Show Winchell Portrait of a Hero One of the unsolved mysteries of history Is how Custer hurdled the military promotion system system system tem and overnight rose from a mere lieutenant to a general genera All anyone knows is that he returned to al headquarters one day after r being out on a mission and s' s t. t 9 chums greeted him as General Custer thought they were t r kidding because he always p boasted that hed he'd be a general r. r i i before the war was over and he heway J way was all set to start punching r rOne One of his friends grabbed him him by the arm and took him to his tent where he found an envelope containing his commission addressed addressed addressed ad ad- dressed to Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer Custer who was only 23 years old turned pale and passed out cold Winchell Custer was nuts about onions and ate te them themas as though they were WE're apples The last gift he received from his wife ite before he died was a sack of onions Whenever he was was away from his wife hed he'd sit up until all hours of the night writing writing writing writ writ- ing long letters to her On one expedition he wrote a a. letter 80 pages long When Custer died at Little Big Horn the Indians who killed killed him paid him a a. tribute that showed the respect even his enemies had for him Every man killed in that battle was scalped scalped except except Custer Just before Custer entered Little Big Horn where he made his last stand one of his Indian scouts tried to dissuade him Dont go in there the scout warned There are too many Indians You do the scouting was Custers Custer's reply Ill do the fighting The Indian went away donned war paint and reappeared a a. few moments later Custer asked him Why did you put on war paint The Indi Indian n replied Youre going going going go go- ing to your God your way Im I'm going to my go gomy god my way Custer always always' believed in fighting an enemy when he saw one without stopping to consider the cost When he was a a. kid he once attended attend attend- ed a a. dance and noticed one of his enemies poking fun at him outside by making faces faces faces' and gestures through the window Custer rushed up to the tho window and pushed his fist right through the pane into the guys guy's snoot snot Custer was a a. showman who knew how to do things in a a. manner that hit people between the eyes At the end of ot the Civil war the army paraded in review before the president and other dignitaries in front of the White House Just Justas as he approached the reviewing stand his horse reared and started to run away With a flourish flourish flour flour- ish Custer mastered it and onlookers cheered wildly as Custer galloped back into his place in inline inline inline line and passed the reviewing stand a second time time He insisted it was a an air accident but rivals r ed that his horse never acted up before or after that parade In the picture this repartee gets a howl how The commandant at West Point summons Custer Custer Custer Cus Cus- ter and threatening to expel him for having a a. fist fight with a a. fellow cadet asks him if he has anything to say I I didn't know says Custer that you could get fired from the army for fighting fight- fight Ing Custer loved his wife ardently and arid was Impatient Impatient impatient Im im- Im- Im patient at being parted from her for any length of time One night she was visiting some some friends friends and stayed a a. bit late He sent t his orderly after her with a a. package She opened it In front of everyone and turned crimson It was her nightgown |