Yes, he did. He had an enormous amount of demerits as well. I’m a Custer-freak. I love him and have read all his books as well as his wife’s. They were both very literate people with excellent senses of humor.
I just noticed your name! I, too, and a huuuuuge Errol Flynn fan.
Custer was a fine General and a hell of a leader despite the Hollywood fantasies.
Men who called him reckless when they met him usually retreated on their first impression and called him a fearless front line leader who inspired me to follow him. The commonly accepted Little Bighorn story is mostly BS.
He was a war fighter and didn’t do well during periods of calm.
I just saw him for the first time last week, what a presence and character. I didn’t think it was just how the roles were written, either. The two movies I saw were Gentleman Jack and Dive Bomber, not exactly swashbuckling action flicks, but fun. I just looked at his filmography and saw how many historical figures he has portrayed. I’ll be on the lookout for more.