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Single Lieutenant of Cavalry shoulder strap attributed to George Armstrong Custer, measuring 4˝ x 1.5˝, signifying his first rank as a fresh graduate of West Point at the outset of the Civil War. Custer graduated in 1861 from the United States Military Academy at West Point—famously ranking last in his class—and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 2nd U.S. Cavalry Regiment and tasked with drilling volunteers in Washington, and was soon engaged in the defense of the capital at the First Battle of Bull Run. In very good condition, with some small bits of fabric loss to surface and edges, and significant loss to the backing.
Provenance: part of lot 7 in the 1995 Butterfield & Butterfield "Important Custer, Indian War & Western Memorabilia" sale, which lists the provenance as "Acevedo Collection, Richard Reyes Collection, Charles A. Custer Family Collection." Subsequently sold at Heritage Auctions, June 22, 2013.
This lieutenant’s shoulder strap represents the very beginning of George Armstrong Custer’s meteoric—and highly unusual—military career, marking his commissioning as a second lieutenant at the outbreak of the Civil War. From this modest starting point, Custer rose with remarkable speed, earning rapid wartime promotions for gallantry: he advanced to brigadier general of volunteers by age 23 and later achieved the rank of major general. As such, this insignia embodies the foundation of Custer's dramatic ascent.
The Western Americana auction of Jochen Zeitz.
