite the prohibitions of the treaty. Ulysses Grant, now the U.S. President and just 10 years removed from the end of the bloody Civil War, saw the futility of trying to restrain the gold rush. He could not prevent Americans from entering the Black Hills, and at the same time could not legally or morally allow it.

After failed negotiations to purchase the lands from the Sioux and relocate them to new territory in present-day Oklahoma, Grant authorized the Army to enter into the Great Plains region, ignoring previous treaties.

During the Great Sioux War of 1876, some bands of Sioux accepted resettlement in the new “Indian Territory.” Others, along with Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes fled pursuit by U.S. Cavalry units determined to relocate them.

The Battle of Greasy Grass

In June 1876, George Armstrong Custer led the 7th Cavalry to the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, where united Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors—including chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse—were believed to be encamped in a river flatland the tribes called “Greasy Grass,” in defiance of the U.S. order to move to Indian Territory.

Historians estimate the number of people in the encampment was near 8,000, with a warrior force of 1,500-3,000 fighting men (estimates vary). But Custer and the 7th Cavalry couldn’t be sure of the numbers or location of the warriors. According to the National Parks Service, “The nomadic lifestyle of the Lakota and Cheyenne people meant they were constantly on the move. No officer or scout could be certain how long a village might remain stationary, or which direction the tribe might choose to go in search of food, water, and grazing areas for their horses.”

George Custer’s plan had been to conceal his 7th Cavalry Regiment near the Wolf Mountains, allowing his Crow and Arikawa scouts time to locate the encampment. His scouts brought word that the regiment and its 600 men had been discovered. Believing he’d lost the element of surprise, and possibly fearing an attack, George Armstrong Custer decided to press ahead rather than wait for reinforcements.

On June 25, 1875, George Custer divided his forces and chose to attack immediately. Army intelligence had estimated the number of enemy warriors at 800. Vastly outnumbered by Sitting Bull’s allied warriors and cut off by Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala band of Lakota, all 210 of the men who followed Custer toward the northern edge of the encampment were killed in a two-hour battle.

Three Custer brothers—Thomas, George, and Boston—were lost in the “Battle of Greasy Grass,” more commonly known as the Battle of Little Bighorn. Tom’s older brother George Armstrong Custer’s name would forever be tied to one of the U.S. military’s most-studied disasters, now popularly referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand.”

Sources
Card Photo: National Park Service, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (digitally restored)
Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Thomas Ward Custer
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Medal of Honor: Captain Thomas W. Custer, First Double Recipient
Katie Lange, U.S. Department of Defense—Medal of Honor Monday: Army Capt. Thomas Custer
Smithsonian Magazine: How the Battle of Little Bighorn Was Won
National Parks Service, Little Bighorn Battlefield: Capt. Tom Custer
History.com: Battle of the Little Bighorn
Burial Site: Find a Grave